CAN bus-Based Distributed Fuel System with Smart Components

Abstract:
A new distributed control system for fuel management and other avionics applications is introduced. The system consists of a network of smart components such as sensors, valves, and pump actuators which are connected via a controlled area network bus (CAN). Thus, no central fuel management computer is required, wiring is simplified, and the weight decreases. The heart of each smart component is a CAN-enabled microcontroller. All smart components share a copy of the same code inside its microcontroller, for easier certification. A distribution methodology has been developed based on a set of automata and on the employment of CAN bus.
The Proposed System:
The main target of the project is to work out a new distributed control system, on the basis of a field bus and smart components. A specific objective of the project is to propose a new distributed fuel management system. Conventional fuel management systems have a centralized architecture, with a main computer which is connected, point-to-point, to sensors and actuators.