Application of modular avionics to sensors

The authors discuss the application of modular avionics to sensors in realistic future aircraft. They show that modular avionics offer great advantages for increasing the capability of mission systems, performance, mission effectiveness and pilot situation awareness. There is also scope for significant improvements in sensor reliability. Restructuring of sensor systems architectures coupled with co-ordinated sensor management from exploitation of common processing techniques will lead to lower false alarm rates. Improved maintainability is made possible by application of commonality in packaging. The upgradability of common core elements offers the prospect of being able to track threat developments, include updates and so on, without the need for a full system mid-life update. It will be possible to adapt the use of aircraft sensors to improve performance in individual missions and this will itself result in a greater aircraft capability