Real-time HIL test of environmental control systems for airframes
The Airframe Environmental Control System Test Platform provides a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) closed-loop test environment for dynamic and maintenance testing of cockpit and cabin environmental control systems for airframes. The system simulates a military or commercial airframe cabin, including sensors and actuators from the control system and the passengers. The system delivers repeatable, cost-effective testing in a fraction of the time needed with typical in-house simulation systems.
The extensive set of I/O channels in the Airframe Environmental Control System Test Platform meet the requirements for airframe, and can be reduced or expanded to the exact I/O requirements for other types and sizes of military or commercial aircraft. Commercially available or proprietary simulation models are easily incorporated into the test system software for comprehensive test coverage.
The test system is based upon the Bloomy Simulation Reference System, which reduces overall lifecycle costs and creates a common test platform for HIL test systems in a System Integration Laboratory (SIL). The reference system includes industry-standard components from National Instruments, The MathWorks, Virginia Panel Corporation, and Bloomy. These components are used in other Bloomy Test Platforms including the FADEC/EEC Test Platform and the Flight Control System Test Platform.
Bloomy's Environmental Control System Test Platform can be used in a range of test system applications including:
- Airframe environmental control system verification and validation
- Development, production, or maintenance testing
- “Fly the Box” test of customer return material
- Development of control laws prior to airframe test
- Reduces physical test requirements
- Minimizes fault conditions in physical test
- Environmental Stress Screening(ESS)/Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT)
- System Integration Labs (SILs)
Bloomy's Environmental Control System Test Platform features include:
- Simulation environment for comprehensive airframe environmental control testing
- Analog I/O including thermistor, RTDs, strain gages
- Actuator loads including inductive solenoids, torque motors, and indicator loads
- Discrete switch signals including open/ground, open/Vcc, open/closed
- Available digital communications including ARINC-429, MIL-STD-1553B, FireWire, AFDX, serial
- DC Power (+28VDC); optional 1Ø/3Ø AC supplies
- ThroughPoint™ Interface Panels with integrated breakout box functionality
- Runs customer-supplied models in real-time test environment
- Programmed using LabVIEW and TestStand
- Standard configuration easily modified to custom requirements
| Signal Conditioning and Communication I/O | |
|---|---|
| Interface Type | Channels |
| VDT/Resolver simulation (4W, 5W, 6W)*+ | Optional |
| Thermocouple simulation*+ | Optional |
| RTD simulation*+ | 8 |
| Thermistor simulation+ | 8 |
| Strain Gauge simulation+ | 8 |
| Loads (torque motors, solenoid, lamp, etc.)*+ | 16 (8x <5W, 8x >5W) |
| Discretes (one-wire and two-wire)+ | 32 |
| Differential analog outputs to UUT+ | 8 |
| Potentiometer/variable resistor simulation | 8 |
| RS-422 | 2 |
| ARINC-429 | Optional |
| AFDX/ARINC-664 | Optional |
| MIL-STD-1553B | Optional |
| IRIG B | 1 |
| Ethernet Test Bus | Optional |
| DC Power | 1 |
| AC Power | Optional |
| Fault Insertion | |
|---|---|
| *Open circuit fault included. | |
| Other fault conditions (short to ground, pin to pin short, etc.) optional for all signal types |
| Self-Test | |
|---|---|
| +Self-test standard, calibration optional | |
| Loopback self-test optional for all other signal types |
| Computing Resources | |
|---|---|
| Real-Time Simulation Host | PXIe-based, RTOS, up to 8-Core Xeon |
| Instrumentation and System Management | PXIe-based, Windows, up to 8-Core Xeon |
| Software Environments | |
|---|---|
| Real-time Framework | National Instruments VeriStand |
| Test Executive | National Instruments TestStand |
| Data Acquisition and Programming | National Instruments LabVIEW, C/C++ |
| Data Management and Analysis | National Instruments DIAdem |
| Software Models | 23 model types, including LabVIEW, Simulink, MatrixX, C/C++, MapleSim |
| System Dimensions and Power | |
|---|---|
| System Chassis | 1- or 2-bay 40U equipment racks |
| 1-bay: | approx. 78"H (with locking casters) x 23"W x 36"D |
| 2-bay: | approx. 78"H (with locking casters) x 46"W x 36"D |
| Weight | Configuration dependent |
| Power Requirements | Power requirements vary with selected AC and DC power supply options |
| Emergency Power Off | Standard |
| Uninterruptible Power Source | Standard for all computing resources |
| Warranty | |
|---|---|
| 1-year warranty on all hardware components, optional extended warranties available | |
| 3-year software service plan on all National Instruments software products |