Design of a low cost multifunction visual navigation

display for Argentinean military aircraft.

Mauricio D. Principi- Ariel C. Principi- Ariel Cararo Gustavo M. Rodriguez- Roberto H. Manno
Centro de I+D de Tecnologías Aeronáuticas. Facultad de Ingeniería.
Dirección General de Investigación y Desarrollo- FAA. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto.
Río Cuarto- Argentina. Río Cuarto- Argentina
mprincipi@faa.mil.ar

Abstract— Development of an avionics system prototype for Commission for Aeronautics” for environmental avionics
viewing multiple applications of navigation data, using a low cost hardware test.
commercial off the shelf touch screen display, a PC-104+, a GPS
and a special case designed for that purpose, in order to provide
information to military or civilian aircraft, the prototype will be
II. METHODOLOGY
installed in the cockpit of the new version of FAA Pucará The prototype design includes the following steps:
aircraft.
A. Specification of baseline requirements and task
Keywords—avionics; display; navigation; low cost; embedded . distribution.

B. Standards applied.
I. INTRODUCTION
Avionics began due to military necessity, reflected later in C. Embedded system architecture design.
civil aviation. In the seventies, military aircraft became air
sensor platforms, concentrating a large amount of electronic D. External interfaces.
equipment.
E. Hardware components selection criteria.
A multi function display (MFD) [1], is a liquid crystal
monitor that displays visual navigation information. It is F. Implementation of Calnav software in the multi function
connected to a computer with a power supply and peripherals display hardware.
that capture dynamics flight information. All this is integrated
and encapsulated in a specially designed case, which should be G. Case design and manufacture.
located in an accessible place in the cockpit of an aircraft and
can be used to display information in different ways to the H. Embedded system hardware and software integration and
pilot. verification testing .
The aim of this paper is to report the design, manufacture I. Environmental prototype testing using RTCA/DO-160
and implementation of national avionics equipment with standard.
multiple visual navigation applications. The prototype is
composed of commercial of the shelf industrial components, J. Requirements validation of the prototype.
mostly marketed in the country, which will allow gaining
experience for future assistance tools navigation designs for III. DEVELOPMENT
military and civilian aircraft.
Nowadays in the Argentine Air Force there exists the need A. Specification of baseline requirements and task
to display real time navigation information on a touch screen distribution.
monitor, using navigation software. The MFD is designed to 1) General requirements.
select navigation data source from an internal GPS, or from an Using standards:
external serial communication module which controls a a) For systems development.
military standard 1553 communication bus of an “Embedded
GPS in Inertial and Radio Altimeter System EGIR”. b) For avionics environmental testing.
Regarding the development standards for the system design,
2) System requirements.
we use ECSS “European Cooperation for Space
Standardization” from ESA “European Space Agency” and a) Design and manufacture a man machine interface
DO-160 “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for system to display real time navigation information in an
Airborne Equipment” from RTCA “Radio Technical aircraft.
 b) Navigation data autonomy by using its own GPS.
PEN DRIVE
c) Execution of RTCA DO-160 environmental tests. CITeA task

USB
d) Implement the prototype in the aircraft cockpit. GPS EGIR
RF
e) Integration with UIE “EGIR Initializer Unit” module, ANTENNA MFD RS-232 INITIALIZER
UNIT
for prototype nonautonomous navigation. PUCARA
||

MIL-STD 1553
PRESENTER
On/Off DISCRETE I/O
f) Earth and flight validation testing in the aircraft. switch

28-VDC
3) Interface requirements.
28VDC airplane electric source EGIR
a) Interface to control on/off by a cockpit switch.
b) Interface for own protothype GPS antenna.
Fig. 1. Multi function display prototype in Pucará aircraft.
c) USB 2.0 serial external interface, for data loading.
d) Interface with inertial system for protothype
nonautonomous mode operation by using UIE module. PEN DRIVE FAdeA task

USB
4) Software requirements. GPS
EGIR
RF RS-232 INITIALIZER
a) Run different software that supports GPS navigation, ANTENNA MFD UNIT
in special Calnav software for this prototype. PUCARA

MIL-STD 1553
PRESENTER
On/Off switch DISCRETE I/O
b) Preflight ground mission planning.

