Open system design for communications navigation and identification (CNI) avionics

Much excellent work has been sponsored in further defining open system approaches for the next generation of systems. However, putting open system design into practice when one deals with legacy systems and interface, form/fit, and performance requirements is a significant challenge. Add to this, a typical company's own internal processes for system, hardware, and software design, which typically are aimed at optimizing single function performance, and the challenge is increased. For the future programmable CNI systems' market, this paper examines some of these issues, identifies additional business considerations that come into play and briefly describes work underway at GEC Marconi Hazeltine.