Project Overview

Project Objective

The main goal of the project is to ensure the safety and performance of a fighter jet’s Flight Control Unit (FCU) by replicating hazardous flight scenarios in a controlled lab environment—scenarios that cannot be safely tested in live operations.

Target Platform and Industry

This solution is tailored for:

  • Flight Control Units (FCUs)
  • Mission computers
  • Other critical avionics components in military and civilian fixed-wing aircraft

Industries: Aerospace, Defense

Scope and Functionality

This project involves hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of a physical FCU. By integrating the unit with a real-time simulation system, the setup enables safe performance validation under simulated extreme flight conditions. It supports iterative debugging, input manipulation, and hardware-in-the-loop ironbird simulations.

Technical Specifications

System Capabilities

  • Real-time simulation of complete aircraft dynamics and subsystems
  • Injection of electrical faults across I/O channels for safety-critical validation
  • Full monitoring and simulation of avionics communication buses (e.g., MIL-STD-1553B)
  • Signal generation and measurement: analog, discrete, VDT, solenoid
  • Electrical conditioning of all I/O channels to reflect real aircraft parameters
  • High-reliability mass interconnect interface for quick test setup
  • Automated self-test and self-calibration functions
  • Intuitive GUI for automated test execution, data monitoring, and reporting

Standards, Protocols, and Compatibility

  • PXI & SLSC Modular Architecture
  • Full support for MIL-STD-1553B communication standard

DEICO Modules Used

  • SLSC modules: DE9001, DE9003, DE9006, DE9100
  • 1553 Bus Coupler
  • Custom breakout box

Project Value and Impact

Why This Project Matters

This HIL test rig plays a critical role in validating flight control systems under risky conditions that cannot be recreated during real-world flights. It enhances safety assurance without operational risk.

Customer and Industry Benefits

The platform dramatically shortened the development and certification cycle for the FCU. It also reduced costs and eliminated risks associated with live aircraft testing, providing a highly controllable and reusable test environment.

Table of Content

System Features & Capabilities

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