http://dx.doi.org/10.5540/DINCON.2011.001.1.

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AN OVERVIEW OF THE INTEGRATED MODULAR AVIONICS (IMA) CONCEPT

Gitsuzo B. S. Tagawa1, Marcelo Lopes de Oliveira e Souza2

1
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE, So Jos dos Campos, Brasil, gbstagawa@gmail.com
2
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE, So Jos dos Campos, Brasil, marcelo@dem.inpe.br

Abstract: The objective of this work is to give an overview

of the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) concept. 2. BASIC CONCEPTS

Palavras-Chave: IMA, Simulation, Control. 2.1. FEDERATED ARCHITECTURES

1. INTRODUCTION Federated Architectures are based on dedicated

computational modules or processing units distributed
The growing demand for services and products with across the vehicle. These modules have different names
requirements more and more complex, combined with the depending on the world they are inserted. In automotive
offer of capacity of communication and computation at costs world they are called Electronic Control Units (ECUs), in
increasingly smaller, are stimulating industries as space, aeronautic world Linear Replaceable Units (RLUs) and in
aeronautics and automotive ones to migrate from distributed space Orbital Replaceable Units (ORUs) (Alena, R.L. et
federated architectures to integrated architectures. al.)2. Generally, each module hosts one single application
Based on that, the IMA concept was created. The central within the avionics system.
ideal of IMA is the sharing of hardware; that is, many The International Space Station (ISS) and the Boeing
applications sharing the same processing unit. Thus, it is 767 systems are examples of Federated Architectures. The
possible to reduce the cost with processors, wiring, I/O, etc. ISS uses a large number of ORUs and the Boeing 767 a
Besides that, other critical objectives of the aeronautics and large number of LRUs.
space industries are met, such as reduction of weight, size, Figure 1 depicts a Federated Architecture where each
energy consumption and cost. application has a dedicated module to its tasks.
One of the first commercial aircrafts to use IMA
technology was the Boeing 777 with its Airplane
Information Management System (AIMS).
The AIMS is the brains of the Boeing 777 and it
combines primary flight display, navigation display, EICAS
display, flight planning, navigation, performance
management, airplane and engine monitoring,
communications management, digital flight data acquisition,
and data conversion gateway functionalities into a single
integrated system (Aleksa and Carter, 1997)1.
Military aircrafts such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 and
Dassault Rafale has also adopted the IMA concept. The
Rafale uses a Modular Data Processing Unit (MDPU). This
architecture hosts flight management system, data fusion,
fire control, man-machine interfaces, etc. Fig. 1 A Federated Architecture. Source: (COTS Journal)3.
The newest projects from Boeing, the 787 Dreamliner,
and from Airbus, the A380, are taking advantage of IMA as 2.2. INTEGRATED ARCHITECTURES
well.
Moreover, the two biggest space agencies of the world, In Integrated Architectures, each module hosts numerous
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) applications of different criticality levels (Figure 2); each
and European Space Agency (ESA) are studying the IMA application is isolated by a robust partitioning mechanism
concept. specified by the ARINC 653 standard. This breaks such
module into multiple virtual computers, each one hosting an
application (Black and Fletcher)4, see Figure 3.
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE INTEGRATED MODULAR AVIONICS (IMA) CONCEPT
Gitsuzo B. S. Tagawa, Marcelo Lopes de Oliveira e Souza

Fig. 2 An Integrated Architecture. Source: (COTS Journal)2.

Fig. 4 Overview of the Standard ARINC 653 System Architecture.

Source: (Pascoal et al)5.

APEX provides services for partition management,

process management, memory management, time
management, inter-partition communication, intra-partition
communication and diagnosis (Kopetz and Obermaisser)6.

3. LITERATURE OVERVIEW
Nowadays, a growing tendency to move from federate
architectures to integrated architectures is being performed.
The IMA concept is being studied and discussed among
engineers from automotive, space and aeronautic worlds.
In the automotive world, federated architectures are
formed by ECUs. According to (Di Natale and Sangiovanni-
Fig. 3 Partitions Working as Multiple Virtual Computers. Source: Vincentelli)7, this kind of architecture is no longer adequate
(Black and Fletcher)4. to modern automotive systems due to the ever increasing
number of additional features and functions. Moreover, it
2.3. ARINC 653 leads to a proliferation in the number of ECUs, wiring and
ARINC standards are prepared by the Airlines harnessing, thereby rising size, weight and costs. Thus, they
Electronics Engineering Committee (AEEC). The ARINC propose the use of integrated architectures to overcome
653 is a software specification for space and time those hurdles.
partitioning in the IMA architecture. In other words, it The aeronautics world is where integrated architectures
defines how an Operating System must guarantee a robust have reached its highest maturation. Large and visible
spatial and temporal partitioning. This specification also projects such as Boeings 787 and Airbus A380 took
standardizes the Application Programming Interface (API). advantage of IMA concept. Boeing is using its Common
The API defined by ARINC 653 is called APEX - Core System (CCS) supplied by GE Aviation to run over 70
APplication Executive. separate applications executing at separate safety levels.
This architecture allowed Boeing to eliminate over 100
discrete LRUs and shave approximately 2000 pounds
2.4. APEX - APPLICATION EXECUTIVE (COTS Journal)3. Likewise, Airbus utilizing IMA approach,
The APEX is a general purpose interface between the cut in half the part numbers of processor units (Avionics
Operating System (O/S) and the application software. With Magazine)8.
this standardized interface, the hardware platform and the (Diniz and Rufino)9 proposed the use of ARINC 653
software applications can evolve independently of each standard in space. Their main argument was that most of the
other, thereby enabling cost-effective upgrades over the life requirements from the civil aviation world of ARINC 653
of the system. are also requirements from the space world. They also
emphasized the benefits in terms of modular certification
and usage of Commercial Off-The-Shelf components
(COTS).
The European Space Agency (ESA), through Skysoft,
developed a multi-platform and modular ARINC 653
Simulator for Modular Space Based Applications (Santos, S.
et al)10.
NASA Langley Research Center presented a research
(Di Vito, B.L.)11 aimed at ensuring safe partitioning and
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logical noninterference among separate applications running 4.1.4. Incremental Certification

