Avionic and Sensors

Avionic & Sensor Systems

Flight Control & Vehicle Management Systems

The DARWIN A3 - Advanced Avionic Architecture is a family of a new generation, affordable, compact and ruggedized modular 16 and 32-bit avionic systems specifically designed for high-performance fixed-wing and rotary-wing (VTOL) UAV applications, driven by the CANaerospace command & control protocol. The DARWIN A3 single-tasking operating system was designed for maximum reliability and follows the recommendations of the RTCA DO-178B standard for safety critical applications in airborne applications.

DARWIN A3 family of avionic modules are composed primarily of the Flight Management System (FMS) and the Vehicle Management System (VMS). Flight Management Systems includes Flight Control Computers (FCC), Air Data Computers (ADC) and Inertial Navigation Units. Vehicle Management Systems includes Servo Actuation Computers (SAC), Engine Management Units (EMU), Electric Power Units (EPU) and Command & Control Data Links (C2DL).

Sharing the same core computing and I/O design, DARWIN A3 products are designed to operate in harsh environments and can be qualified to highest standards. Both the FMSnano and PowerFMS Flight Management Systems are equipped with a range of CANaerospace driven subavionic sensor technologies to meet the specific requirements of a wide variety of applications, and to be open to future enhancements.This modular approach results in simpler avionic architecture, and facilitates easy installation, maintenance and growing capability.

The hardware core of DARWIN A3-16 is based on the programmable OTe 16-bit computer systems. Up to 10 OTe units may communicate with each other (or with workstations, PCs or VME boards) by means of the object oriented, 1MBit/s Controller Area Network bus (CAN-Bus). The standard communication protocol used within OTe based systems is CANaerospace and fully plug & play compatible to the NECS based systems.

The hardware core of DARWIN A3-32 is based on the programmable NECS computer systems. The Network Extended Control System (NECS), developed by Stock Flight Systems, is a family of ruggedized, modular computer systems providing numerous real world interfaces and 32-bit computing power. Up to 200 Network Extended Control System units may communicate with each other (or with workstations, PCs or VME boards) by means of the object oriented, 1MBit/s Controller Area Network bus (CAN-Bus). The standard communication protocol used within NECS based systems is CANaerospace, also know as the NASA AGATE Databus Standard. Among of SFS main customers are:

- NASA Langley Research Center

- European Aeronautics, Space and Defense Company (EADS)

- Kayser-Threde GmbH

- Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH

- Eurocopter France A.S.

- MAN Technologie GmbH

- Bombardier-Rotax GmbH

- Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DFLR)

RUGGEDIZED 16 AND 32-BIT FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS,

VEHICLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND INERTIAL NAVIGATION UNITS