28-VDC
c) Prototype mission charging by pen drive.
d) Visual real time navigation assistance during the 28VDC airplane electric source EGIR
flight, with or without a loaded mission.
e) Software switching key between standalone GPS
authonomous mode navigation to nonauthonomous mode by Fig. 2. Design and test of the UIE hardware (MFD<->UIE<->EGIR)
using EGIR inertial system as a data source for navigation.
f) Flight data recording.
PEN DRIVE
FAdeA and
g) Ground mission processing flight logged data.
Navy task
USB

EGIR
GPS
5) Task distribution. RF RS-232 INITIALIZER
ANTENNA MFD UNIT
Tasks were divided as follows to implement the Pucará
PUCARA

MIL-STD 1553
aircraft navigation system: PRESENTER
CITEA “Research and Development Center of Aerospace On/Off switch DISCRETE I/O
28-VDC

Technology”, see Fig. 1, is responsible for developing the

multi function display prototype.
FAdeA, the Argentina Aircraft Factory, is responsible for the
design and testing of the UIE hardware module that performs
the inertial system initialization, and then transfers the EGIR
navigation data to the multi function display prototype by a
preexistent protocol, then Calnav software which is running on
MFD, shows navigation data, see Fig. 2.
That RS-232 communication protocol between software
Calnav and UIE module is jointly specified by Navy
personnel, owner of the navigation soft and FAdeA personnel,
owner of the hardware module, see Fig. 3.
28VDC airplane electric source EGIR
Fig. 3. RS-232 Calnav UIE communication protocol.
B. Standards applied.
The MFD is an aerospace equipment, so we apply ESA
ECSS standards as a guide during the hardware development
process of the prototype, after tailoring the standard according
to this kind of project, focusing particularly in the E-10 Series,
where the “E” letter refers to "Engineering", in which we can
mention the next ones:
ECSS-E-ST-10C. [2] "System engineering general
requirements", which specifies the requirements
implementation for space equipment development.
ECSS-E-ST-10-02C. [3] “Verification", which establishes
requirements for space systems verification.
 ECSS-E-10-03A. [4] “Testing" standard which facilitates
the requirements development of performance and
environmental systems spatial components.
Regard the execution of environmental tests, we apply the
avionics hardware environmental standard DO-160
"Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne
Equipment", for aeronautical equipment test procedures [5].
The J1 aviation connector provides the supply voltage of
the system, the thermal switch discrete key on / off signal from
the right side panel of the aircraft cockpit, which turns on or off
the MFD and the serial communication with the module UIE
[7] that initializes the Pucará aircraft inertial system called
EGIR through a communication RS-232 serial port, see Fig. 6.

C. Embedded system architecture design.

The system has a PC-104 plus [6] computer with an Intel
1.1GHz Pentium M processor , 1 Gbyte of RAM memory and a
Windows XP operating system embedded in a 64Gbytes solid
state disk, in which also runs a navigation software called
Calnav. The computer has enough serial ports, two RS-232 and
six USB 2.0 ports, see Fig. 4.
Fig. 6. aviation connector used.
MFD BLOCK DIAGRAM
RS-232 The GPS signal enters by the J2 connector type TNC
DISPLAY
PC-104
12 y 5 VDC
PC-104
LCD TOUCH
female RF-for chassis.
ENERGY SOURCE COMPUTER
SCREEN
VGA The J3 connector is a USB port designed to upload and
USB

ID download the mission information related to the flight using

I/O

I/O

E
J1, J2, J3 SOLID STATE the navigation ground mission planning software.
GPS DISK
I/O

E. Hardware components selection criteria.

Fig. 4. Block diagram.
The information is displayed by a touch screen 6.5-inch
liquid crystal display, which at the same time works as a
communication interface with the pilot, since he interacts with
the computer using the touch screen. The touch feedback is
performed via a RS-232 port.
The system has an internal GPS [8] for an independently
and autonomous operation, this is implemented on a board to
deliver the information to the PC via an USB bus, its
communication protocol uses NMEA 0183 standard.
The power supply is type PC-104 too, input can vary over a
range from 10 to 40 Vdc, 28 Vdc in our case because of the
aircraft feed voltage bar, the outputs are 5 and 12 Vdc.
D. External interfaces.
The system has J1, J2 and J3 connectors for the MFD
communication with its environment see Fig. 5.
The selection is based on commercials off the shelf items
mostly marketed in the country; this mainly facilitates the
maintenance due to the interchangeability of components.
We must emphasize the support provided by the
Argentinean navy personnel regarding the selection criteria,
because they have extensive experience in similar systems
operating in their airplanes and helicopters, as in the case of the
Super Etendard aircraft display among others.
The equipment must be robust because of the
environmental stresses, it was designed to work in hostile
environments, such as the unpressurized Pucará aircraft
cockpit, operating at a 9000 meters altitude. The elements
support mechanical vibration and temperature ranges above
and below celsius zero degrees, as well as high levels of
humidity and impact resistance more than 6g, this for example,
ensures its operation after a crash landing. Regarding the power
consumption, this has been minimized keeping the
functionality stipulated by the line base requirements, as well
as the weight which does not exceed three kilograms.

