This system will revolutionize the way aircraft ground testing is currently carried out. It is portable, wireless, and designed as a much more cost-effective solution for both aircraft production and MRO.
In the process of industrializing aircraft, Land tests are a relevant phase to verify the correct operation of all its systems (fuel, hydraulic, pneumatic, oxygen, fire suppression, flight control, mission, etc.).
One of the components of these ground testing systems are the so-called interface modules with the aircraft. They are devices that stimulate the aircraft's systems and collect their response to process it and assess its performance thanks to a computer-assisted testing system. These tests are essential to validate that the systems of an aircraft are functioning correctly.
Current interface modules are made up of multiple electronic cards integrated into a single rack (a cabinet that integrates, in a limited space, all types of computer, electronic or communication devices) that manages the exchange of signals between the ground test system and the aircraft. This is an expensive and complex procedure with high requirements for space, wiring, human resources, and dedicated facilities.
A team of engineers from AERTEC, in collaboration with AIRBUS Defence and Space, has been researching in recent years how to make it possible to carry out these tests in a more efficient way. profitable and efficient. This development has been carried out within the framework of Clean Sky 2 programme, Within the PASSARO project (Capabilities for innovative structural and functional testing of aerostructures).
The result has been a portable team for conducting tests for the functional verification of aircraft on the ground, called AIM Dongle. This small device can be connected directly to the aircraft by cable or wirelessly and perform the tests in any location, avoiding the need to transport the aircraft to specialized facilities. This portable testing equipment It can be configured to send and receive a wide variety of signals from discreet or analogic systems to specific aircraft communication protocols (ARINC-429).
The Dongle AIM prototype It has already successfully passed laboratory tests And at the end of the year the first tests will be carried out in the air. Thanks to its small size, portability and versatility, Dongle AIM will revolutionize the way aircraft ground tests are currently carried out. This is a a much more cost-effective, quick and agile solution, This will help optimize the testing tasks associated with the field of aeronautical production and aircraft maintenance (MRO).
More than ten years of experience validate AERTEC in the design, integration and maintenance of electrical, electronic, hydraulic, mechanical test benches for different aircraft systems, such as power plants, braking systems, communications, fuel, data buses, flight controls, etc.
This project has received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, pursuant to the grant agreement No CS2-AIR-GAM-2014-2015-01.
