ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY FOR PERIPHERAL DEVICES OF AN AIRCRAFT

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic assembly for peripheral devices such as sensors of an aircraft, comprising three generic interfaces differing from one another for coupling the assembly to at least one peripheral device and at least one digital evaluation unit, in particular arranged downstream, wherein the assembly is couplable to the peripheral device via at least one interface.

Claims

1. An electronic assembly for peripheral devices such as sensors and/or actuators of an aircraft comprising at least three generic interfaces differing from one another for coupling the assembly to at least one peripheral device and at least one digital evaluation unit, in particular arranged downstream, wherein the assembly is couplable to the peripheral device via at least one interface, one interface is a digital output with feedback, in particular optional feedback; one interface is an analog output; one interface is an analog input; and the digital evaluation unit is an FPGA or a microcontroller.

2. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the digital output is adapted to output signals having a variable pulse width, signals having a variable frequency and/or signals for exciting sensors and/or to carry out a feedback of signals for a switching state verification and/or to be used as a digital input on a feedback of signals.

3. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analog output is adapted to output a signal having a variable voltage and/or frequency and/or signal shape.

4. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analog input is adapted to carry out a current measurement, a voltage measurement, a frequency measurement, a resistance measurement and/or a digital status measurement.

5. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein that the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

6. (canceled)

7. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the LVDT, the resolver, the passive inductive proximity sensor and/or the servo valve are couplable to the assembly via the analog output and the analog input; or in that the servo valve is only couplable to the assembly via the analog output.

8. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the passive inductive proximity sensor, the analog sensor and/or the temperature sensor are couplable to the assembly via the digital output and the analog input.

9. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the assembly is configurable via pin programming.

10. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analog output comprises a low pass filter and/or an amplifier; and/or in that the digital evaluation unit comprises a PDM modulator.

11. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein the analog output is adapted to output a signal having a variable voltage and/or frequency and/or signal shape.

12. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the analog input is adapted to carry out a current measurement, a voltage measurement, a frequency measurement, a resistance measurement and/or a digital status measurement.

13. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the analog input is adapted to carry out a current measurement, a voltage measurement, a frequency measurement, a resistance measurement and/or a digital status measurement.

14. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein the analog input is adapted to carry out a current measurement, a voltage measurement, a frequency measurement, a resistance measurement and/or a digital status measurement.

15. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

16. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

17. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 12, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

18. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

19. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

20. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

21. An electronic assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein the peripheral device is an LVDT, an RVDT, a resolver, a passive inductive proximity sensor, a servo valve, a potentiometer, a solenoid valve, an analog sensor, a temperature sensor and/or a pressure sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Further details and advantages of the invention are explained with reference to the embodiments shown in the Figures. There are shown:

[0018] FIG. 1: a schematic view of the possibilities of coupling the assembly in accordance with the invention to different peripheral devices; and

[0019] FIG. 2: a schematic view of the coupling of the assembly with in accordance with the invention to a servo valve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] FIG. 1 shows the three interfaces of the assembly shown schematically and differing from one another in the left region. Likewise schematically different peripheral devices are indicated to the right thereof.

[0021] The peripheral devices can be sensors or actuators of the aircraft that are, for example, couplable to an onboard computer of the aircraft via the assembly.

[0022] How each peripheral device is couplable to the assembly is indicated for each peripheral device by a corresponding vertical positioning of its coupling points in the region of the digital output, the analog output and/or the analog input.

[0023] The peripheral devices in the embodiment of FIG. 1 are predominantly coupled to the assembly via respectively exactly two of the three interfaces. As shown in the right region of FIG. 1, the servo valve described by way of example can be coupled to the assembly solely via the analog output. There is optionally the possibility of coupling the servo valve to the assembly both via the analog output and via the analog input. Other peripheral devices can be couplable to the assembly via exactly two of the three interfaces.

[0024] Provision can be made on a coupling of the assembly in accordance with the invention to an analog sensor that the analog sensor is supplied via the digital output. Depending on whether a voltage or a current of the analog sensor is to be detected, the analog sensor can be connectable to different poles of the analog input.

[0025] It is possible by the use of only three different generic interfaces and of a digital evaluation arranged downstream by means of an evaluation unit 7 or a readjustment unit 7 to read in and evaluate a plurality of the most varied sensors and/or to control electronic control elements and actuators. The association of a function such as an LVDT evaluation with the generic interfaces can take place via an FTGA or a microcontroller.

[0026] The FTGA or microcontroller can be used in conjunction with the above-named interfaces as a universally usable evaluation and control unit through predefined functions and simple configurations, for example via PIN programming.

[0027] A universally usable remote electronic data concentrator can be configured by means of the invention described here. A further exemplary embodiment comprises the implementation of the invention with a flight control computer that evaluates one or more sensors such as resolvers, RVDTs, potentiometers, temperature sensors, inductive proximity sensors with the aid of the described interfaces.

[0028] Another possible embodiment comprises the evaluation of passive inductive proximity sensors for aerospace applications using the invention described here. Another possible embodiment comprises the control of servo valves using the universal interfaces described here.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the analog output 2 can generate a differential voltage that is variable with respect to frequency and amplitude. A signal modulated with high frequency PDM (pulse density modulation) can here be generated by means of a corresponding PDM modulator 3 that can be low pass filtered and amplified. A desired signal shape can hereby be reconstructed. The current through the connected valve can be determined by a current measurement and the commanded current 1 can be set by means of a readjustment unit or evaluation unit 7 of the PDM signal.

[0030] The analog output 2 can comprise at least one filter 4 connected, in particular in series, to at least one amplifier 5. The analog input 6 can comprise an analog input filter that can be switched, in particular parallel, with a current measuring device.

[0031] The adjustment unit 7 or the evaluation unit 7 can comprise a regulation/control which can be connected in series to the PDM modulator 3. The readjustment unit 7 can furthermore be coupled to the analog input 6 via an analog-to-digital converter.

[0032] The universal use capability of the apparatus in accordance with the invention in conjunction with different peripheral devices results as an advantage of said apparatus. The assembly can here also be reused more simply with different peripheral devices.

[0033] A reduction of the number and complexity of the hardware components furthermore results, which produces corresponding advantages in cost and weight.

[0034] A reduction of the number of different required interfaces results overall for the system of the aircraft by a use of three generic interfaces. This likewise results in corresponding cost reductions.

[0035] Depending on the design of the assembly, reduced space requirements of the apparatus can furthermore be achieved and the development effort for the development of new peripheral devices controllable or connectable by means of the assembly can be reduced by the restriction to three interfaces.