EUROCAE ED-247B PDF

SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT

Physical test benches used in the aircraft development process are complex platforms with high initial and recurring costs. They are generally on the critical path of the development and cannot be easily replicated to increase the validation capacity.

Virtual Testing can be one approach to avoiding these difficulties. It is a promising solution that has already demonstrated its benefits in other industries like telecommunication and automotive. However, the avionics industry brings specific challenges as systems are complex, hardware heterogeneous and sourced from multiple suppliers with different infrastructures.

Therefore, an internationally recognized standard is necessary:

- To provide a framework to support the interoperability of virtual and real avionics components.

- To define a global process that describes the exchange, integration and exploitation of those components, their environments and connectivity.

This document aims to standardize:

- The “Virtual and hybrid testing” approach through the integration of virtual and hybrid test bench components.

- The interfaces (virtualization rules for the different A/C signals and busses, commands, etc.) between virtual and hybrid components.

- The hybridization (mix of real and virtualized components).

- The Command & Notification set and methods to pilot virtual components through a common state machine and data inspection functions.

- The exchange process between provider and integrator of components compliant with this standard.

Virtual testing within the scope of this standard is targeted at aircraft system development and V&V.

Other components are considered as virtual, and their classifications/definitions are given further in the document.

With respect to interface standardization between components, the use of a specific physical layer is not enforced by this document although Ethernet UDP/IP is currently considered as the de facto reference implementation throughout the document. It must be taken as an example and not a hard requirement.

This document is organized as follows:

- CHAPTER 1 introduces the intended use and added value of Virtual and hybrid testing as well as the objectives and perimeter of this document,

- CHAPTER 2 describes the ED-247 concepts and controlling configuration mechanisms,

- CHAPTER 3 explains the implementation of transversal concepts of the ED-247 Standard,

- CHAPTER 4 describes the method for distributing ED-247 components,

- CHAPTER 5 explains the implementation of the Command & Notification concepts,

- CHAPTER 6 explains the implementation of each avionic and non-avionic communication protocols into the ED-247 Transport payload,

- CHAPTER 7 describes the implementation of the state machine, its time management, and the power supply simulation concept,

- CHAPTER 8 explains status and health monitoring implementation and control,

- CHAPTER 9 describes data instrumentation and failure injection,

- CHAPTER 10 describes ED-247 transport means.

Virtual components in this document are considered as "black boxes" and the emphasis is made on the exchanges that must respect the ICDs defined for the real components and their interfaces with the Virtual Test Bench (VTB).