PEN DRIVE MFD INTERFACE F. Implementation of Calnav software in the multi function
CONNECTORS Jn: display hardware, functionality.
USB

J2 J3
GPS EGIR The device has been designed to support different kind of
RF
ANTENNA MFD RS-232 INITIALIZER software navigation tasks, this quality is very important in the
UNIT
PUCARA J1 development, because ensuring its operation at aeronautical
||
MIL-STD 1553

PRESENTER environment then you just have to develop software

On/Off DISCRETE I/O
switch applications that support flight navigation utilities like Calnav
28-VDC

J1
J1 software, whose creator is Mr. Arturo Tomás Medici. Calnav
functions are next detailed:
28VDC airplane electric source EGIR
1) Mission Planning.
Calnav allows loading by a pen drive in the MFD a planned
Fig. 5. MFD connectors.
mission on a PC with another instance of the same software
called ground mission planning system, generating a file with command is activated by touching the button, or when you
waypoints and flight plan information by the available J3 USB touch outside the boundaries of the buttons. Some of the most
port connector on the MFD, enabling to executing the mission used commands are listed below.
in flight assisted by GPS or EGIR in the particular case of the
Pucara aircraft. It also displays information of flight parameters See scale: [increase decrease] and brightness [darken,
lighten, neutral], north focused or free frame, course centering,
in real time without having a mission charged, so we can see
latitude and longitude reticulated, distance scale, and
the aircraft position with flight important parameters in real
time projected onto the mapping without a necessary mission. geographical grid.
Cartography: Raster aeronautical, ICAO satellite images.
2) Full screen display mode.
Calnav software has multiple applications as we explain in Tools: Alarms and warnings, virtual mouse and keyboard.
1), so we use full screen presentation as the default mode for a
better mission viewing in the MFD display during the flight. G. Case design and manufacture
3) GPS – EGIR navigation. The case design was performed in the engineering
The GPS position (latitude, longitude and altitude) [8] of department of Río Cuarto material area using Catia software.
the mobile is represented itself at all times in the open mission All system components were relieved, and then dimensionally
in the working session of the MFD, as well as kinematic data modeled by software, also 3D represented, and finally the
(bearing, distance, time, etc.) to any of the legs or points of the MFD case model was made, as shown in Fig. 8.
active navigation table VOR, NDB and others. On the other
hand, selecting the inertial Honeywel Pucará navigation system
as data source, Calnav will also represent the same information
by using a predetermined communication protocol between the
Navy Calnav software designer and the UIE manufacturer.
4) Own position indicator.
The mobile is represented in the mission geographical
framework as a single plane graph with swept wings. The color
depends on the navigation source GPS/EGIR state: [Red,
yellow or green]. Red: without communication with the data
source. Yellow: waiting for data reception. Green: safe to
navigate, as seen in the center of Fig. 7.
Fig. 8. MFD 3D software Catia model.

Regarding the redesign, in the new Pucará aircraft cockpit

model dimensional specifications, we work together with
FAdeA, defining the MFD location and its mechanical support,
achieving an appropriate distribution of the instruments and the
MFD, which is located in the center due to its importance in
real time navigation decisions, as shown in Fig.9.

Fig. 7. Own position indicator and Command system.

For example, the nose of the plane matches the true course.
5) Command system.
During the flight, in the full screen display mode, the command
system consists of two lateral vertical bars with large buttons
corresponding to the program command menu and to critical
functions, see Fig.8. Each button is labeled with a symbol and a
small caption below.
Fig. 9. Location of the MFD and mechanical support.
The bars are displayed when you tap the touch screen on
the strip, near the left and right edges. Close when the selected
 Once they designed the MFD case technical drawings, it distribution of the connectors J1, J2 and J3 mentioned in C, see
was discharged with an Argentine air force part number and also the pen drive connected to J3.
finally, it was made in the Rio Cuarto, using a machining
center controlled by a computer running a manufacturing
software file generated by Catia software, making it available
for industry mass production.
The design is comprised of two lateral racks, three covers
and a front frame, all duralumin machined elements, as shown
in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12. MFD finished prototype .

Fig.13. shows Calnav software execution, after activating

the power ignition key, then the MFD displays on the center
the own position airplane indicator, which is positioned at the
coordinates where it is receiving the GPS signal.

Fig. 10. mechanical design.

