Customer:
Daimler-Benz
InterServices (Debis),
Germany
System:
(2) PowerMAXIONs
(7) Power Hawk 640s
(20) Power Hawk 620s
Benefit(s):
- Reduction of capital equipment
- High-performance real-time
- Increased I/O count
- Totally distributed system
- Large disk storage
- COTS software
- Elimination of double wiring
debis Systemhaus Revolutionizes Engine
Testing Using Concurrent Real-Time Systems
Concurrent Computer Corporation achieved another customer success story when debis
Systemhaus, a company of Daimler-Benz Interservices, purchased two Concurrent PowerMAXIONs,
seven Power Hawk 640s, and twenty Power Hawk 620s for a large R&D jet engine
test facility.
Although debis Systemhaus is a long-time customer of Concurrent, this project was
unique for both companies. debis and Concurrent were required to collaborate on
a system design that would facilitate the harsh environmental conditions (-20° to
+95° C) existing within the jet engine testing facility. In addition, the customer
wanted debis to use ROTS (Ruggedized-Off-The-Shelf) equipment as much as possible.
Other application requirements included: high-performance real-time systems; large
I/O count (> 2,500 points per test facility); a totally distributed system; flexibility
in test system configurations; large disk storage; and the use of COTS software
(e.g. National Instruments' LabVIEW®) where possible.
Although Concurrent has installed its real-time computer systems in most of the
major jet engine test facilities throughout the world, this project will significantly
impact the way engine testing is done from now on. Incorporating Concurrent's real-time
hardware and software with its own software, debis has invented a new system, called
an ISCU (Intelligent Signal Condition Unit), that will entirely revolutionize engine
testing. Most jet engine manufacturers pre-wire the jet engine to junction boxes
located above the jet engine in a staging area. The engine is then moved into the
test facility and wired to the computer systems' I/O, which is located several 100
feet away in a control room. As many as 2,500 I/O points require double wiring -
once to the junction box then to the I/O of the computer system in the control room.
By implementing debis's ISCUs, the double wiring will be eliminated because the
junction boxes are replaced by the ISCUs. The ISCUs also contain the pressure transducers,
eradicating the need of piping the engines pressure data back to the computer systems.
A simple Ethernet connection will replace the entire pressure subsystem in the computer
room.
The customer ties up the engine test facility when an R&D engine fails to start
or has a minor problem. Today most manufacturers would try to make the necessary
repairs while the engine is in the test facility because they do not want to unwire
and then rewire the junction boxes into the computer system. This process could
take several days or weeks. Using debis's ISCUs, manufacturers will only have to
connect two cables: an Ethernet cable and a Reflective Memory cable. All I/O (analog,
digital, 1553, ARINC, etc.) data will be passed through the high speed Reflective
Memory System to the host system.
The greatest benefit of the ISCU to the customer is the large reduction of capital
equipment. Most jet engine test facilities are not used 24 hours a day, 365 days
a week. In fact, most test facilities are designed to test one type of engine or
a model series of engines. But, each test facility contains enough I/O and computer
systems to do whatever test is required. Because the ISCUs contain the I/O, there
is no need for the costly I/O subsystems in each test facility, only simple workstations
to display information to the operators and engineers are required. The pressure
subsystems and the all the wiring from the engine to the computer room are also
eliminated. Wiring problems between the engine and computer room are removed, because
the engines are wired and tested in the staging area, then downloaded to the host
system once installed in the test facility.
Concurrent is proud to be part of the debis Systemhaus team and looks forward to
supporting debis in future endeavors. debis and Concurrent view this recent success
in Europe as a stepping stone for working together on additional industrial projects.
Daimler-Benz InterServices (Debis) AG is the services company of the Daimler-Benz
Group, Europe's largest industrial group. Series 700