Actuation device and associated control and monitoring board

Abstract

An actuator device including two actuators associated with command circuits and monitoring circuits that are segregated. A control and monitoring card. Calculation means.

Claims

1. An actuator device comprising: at least first and second actuators provided with connectors for connecting the at least first and second actuators respectively to first and second control circuits and to the first and second monitoring circuits; and a calculation device having two independent calculation channels, wherein the calculation device comprises: a first control and monitoring card provided with a first control hardware module and with a first monitoring hardware module, and a second control and monitoring card provided with a second control hardware module and with a second monitoring hardware module, the first and second monitoring and control cards being identical; the first and second control hardware modules being connected respectively to the first and second control circuits; the first monitoring hardware module being connected to the second monitoring circuit; and the second monitoring hardware module being connected to the first monitoring circuit.

2. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein the first control hardware module and the second control hardware module each comprise a first microcontroller, and wherein the first monitoring hardware module and the second monitoring hardware each comprise a second microcontroller distinct from the first microcontroller.

3. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein each control and monitoring card comprises a single programmable logic circuit configured to provide first and second logic arrays that are segregated, corresponding respectively to the control hardware module and to the monitoring hardware module.

4. A calculator having two independent calculation channels, provided with connector for connecting the calculator to at least first and second control circuits and to first and second monitoring circuits, the calculator comprising: a first control and monitoring card provided with a first control hardware module and with a first monitoring hardware module, and a second control and monitoring card provided with a second control hardware module and with a second monitoring hardware module, the first and second control and monitoring cards being identical; the first and second control hardware modules being for connection respectively to the first control circuit and to the second control circuit; the first monitoring hardware module being for connection to the second monitoring circuit; and the second monitoring hardware module being for connection to the first monitoring circuit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the actuator device of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of calculation means of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of an electronic card of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of an electronic card of the invention; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of calculation means of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a helicoptergiven overall reference 1includes an actuator device 10 comprising calculation means 20 having two independent calculation channels 30 and 40 connected to a flight control 2. The calculation means 20 are connected to a first electric actuator 50 for adjusting the pitch of a main rotor 3 by means of a first control circuit 51 and a first monitoring circuit 52. The calculation means 20 are also connected to a second electric actuator 60 for adjusting the pitch of an anti-torque rotor 4 by means of a second control circuit 61 and a second monitoring circuit 62.

(8) The first calculation channel 30 comprises a first control and monitoring card 31 provided with a first control module 32 and a first monitoring module 33.

(9) The second calculation channel 40 comprises a second control and monitoring card 41 provided with a second control module 42 and a second monitoring module 43. In this example, the cards 31 and 41 are identical.

(10) With reference to FIG. 3, the card 31 comprises a printed circuit 70 receiving a first microcontroller 71 and a second microcontroller 72. The first microcontroller 71 is connected by printed circuit tracks 73 to two analog to digital converter (ADC) connectors 74 and 75 and also to an RJ45 connector 76. The second microcontroller 72 is connected by printed circuit tracks 77 to two ADC connectors 78 and 79 and also to an RJ45 connector 80. Respective printed circuit tracks 81 and 82 power the first and second microcontrollers 71 and 72 electrically. The unit constituted by the first microcontroller 71, its connectors 74-75 and 76, together with its electrical power supply 81 forms a first control module 32. The unit constituted by the second microcontroller 72, its connectors 78-79 and 80, together with its electrical power supply 82 forms a first monitoring module 33. The modules 32 and 33 are independent and they do not share any connection between them.

(11) The first control module 32 is connected by a 35-pin connector 34 to the first control circuit 51. The second control module 42 is connected by a 35-pin connector 44 to the second control circuit 61.

(12) The first monitoring module 33 is connected by a 35-pin connector 35 to the second monitoring circuit 62. The second monitoring module 43 is connected by a 35-pin connector 45 to the second monitoring circuit 52.

(13) When the pilot of the helicopter 1 acts on the flight control 2 in order to modify the pitch of the main rotor 3, the first control module 32 of the first card 31 sends an electrical setpoint 53 to the first control circuit 51. The rod of the first actuator 50 then starts to move. The movement of the rod of the first actuator 50 is measured and transmitted in the form of an electrical signal 54 passing via the first monitoring circuit 52 to the second monitoring circuit 43 of the second card 41. The calculation means 20 then perform a servo control loop and stop sending the electrical setpoint 53 when the rod of the first actuator 50 reaches the position that corresponds to the instruction applied to the flight control 2 by the pilot. Thus, the first channel 30 of the calculation means 20 is in charge of controlling the first electric actuator 50 and the second channel 40 of the calculation means 20 is in charge of monitoring the electric actuator 50.

(14) Similarly, the second control module 42 of the second card 41 of the second channel 40 of the calculation means 20 is in charge of controlling the second actuator 60. The first monitoring module 33 of the first card 31 of the first channel 30 of the calculation means 20 is in charge of monitoring the second actuator 60.

(15) Calculation means 20 are thus obtained comprising two identical channels 30 and 40, while nevertheless conserving asymmetry between the control function and the monitoring function for a given actuator. Independence between the control and monitoring functions is achieved by the fact that these functions, for a given actuator, are not on the same channel of the calculation means 20. The calculation means 20 then satisfy the requirements for functions being independent and dissociated, thus making it possible to use two identical cards 31 and 41 having development, fabrication, and maintenance costs that are reduced compared with calculation means having one card dedicated to control and another card dedicated to monitoring.