H. Embedded system hardware and software integration and

verification testing .
The components integration process was carried out in an
iterative and incremental methodology [9], with partial
functional checks, up to the total system verification as
suggested in ECSS-E-10-03A [4], achieving full compliance
with the preset requirements for GPS autonomous operation.
Currently, we are working with the UIE unit integration, for
inertial system navigation data acquisition.
Fig. 11 shows the distribution of the components from a top
view, the GPS is on the left, while the disc, the power source Fig. 13. MFD prototype in operation.
and the computer are on the right.
I. Environmental prototype testing using RTCA/DO-160
standard.
The MFD met successfully the next requirements
verification items:
1) Thermal tests:
a) Resistance and operation at low temperature,
according to RTCA/DO-160D 4.5.1: (minus) -20ºC with
inoperative equipment and -15° C with operating prototype.
Fig. 11. MFD hardware integration.
b) Resistance and operation at high temperature,
according to RTCA/DO-160D 4.5.2: +75ºC with inoperative
Regarding the software, the correct operation of Calnav equipment and +55 ° C with operating equipment.
with the operating system and associated serial ports software c) High temperature operation, RTCA/DO-160D 4.5.3:
interfaces were correctly verified, including, GPS data and the operative equipement at +55 º C.
external USB storage device.
d) Temperature variation, RTCA/DC-160D 5.3: Cyclic
In the Fig. 12, we can appreciate different views of the temperature variation between +55 ° C and -15 ° C with the
finished prototype. Below, on the right, we can see the prototype in operation.
 2) Altitude test according to RTCA/DO-160D 2.6 4.6.1:
Was successful up to 6000 meters of height in a vacuum
chamber, pending the implementation of MFD in the Pucará
cockpit to complete the test at 10000 meters of height which is
the operational ceiling of that aircraft system.
3) Vibration test with RTCA/DO-160D 8.5.1:
Consists of a three axes (x,y,z) frequency sweep (one hour
per axis), 1g of 10-500 Hz
4) Crash tests, according to RTCA/DO-160D 7.1.1:
The MFD met the "B" category, which consists of applying
a sawtooth pulse in both directions of the orthogonal axes, 6g
amplitude of 11 ms duration.
5) Relative humidity:
This trial is still pending due to lack of proper equipment
for testing.
J. Requirements validation of the prototype.
As regards CITEA, baseline requirements have been almost
entirely achieved. A man machine interface prototype to
display aircraft navigation information that can operate
autonomously with GPS, with an available data USB 2.0 serial
port, was designed and fabricated.
Environmental tests were carried out according to RTCA
DO-160. Regarding the GPS switch to UIE unit for inertial
EGIR data source for Pucará, we have taken all the software
necessary precautions, in order to design available interfaces
and systems to integrate that capacity.
Actually, we are working on the integration of the software
interface for the UIE unit and Calnav software, between
FAdeA and Navy personnel, by implementing a serial RS-232
communication protocol. Also ground and flight testing
campaign of MFD instrumented on Pucará aircraft cockpit
integrated with the new avionics system is in planning stage.
Regarding software requirements, the system can run with
different kinds of software that supports GPS navigation,
currently for this prototype it is working with Calnav, which
facilitates preflight ground mission planning, subsequent MFD
loading by pen drive, allows a visual navigation, data logging
by mission recording during flight and finally the ground
mission post flight data processing.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
This paper attempts to describe an integrated and
interdisciplinary work between Air Force, Navy and FAdeA
aircraft factory, with the aim of developing a national low cost
product with a potential possibility to be mass manufactured,
leaving us the knowhow.
This device has been designed to meet different types of
tasks that require visual interface with the pilot, ensuring its
operation in an aeronautic hostile environment.
The environmental testing of this prototype in FAdeA
allowed winning experience in order to apply it in future
designs of avionic general systems, showing that we can
manufacture avionics with commercial off the shelf items at
affordable costs and flight safety certifiable.
Among the advantages of this development we can cite the
versatility for implementation in different types of aircraft, both
military and civilian. Also, it serves as a platform for
evaluating several types of navigation software, allowing
metrics and comparative analysis between them, as well as the
performance of different kind of real time operating systems.
The manipulation of the device is simple and allows the
interaction between the pilot and the navigation system. The
MFD can be manufactured entirely in Argentina Air Force,
using the resources available in the Rio Cuarto material area,
the aircraft factory test laboratories and the army experience.
In future publications, we will report the results from the
flight test campaign in order to complete the full test procedure,
we also will report the software and hardware integration tests
performance between the UIE and the MFD.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful with Arturo Tomas Medici (Calnav creator)
for the help provided by the Argentine army during prototype
development, because of their experience in similar avionics
systems.
Also, we are very satisfied with FAdeA´s coordination
work team, particularly with Gustavo Lamarque and his staff,
included Boris Estudiez, the UIE designer.
We are thankful to the Rio Cuarto Engineering Division
team, particularly with Carlos Bortis, as well as to machinery
repair section, among others.
Finally, we thank the Argentine Air Force General
Directorate of Research and Development work team, in
special to C. Gonzales del Solar and M. Pereyra.
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