Aircraft systems must perform a multitude of safety-critical functions to ensure safe operation during the different flight phases. They enable a very broad range of applications, from propulsion systems such as jet engines, to mechanical systems such as the landing gear or flight control surfaces, cabin systems responsible for environmental control, and avionics, i.e., onboard electronic equipment used for communication, navigation, or flight control, for example – to name but a few. System suppliers are constantly striving for optimization and innovation to maintain their competitive edge in a challenging market and contribute to a more efficient, sustainable, and passenger-friendly aircraft industry.
Challenges
Recent aircraft systems are increasingly integrating both hardware and software to handle the ever-growing demand in functionality and complexity. For example, distributed functions and multiple dependencies between aircraft systems operating in a joined network need to be considered during design, implementation, and testing. At the same time, aircraft and system manufacturers must adhere to a variety of strict regulatory requirements defined by standards such as DO-160, DO-178C, DO-254, or ARP4754. To meet this multitude of challenges, an open and expandable development environment with reliable hardware and software products plays a key role in the development of aircraft systems. It must support both small and large setups, depending on the application, thereby contributing to a flexible and cost-effective test environment that can be adapted to different test scenarios.
Our Solutions for Aircraft Systems
dSPACE systems offer multiple benefits for a wide variety of development activities in aircraft systems. For example, by providing a seamless and easy integration of simulation models, dSPACE products make it possible to frontload tests of aircraft components or systems to early development phases. With the support of a comprehensive workflow and an easy test system configuration, even critical flight scenarios are fully reproducible in a safe laboratory environment for early testing on the ground.
Rapid Prototyping
HIL Testing
Central Test Method for Validating ECUs
The dSPACE HIL test systems provide a simulated environment for efficient and reproducible validation of real ECUs in the laboratory 24/7. This increases test coverage and shortens validation times significantly. Our HIL solutions cover all vehicle domains from autonomous driving to zero emissions – starting with component testing and up to virtual vehicle testing.
Power HIL Testing
Closing the Gap Between HIL and Dynamometer Testing
With our power HIL systems, we offer ready-to-use solutions for testing any kind of inverter, including the controller and power electronics, at full power. Using real voltages and currents, our systems enable you to complete exceptionally rigorous tests. Our systems behave like a digital twin of the real system and allow for easy configuration with just a few clicks, which significantly reduces setup times.
Bus & Network Communication
SIL Testing
Software-in-the loop (SIL) testing with the powerful dSPACE solution for PC- and cloud-based simulation
With the dSPACE solution for software-in-the loop (SIL) testing, you can significantly accelerate your software development process by testing and validating virtually. dSPACE offers you a complete, modular, scalable development and test solution. You can conveniently simulate a device-under-test on a PC, connect it to physics-based models, run scalable tests in the cloud, and then easily reuse test scripts on hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems.
Test Data Management
Data Management and Collaboration Software for Automated ECU Testing
SYNECT, our solution for the efficient and automated verification and validation of ECU software, helps engineers worldwide handle all test parameters, their dependencies, versions and variants, and the underlying requirements throughout the entire development process.
This results in consistent data versions and complete traceability as required in homologation processes, and an efficient reuse of data in other projects.
Mechatronic Test Benches
Turn-key solutions – optimally adapted to your requirements
ECUs that cannot be accessed by means of their electrical interfaces can be tested with the highly dynamic dSPACE test benches. The turn-key solutions can be optimally adapted to your specific requirements, letting you use highest performance and most complex control for electric drives providing ideal mechanical interfaces for testing. The mechatronic test benches allow for virtual test-drives including real components in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Data Logging
Sensor Data Management
Production Software Development
Optimized Production Software Development
The central challenges in production software development include the optimization of RAM resources, run time, and integration into the overall system. Furthermore, it must be possible to split the software in such a way that regular software updates are possible. And before the final software release, special validation and often a release process are required.
Development support from start to finish
Developing complex E/E systems and software with ever more safety-critical functions, especially in the area of autonomous systems, raises the question of guaranteeing function reliability. That's why dSPACE offers end-to-end expertise in functional safety, test strategy development as well as verification and validation in complex E/E processes - to support you from the earliest project stages to homologation.
dSPACE systems are easy to get up and running – however, if a project is more complex, if individual solutions are needed or if there is high time pressure, you can also trust dSPACE's fast, competent and reliable engineering services.