(16) In the description below of a second embodiment, elements identical or analogous to those described above are given numerical references augmented by one hundred.

(17) With reference to FIG. 4, the first control and monitoring card 131 comprises: a conventional programmable logic circuit 84also known as an FPGA; a power supply 85 connected to the programmable logic circuit 84; and connectors 174 to 176 and 178 to 180. The programmable logic circuit 84 includes a configurable circuit layer 86 and a static random access memory (SRAM) array layer (not shown). The periphery of the logic circuit 84 is provided with input/output blocks 87. In the invention, the programmable logic circuit 84 is configured to provide a first control logic array 88 and a first monitoring logic array 89. This configuration is performed by using a placement-and-routing tool to organize the logic blocks of the layer 86. As shown in FIG. 4, the programmable logic circuit 84 is segregated into two equivalent portions by a horizontal boundary 90 through which there pass no interconnections. The portion situated above the boundary 90 corresponds to the first control logic array 88 and the portion situated below the boundary 90 corresponds to the second monitoring logic array 89. This separation does not require any physical operation and appears in the reconfiguration of the programmable logic circuit 84 as stored in the memory array layer. The input/output blocks 87 are then subdivided into a first set 87.1 of input/output blocks and a second set 87.2 of input/output blocks, which sets are respectively connected to the first control logic array 88 and to the second monitoring logic array 89. The two logic arrays 88 and 89 involve distinct blocks of the programmable logic circuit 84, and this segregation is established during the initial configuration of the programmable logic circuit 84.

(18) The connectors 174 to 176 are connected to the first set 87.1 of input/output blocks, while the connectors 178 to 180 are connected to the second set 87.2 of input/output blocks. The programmable logic circuit 84 is configured in such a manner that the first control logic circuit 88 performs the operations corresponding to the control module 132 of the electric actuator 150, while the first monitoring logic array 89 performs the operations corresponding to the monitoring module 133 of the electric actuator 160. The first set 87.1 of input/output blocks and the second set 87.2 of input/output blocks are respectively connected to the connectors 134 and 135.

(19) With reference to FIG. 5, calculation means 120 possess two channels 130 and 140 that comprise respectively the first control and monitoring card 131 and a second control and monitoring card 141, which is identical to the card 131.

(20) The calculation means 120 are connected to a first electric actuator 150 for adjusting the pitch of a main rotor 3 by means of a first control circuit 151 and a first monitoring circuit 152. The calculation means 120 are also connected to a second electric actuator 160 for adjusting the pitch of an anti-torque rotor 4 by means of a second control circuit 161 and a second monitoring circuit 162.

(21) In similar manner to the card 131, the second card 141 comprises a programmable logic circuit 94 segregated into a second control logic array 98 and a second monitoring logic array 99 respectively connected to a first set 97.1 of input/output blocks and to a second set 97.2 of input/output blocks. The first and second sets 97.1 and 97.2 of input/output blocks are respectively connected to connectors 144 and 145.

(22) Each card 131 and 141 also has means for connection to the flight control 102.

(23) The first control logic array 88 of the first card 131 is connected by the connector 134 to the first control circuit 151. The second control logic array 98 is connected by the connector 144 to the second control circuit 161.

(24) The first monitoring logic array 89 is connected by a connector 135 to the second monitoring circuit 162. The second monitoring logic array 99 is connected by a connector 145 to the first control circuit 52.

(25) Calculation means 120 are thus obtained comprising two identical channels 30 and 40, while nevertheless conserving asymmetry between the control function and the monitoring function for a given actuator. Independence between the control and monitoring functions is achieved by the fact that these functions, for a given actuator, are not on the same channel of the calculation means 120. The calculation means 120 thus satisfy the requirements for functions to be independent and dissociated in order to enable reduced criticality to be obtained while making use of two cards 131 and 141 that are substantially identical, for which development, fabrication, and maintenance costs are reduced compared with calculation means comprising two cards that are different.

(26) Naturally, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described, but covers any variant coming within the ambit of the invention as defined by the claims.

(27) In particular: although in these examples the actuators are electrohydraulic control actuators for adjusting rotor pitch, the invention is equally applicable to other types of actuator, e.g. such as an actuator for deploying landing gear, for opening a hatch, for controlling a throttle, or for moving an aileron or a flap, or indeed actuators that are hydraulic or pneumatic; although in these examples each microcontroller has two ADC connectors and one RJ45 connector, the invention applies equally to other types of control unit, such as for example a microprocessor optionally associated with random access memory (RAM) and/or read only memory (ROM), or a microcontroller having connectors of other types; although in these examples the calculation means are connected by means of a 35-pin connector to the control or monitoring circuit, the invention applies equally to other ways of connecting the calculation means to the control and monitoring circuits, such as for example connectors having some other number of pins or connectors for serial or parallel connections; although in these examples the actuators are connected to the control and monitoring circuits by wired connections, the invention applies equally to other ways of connecting the actuators to the control and monitoring circuits, such as for example a wireless connection or a connection via a single fieldbus; although in these examples the programmable logic circuit is of the FPGA type, the invention applies equally to other types of programmable logic circuit, such as for example erasable programmable logic devices (EPLDs) provided with flash memory, or programmable array logic (PAL) using fusible interconnections; and although in these examples the invention is described in association with actuating two actuators, the invention is equally applicable to actuating more than two actuators.