Reconfigurable avionics equipment and method of reconfiguring such equipment

摘要

The disclosure relates to reconfigurable avionics equipment, subscribed to an onboard network such as an AFDX® network. The equipment has an architecture in two portions, a functional portion which makes it possible to perform the function proper to the piece of equipment and an interfacing portion, which allows the functional portion to communicate over the network. The interfacing portion includes a configuration file separate from the one used to configure the functional portion and able to be downloaded, using the network, independently of the latter.

主权项

1. Reconfigurable avionics equipment for connection to an onboard network on board an aircraft, the equipment being configured to carry out a predetermined function and comprising:
a first portion configured to perform the function, with this first portion comprising first hardware and first software, as well as a first configuration file to configure the first hardware and/or the first software, and wherein the first software comprises one or more applications that perform the function; and a second portion physically connected between the first portion and the network and configured to interface the first portion with the network by carrying messages between the network and the first portion to enable the first portion to access the network only through the second portion, with this second portion comprising second hardware and second software as well as a second configuration file to configure the second hardware and/or the second software, with the second configuration file being separate from the first one; wherein the second software comprises a communications application and the second portion is configured to interface the first portion with the network by virtue of the communications application managing a communications protocol stack which allows the one or more applications of the first software to exchange messages with remote applications, and wherein the second portion uses the second configuration file to configure the communications application by parameters extracted or calculated using the second configuration file; and wherein the first portion and the second portion of the reconfigurable avionics equipment are configured to execute the first software and the second software using a common processor shared by the first hardware and the second hardware, and wherein the second portion is configured to execute the second software independently of the first portion executing the first software.