The output of the MIDAS project was to design, develop and demonstrate an innovative and reliable ADS solution suitable both for small aircraft large aeroplanes. Main impacts were:
- Integration of patented synthetic sensors to estimate flow angles;
- Absence of pneumatic connections and reduced weight and encumbrance of the whole air data system (probes + electronics).
- Maximum power demand of 200 W when heating system is on, otherwise less than 50 W;
- Selection of communication protocols (CAN-AEROSPACE or AFDX),
- Redundant power supply and electronics for redundancy and health monitoring purposes;
As a final consideration, thanks to the MIDAS project’s outcomes and the technology matured under MIDAS project, a European supply chain is established to provide certifiable air data systems to be integrated with both physical and synthetic probes.
In order to achieve the MIDAS objectives, the following main activities were concluded within 42 months.
1. Air data sensors
The functional requirements of the MIDAS Air Data System (ADS) algorithm were defined both for conventional and synthetic AoA/AoS sensors.
A synthetic sensor design was proposed and tested with available data. The propagation of the uncertainties of the input sensors was analysed in a sensitivity analysis. Moreover, the impact of the wind on the current architecture was assessed.
CFD simulations were performed in order to study the reciprocal interference of the Pitot-Static and Temperature probes.
2. Hardware design and prototyping
High level architectural design, both for hardware and for software, was reviewed. The high level architecture potentially allows a full DO-254 DAL-B compliancy, extendable to DO-254 DAL-A for future certification.
The air data system functionalities and logics were developed using a DO-254 qualification tool suite.
3. Air data system characterisation
This activity dealt with the metrological characterization of temperature and pressure sensor of the MIDAS ADS with dedicated procedures. The test plan for the characterization of isolated and coupled temperature and pressure probes was defined.
Uncertainty budgets of the MIDAS probes and sensors were evaluated in all expected operative conditions.
The environmental tests were defined following the system specification (ref. DO-160) dealing with the whole air data system.
4. Test bench
The goal of the activity was to design and manufacture the MIDAS test bench along with the necessary electrical interface and software to test, calibrate and re-program the MIDAS ADS.
The manufactured test bench is made up of:
- an avionic simulator workstation provided of ARINC-825 and ARINC-664 interface aimed to emulate the aircraft network;
- a monitoring and debug workstation provided with the FPGA development tools and DO-254 compliancy tool suites to run real-time code verification;
- the Air Data Test Set to provide simulated static and total pressures to the Pitot in order to simulate flight conditions;
- a programmable power supply unit to ramp the Nominal and Redundant power lines input to MIDAS, simulating the aircraft batteries.
5. Performance and Environmental tests
The main objectives were:
- test and validate the MIDAS prototypes’ functions;
- environmental tests of the MIDAS prototypes according to DO-160;
- perform qualification tests of the system, in order to support permit to fly/pre-fly/ground operation.