on a shared Avionics Computer Resource (ACR).
ARINC 653 robustness allows incremental certification
Another NASA center, Ames Research Center, presented
because hardware and software are truly isolated. Thus,
a paper (Alena, R.L. et al.)2 where the authors defined and
differently of federated architectures, in integrated
analyzed suitable architectures, standards and conceptual
architectures, it is possible to modify a certified system by
designs for IMA computational modules for applicability to
certifying only the changes. It is not necessary to repeat the
spacecrafts.
full certification process again. Furthermore, application of
In (Mangieri and Vice)12, NASA Kedalion engineering
different levels of criticality can be certified in the same
analysis lab, along with its Orion prime contractor, validated
module.
many contemporary IMA based techniques adapting them
According to (Gangkofer, M. et al.)13, it is necessary to
into a human space vehicle.
identify and constrain the effects of the modifications. Thus,
the incremental certification can be achieved.
4. IMA CHARACTERISTICS
4.1.5. Resource Allocation
4.1. ADVANTAGES Integrated architectures based on the IMA concept
utilize configuration tables to allocate the shared computing
4.1.1. Reduced Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) resources to the hosted functions. Manipulating the
The IMA concept is based on sharing computing configuration tables, the system integrator has the flexibility
resources, so that the same processor and the associated to dynamically manage spare resources to each individual
infrastructure such as power, cooling etc. are used by several hosted function. IMA has an additional capability to reserve
applications of different levels of criticality. Reduced a spare resource pool to be allocated to any hosted function.
hardware means that the size, weight, power and, Thus, the system integrator is able to vary, within certain
consequently, cost, are also reduced. limits, the resource allocation for a given hosted function in
the future; or to add new hosted functions without the
necessity of adding new computing resources.
4.1.2. Competitiveness The resource allocation is not made while the system is
In Federated Architectures, a supplier of a LRU is utilized in service because of certification issues. However,
responsible for its entire design (hardware and software), it can be dynamically re-allocated through updated system
implementation, testing and certification of the unit under configuration data; and then be certified for use in service
DO-178B and DO-254. Furthermore, a LRU is typically (Watkins and Walter)14.
certified to a single DO-178B and/or DO-254 safety level.
Thus, if a new functionality is demanded, the problem is 4.1.6. Reconfiguration and Robustness
often solved by introducing a new LRU. Moreover, if a
simple change in a line of software code is made, a complete In this architecture, the modules are software-
requalification of the entire LRU must be done (COTS configurable and there is a potential path between any of
Journal)3. them. These features allow them to respond to avionics
In IMA, the applications are separated from the base faults. Thus, they can adapt to changes in network
computing platform by the APEX. Thus, the base computing functioning or operating modes so that, in the event of
platform and the applications can be chosen from different failures, the system can reconfigure its software functions in
suppliers, thereby given to the airframe manufacture a wider pre-determined ways (Alena, R.L. et al.)2.
range of options.
4.2. DISADVANTAGES
4.1.3. Portability and Reuse
4.2.1. Complex Integration Process
With the APEX intermediating applications and
computing platforms, standard modules for common tasks In IMA architectures the base platform and the
that could be reused by different functions running on application are separated so that they can be provided by
different platforms could be created. These modules could different suppliers. Therefore, it generates a more complex
be interchangeable among various systems. Thus, as these process of integration. According to (Watkins and Walter)14,
modules would be produced in large scale, the cost would be before transitioning from federated architectures to IMA
reduced. architectures, the system integrator must be confident in its
ability to perform the integration process, which includes
increased interface definition & management, resource
allocation & management, and system configuration
analysis & generation.
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE INTEGRATED MODULAR AVIONICS (IMA) CONCEPT
Gitsuzo B. S. Tagawa, Marcelo Lopes de Oliveira e Souza

5. CONCLUSION
This paper presented an overview of the Integrated
Modular Avionics concept emphasizing its advantages in
relation to federated concepts. Furthermore, it was shown [12] Mangieri, M.L.; Vice, J., Orion Flight Software V&V
who is involved in the study of IMA architectures and where and Kedalion Engineering Lab Insight, Space 2010,
they intend to apply IMA concepts. 2010.
For future work, we intend to simulate and present a [13] Gangkofer, M.; Kader, H.; Klockner, W.; White, C.G.,
control system making use of an IMA Simulation tool as Transitioning to Integrated Modular Avionics with a
part of a Master Degree in progress. Mission Management System, RTO SCI Symposium,
2000.
6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS [14] Watkins, C.B.; Walter, R., Transitioning From
The authors thank the National Institute for Space Research Federated Avionics Architectures to Integrated Modular
(INPE), its Coordination of Space Engineering and Avionics, IEEE, 2007.
Technology (ETE), its Division of Space Mechanics and
Control (DMC), and the Coordination for Improvement of
the Personnel for Superior Teaching (CAPES) for providing
them the necessary infrastructure to conduct the
bibliographical survey for this paper. The first author thanks
CAPES financial support during his Master Degree Program
at INPE.

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