Interfacing sensor assemblies with windowless cockpit displays

An interface for converting aircraft instrument information into a video display was created. Due to the limited development time available, the interface was divided into two subsystems. The goal of the division was to allow concurrent work on two major system components. The division used greatly aided the development, test, and calibration tasks. The key to being able to develop and test them simultaneously was attributable to two factors. Both subsystems had local intelligence in the form of microprocessors, and their interconnection was kept physically simple. Testing of each subsystem was accomplished by simulating the other subsystem on a general-purpose computer. It is concluded that the testing went as expected. The only surprise when the instrument interface was eventually connected to the PC was the lock-up problem. The author describes system specifications and design, the instrument-to-PC interface, the PC-resident software, and subsystem test and calibration.<
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