Specialized Infrastructure

Static and Dynamic Flight Simulators

The new concentration of the Electrical Engineering Department already has its own specialized laboratory teaching (1st, 2nd, and 3rd cycles) of embedded systems in aerospace. This laboratory has specialized equipment and software in the field of embedded systems and avionics.
Adjacent to this new teaching laboratory space will house research LASSENA including a simulator Marinvent company with a meeting room and a bathroom with graduate students (2nd and 3rd cycles) specially adapted to laboratory researchers.

The LASSENA also will house flight simulators (Helicrew and Helisim) especially suited to researchers in the fields of aeronautics and aerospace. These areas of research will support a dozen researchers allowing them access to specialized equipment and a special 8 coaxial cable installed between the roof of the ETS and the laboratory LASSENA. These cables allow access to antenna GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and other antennas for aircraft avionics (SatCom antennas, VHF, DME, Transponder Mode S, ADS-B, etc.)

6 DOF Simulator

Many transport research projects (maritime, terrestrial, and aeronautical) require a realistic and dynamic simulation platform to perform repetitive tests in different scenarios quickly and safely. A dynamic simulator with 6 degrees of liberty (6-DOF) has many advantages such as:

  • Reduction of developing cost and time of new hardware device and/or software and qualification tests
  • Allow a better preparation to execute the test in a real environment
  • Test different scenarios, even the most complex and dangerous, rapidly and safely
  • Test under many parameters that are sometimes difficult or impossible to obtain at any time (i.e.: outside temperature, specific road conditions, meteorological conditions, vehicle dynamics, etc.)
  • Allow the modification of the vehicle’s setting in a wide range (speed, distance, location of the test, etc.)
  • Etc.

LASSENA’s 6-DOF simulator allows all the benefits mentioned above, thanks to these combined technologies:

  • A mobile platform with 6 degrees of Freedom (6-DOF) which is capable of reproducing realistic movements in all space directions with 6 high-speed and noiseless AC motors controlled by 6 independent high-speed drives
  • An autonomous on-board computer that controls the mobile platform and sends instructions either via a USB port or via a UDP/IP protocol
  • A multi-system simulator that can be adapted to different types of vehicles (maritime, road, aeronautical, space vehicle, etc.)
  • When properly configured and calibrated as a road vehicle mode, the 6-DOF simulator gives a similar feeling to be inside a real car, thanks to :
    1. A set of steering wheel T500 RS and Thrustmaster pedals that provide amazing realism (vibrations, resistance to directions and braking, etc.)
    2. A Thrustmaster TH8RS gearbox offering the possibility to drive in manual, semi-automatic or automatic mode
    3. Three(3) LED display screens (one for the central vision and the two others for the peripheral vision)
    4. A comfortable vehicle seat with a seat belt for maximum comfort and security during a long-term use
    5. A miniaturized black electronic box (similar to an airplane’s) called Micro-BB is integrated to the 6-DOF simulator in the “vehicle” mode for specific research purposes in the VTADS project
    6. An OBD-II port vehicle simulator is also integrated into “vehicle” mode that supervises and records the simulator data and sends them wirelessly to the onboard computer through the OBD-II protocol
  • A surveillance video system (four HD IP cameras and their player/recorder) is used to study the driver behavior (research on the human factors in transport)
  • Etc.

Access to a Piaggio Avanti P-80 aircraft and a flying test bed

Developing a strategic alliance with the company Marinvent Corporation also have privileged access to a flying test bed, the Piaggio Avanti P-80. The following figure shows the left, avionics Piaggio Avanti and the forward fuselage of the aircraft while the right illustrates the recording station and control (“Workstation”) allows test engineers in flight to examine the parameters of flight and avionics equipment under test.

LASSENA vehicle

LASSENA performs also many road tests to evaluate equipment performance developed in real application environment. A Dodge Grand Caravan 2012 is part of our research infrastructure. This vehicle has features allowing it an autonomous driving as Google Car.

G1000 and Maxbox

LASSENA also has the latest state-of-the-art real avionics equipment such as the FMS G1000 from Garmin. These flight instruments are the same as certified airplane avionics. The G1000 can be connected to LASSENA flight simulators to study FMS performance and simulate various missions and scenarios. LASSENA is a notably developed expertise in automatic flight control of remote Drones (such as the QR X800) using exclusively ground remote FMS via wireless systems such as LTE or GlobalStar.

In order to perform avionic tests outside of the laboratory facilities, in a flying airplane (such as LASSENA partner Avanti P180) or on ground, the LASSENA has a mobile recording system completely autonomous called MAXbox from MAX Technologies which is able to record all types of encoded avionic protocols. In particular, the MAXbox can read the ARINC 429, a specific aeronautics data format nowadays used in commercial aircraft.

R&D equipment of embedded systems, communication, avionics and navigation

LASSENA also includes the hardware and software available to researchers for their various projects and experiments. For example, two test equipment for performance analysis of avionics systems. For example, the Aeroflex IFR 6015 can generate RF signals for avionics following: Transponder Mode A/C/S/, DME, TCAS, ADS-B, and TIS. For its part, the Aeroflex IFR 4000 can generate RF signals avionics systems including ILS, VOR, Marker Beacon, VHF / UHF. With these two simulator signals, LASSENA is in full control of much of the real aircraft avionics, allowing him to control the ground equipment on board an aircraft stopped, and in various configurations.

LASSENA also has a sophisticated research center on drones. Land stations allow for drones fleet management controlled in a completely autonomous way. Various drones are visualized and monitored by communication links via the GlobalStar satellite and LTE system.

LASSENA, in partnership with the LACIME, also has many facilities and measuring devices allowing to work in the fields of avionics and navigation. The following figures illustrate some of these facilities.

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