Test platform for autopilot system embedded in a model of multi-core architecture using X-Plane flight simulator

摘要

The use of multi-core processing platform has become a trend in the automation industry due to the benefits that this technology can offer, such as a substantial reduction of overall temperature of hardware operation and more computational power delivered to embedded system. However, the use of this technology still represents a great challenge for the aerospace industry that demands a high level of safety and reliability for critical applications. The insertion of a new technology like multi-core architecture into an airplane system requires exhaustive tests to ensure that the new system fulfills the requirement of high-level safety demanded by aerospace industry. This paper, with educational and research purpose, presents a test platform to evaluate the use of an autopilot system embedded on a representative model of a multi-core architecture emulated by a network with twenty Raspberry-Pi's connected via Ethernet. We simulated three scenarios of failure condition: Measurement error, Communication error and Time delay effect.