In February and March certification of the critical operational software of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the aileron/spoiler subsystem for the C-295 demonstrator aircraft passed two important milestones: the Planning Process Review (PPR) and the Software Requirements Review (SRR).

Development and validation of this software falls within the EMA4FLIGHT and VALEMA projects of the European Clean Sky 2 project. The purpose of these projects is development and validation of electromechanical actuators and ECUs for flight control systems to prove feasibility of the introduction of electromechanical actuators in aviation. Incorporation of actuators of this type forms part of an overall strategy of making More Electric Aircraft (MEA), significantly cutting weight and emissions in comparison with current technology based on hydraulic systems.

Both milestones were approved by AIRBUS DS as the intermediary party responsible for certification by the State Air Safety Agency (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea: AESA) and they are both necessary steps for obtaining the Permit To Fly for this software, giving it clearance for embedding in the C-295 aircraft for flight testing. This clearance has been obtained in due accordance with the DO-178C guide for a level-A system, which is the most critical level under this standard.

GMV is responsible for development of ECU software, which, fundamentally, sees to communication with interfaces of various types (ARINC, analogue, PWM, etc.), controlling the actuators in closed loop and exhaustively monitoring the state of the subsystem. GMV has also taken on other tasks such as selection of a suitable software-hosting Digital Signal Processor (DSP) that also allows for ECU hardware certification under DO-254.

All these milestones represent one more step within the critical operational software certification and development activities that GMV has now been carrying out for years for diverse Airbus programs. They also enhance GMV’s certification and software development skills in other projects, such as the various developments for the flight refueling program, the flight control computer of the RPA ATLANTE and the ECU of the A400M aircraft’s crane.

 

This project has received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement nº 755615