Avionics Systems and Avionics Design 

Performed by project design or avionic systems design engineers in aerospace design offices, who progress to technical management or to be technical specialists, modern avionics design with enhanced functionality makes it possible for airlines to operate safely and efficiently.

Avionics systems design, analysis, development, test and airframe integration incorporates special areas of interest such as navigation systems, flight management systems, communication and surveillance systems.

The cockpit environment with its avionics installations includes inertial navigation avionics and GNSS systems, global navigation satellite systems, airborne instrumentation, avionics databuses, architecture and integration and radio systems.

Fault-tolerant avionics design is the term given to the survivable attribute of a system that allows it to deliver its expected service after faults have manifested themselves within the system.

Aerospace software engineering uses ADA Business Process Driven Design and Model Driven Architecture supported by Component Based Software Engineering using the Software Factory approach. Complex Information Systems cannot be built, and cannot successfully operate, without Modeling. Unified Modeling Language is the technology of choice for modeling entire IT infrastructures - Business Process, software, Network, Operating Environment and Measurement. ICT, Information and Computer Technology Solutions, have to dynamically support the realtime and longterm operations of business processes. Process models and the software component models that support the process models have to be reusable, and software must be flexible for adaptability to specific processes. The most common ICT solution that companies have to enhance their commercial success is some level of Internet presence such as a website.

Avionics System development, life cycle models, reliability, safety assessment and certification are done by systems engineers who have supported major programmes including flight controls, weapon controls, engine and power controls, communication, acoustics and navigation systems, including both military and commercial system lifecycle standards.

Aircraft performance, stability and control systems have to work to mathematical formulae for calculating such things as cost and weight relationship, for example. These allow you to achieve mission and trajectory optimisation, traffic collision detection and avoidance, UAV see-and-avoid capability.

Health and usage monitoring systems

Similarly, Integrated Vehicle Health Management systems (IVHM), including IVHM architecture, fault diagnosis reasoning, health ready systems design takes care of monitoring performance once in the air.

Multisensor data fusion methodology is used for guidance, navigation, control, and all-weather operation and fly-by-wire techniques.

Ethernet-based aircraft data network standards have been developed to agreed international standards.

With increasing traffic density of civil aircraft, and the need for increased military precision in conflicts around the world, safer aircraft operations require ever more sophisticated avionic systems. Avionic Systems Design needs an understanding of design, analysis, development, test and airframe integration.