US 4,400,789 A · Magnetic heading simulator

Abstract

A magnetic heading signal simulator that simulates the analog electrical signals representative of magnetic heading produced by a conventional flux value of an aircraft and provides the simulated signals to the magnetic heading reference system of the aircraft for test purposes receives digitally-encoded information representative of a desired value of heading and a rate at which that heading is to be reached. The simulator includes a logic circuit that receives the digital heading information from a programmable digital computer and assembles the heading value information in a form compatible with the input of a digital-to-synchro converter in accordance with the provided rate information. The digital-to-synchro converter decodes the digital information and provides an output simulative of a three-wire synchro signal representative of the desired heading value. The digital-to-synchro conversion circuitry also includes circuitry for developing an excitation signal compatible with the aircraft magnetic heading reference system and simulative of the excitation signal provided by the aircraft's flux valve.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A magnetic heading simulator system for producing a signal representative of a value of magnetic heading and simulative of a signal produced by a conventional flux valve, said magnetic heading simulator system comprising:

first means for producing a first word of digital data, at least a first portion of which is representative of a desired value of magnetic heading;
first register means coupled to said first means for receiving and holding said first portion of said first word of digital data;
counter means containing a count representative of a present value of magnetic heading;
logic means coupled to said first register means and said counter means and operable to update said count in said counter means such that said count is equal to said first portion of said first word of digital data;
digital-to-analog converter means coupled to said counter means for receiving said count and converting said count to an analog signal representative of said desired value of magnetic heading, said analog signal being simulative of the signal produced by a conventional flux valve.

2 more elements

first means for producing a first word of digital data, at least a first portion of which is representative of a desired value of magnetic heading;
first register means coupled to said first means for receiving and holding said first portion of said first word of digital data;
counter means containing a count representative of a present value of magnetic heading;
logic means coupled to said first register means and said counter means and operable to update said count in said counter means such that said count is equal to said first portion of said first word of digital data;
digital-to-analog converter means coupled to said counter means for receiving said count and converting said count to an analog signal representative of said desired value of magnetic heading, said digital-to-analog converter means including a digital-to-synchro converter for producing an analog signal simulative of a three-wire synchro, and reference signal generation means coupled to said digital-to-synchro converter to provide a reference signal to said digital-to-synchro converter to enable said digital-to-synchro converter output to be simulative of a flux valve.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Magnetic heading simulator

Life of this patent

Magnetic heading simulator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10