A low-cost comprehensive process for assessing electromagnetic environment (EME) effects on flight-critical control computers

A process is presented for assessing the effects of electromagnetic environments on flight-critical aircraft control computers. The assessment process is a combination of analysis, simulation, and tests and is currently under development for demonstration at the NASA Langley Research Center in the High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) Laboratory and Closed-Loop Test (CLT) Laboratory. The assessment process is comprehensive in that it addresses (i) closed-loop operation of the controller under test, (ii) real-time dynamic detection of controller malfunctions that occur due to the effects of electromagnetic disturbances caused by lightning, HIRF, and electromagnetic interference and incompatibilities, and (iii) the resulting effects on the aircraft relative to the stage of flight, flight conditions, and required operational performance. In addition, this method uses electromagnetic field modeling codes to determine internal electromagnetic environments to which onboard electronic equipment will be subjected. Lower cost demonstrations of certification compliance should be realizable using this method due to the reduction or elimination of costly full-aircraft tests.