Validating Avionics Conceptual Architectures with Executable Specifications

• Main Authors: Nils Fischer, Horst Salzwedel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics 2012-08-01
• Series: Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics
• Subjects: Avionics Development; Design Space Exploration; Middle-Out Design; Concept Validation; Complex Systems Design; Uncertainty Reduction; Aircraft Level Design; Virtual Test Bench; Executable Specification
• Online Access: http://www.iiisci.org/Journal/CV$/sci/pdfs/HNB229PW.pdf

Current avionics systems specifications, developed after conceptual design, have a high degree of uncertainty. Since specifications are not sufficiently validated in the early development process and no executable specification exists at aircraft level, system designers cannot evaluate the impact of their design decisions at aircraft or aircraft application level. At the end of the development process of complex systems, e. g. aircraft, an average of about 65 per cent of all specifications have to be changed because they are incorrect, incomplete or too vaguely described. In this paper, a model-based design methodology together with a virtual test environment is described that makes complex high level system specifications executable and testable during the very early levels of system design. An aircraft communication system and its system context is developed to demonstrate the proposed early validation methodology. Executable specifications for early conceptual system architectures enable system designers to couple functions, architecture elements, resources and performance parameters, often called non-functional parameters. An integrated executable specification at Early Conceptual Architecture Level is developed and used to determine the impact of different system architecture decisions on system behavior and overall performance.