Unifying Avionics System Configuration: A Concept for Capturing Essential Elements From Computing Resources to Network Topology in a Universal Format

Abstract

Configurations enable a system integrator to set system parameters according to system functionality requirements. The same is true for avionics software which can be configured for specific needs like application execution frequency and execution duration. Configurations come in different forms. Most software systems use standardized formats, such as the Extensible Markup Language (XML), to deposit essential configuration parameters according to which the system shall operate. The current gap in systems configuration for avionics is twofold. First, there is a lack of a uniform configuration format. Second, there are rarely systems that capture all essential system resources in a centralized and standardized format. This paper addresses these two challenges. Here, the authors present the concept of a unified avionics system configuration. The system configuration concerns the computing resources as well as the network backbone typically found in Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) systems. The research presented here explores the essential elements of computing modules and network protocols of IMA systems. Then, a suitable serialization format is used to capture a superset of these elements. The results show that the approach of unifying avionics configurations can enhance the development of these systems by making the engineering process more flexible and coherent.