Boeing - Integrated Tactical Avionics Programs (ITAP)

Boeing's Integrated Tactical Avionics Programs (ITAP) is taking advantage of Presagis' unified solutions to create a new PC-based integration lab. Employing VAPS, STAGE, FlightSIM, and innovative in-house software, this lab will replace ITAP's ten year old, more traditional integration lab. According to James Lawson, Chief Engineer for ITAP, "the old lab was expensive to create, is no longer reliable and will be difficult to carry into the future because of increasing maintenance expense." What is significant about this project is that not only will the ITAP group create an affordable, portable and maintainable new lab, but they will also save decades of man-years in its development.

Presagis solutions are fully functional with respect to ITAP's needs and offer us a versatile toolset that is supported, maintained and upgraded by Presagis.
James Lawson, Chief Engineer of ITAP

In order to create this new lab, the ITAP group has developed a new approach to the design of flight-qualified Multifunction Display (MFD) Operational Flight Programs (OFP). This approach involves incorporating a variety of Presagis products. The ITAP group decided to use Presagis' simulation and visualization package because, according to Lawson, "Presagis' products satisfy ITAP's needs and they are supported, maintained, and upgraded by Presagis."

Through this new design approach that combines both Boeing and COTS solutions, ITAP's new integration lab will solve the problems faced by the older lab. Lawson explains that, "because we have mixed commercial and Boeing-developed components, we have achieved the flexibility to create cost-effective solutions that allow ITAP to focus on the development of our primary product, the aircraft Operational Flight Program (OFP) software." In addition, says Lawson, "because many components for the new integration lab, namely the flight simulator, simulated real-world environment, and out-the-window visual systems, are commercial, PC-based products, they will be relatively easy to maintain.

"Presagis' software solutions offer the ITAP group a significant level of flexibility in terms of both development cycles and the final application in the OFP. According to Lawson, "using FlightSIM and STAGE make the project affordable and enable ITAP personnel to focus on their core competency. Also, the incorporation of VAPS enables the rapid development and flexible use of the aircraft software for hosting on either PC or aircraft hardware."

History With Presagis

Located in Long Beach, CA, the ITAP Lab is part of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, Logistics Support Systems organization. Boeing has had a long-standing relationship with Presagis. In 1995, the ITAP group began using VAPS for the development of the integrated avionics system for the Czech Air Force L-159A light attack combat aircraft. As Lawson explains, the key advantage for the group to using VAPS is that "it enables us to quickly prototype and develop aircraft multifunction display OFP software that can easily be re-hosted to other projects, target aircraft hardware, and personal computers."

In 1999, the ITAP group integrated FlightSIM and STAGE into its production cycle for the development of a two-seat trainer demonstrator aircraft. The benefits for ITAP were wide-ranging. For example, by incorporating FlightSIM and STAGE into their development of aircraft OFP and integration testing environments, the group was able to greatly simplify the production cycles as well as create a new integration testing laboratory at significantly reduced costs and schedule.

The New ITAP Lab

This new integration lab represents a shift in how MFD OFP are made. According to Mike Prindle, Senior Engineering Specialist of ITAP, the team first develops the MFD OFP in a Windows environment. Then, the team ties it to FlightSIM through a translator that mimics the normal interface of the Mission Processor OFP. Finally, once the MFD OFP looks fairly mature, the ITAP group recompiles it to operate on an aircraft's computer, connects it to their PC-based simulator, and flies it around the environment.

By using Presagis' products, 4 man-years of effort were expended in completing a task that would have taken 40 man-years of effort using the previous development approach.
Mike Prindle, Senior Engineering Specialist of ITAP

"The nice fallout from this approach to the development" says Prindle, "is that it provides us with several demonstration options because our MFD OFP can operate on a PC. The MFD OFP can be put on a laptop and can be demonstrated statically, or it can be put on a desktop simulator with FlightSIM and STAGE. In addition, it can also be put on a larger simulator that has the Vega Prime out-the-window graphics. The advantage is that, in every instance, the demonstration is running the real aircraft OFP. This means that the group does not have to maintain separate software for the aircraft and for various levels of aircraft simulation."

As Prindle explains, "with Presagis' integrated solutions, the ITAP group is able to both reduce their overall development time for the OFP and take full advantage of the ability to create a single OFP - one that has evolved from the initial prototype and can operate directly in aircraft computers as well as in low-cost, PC-based training simulators."

Using Presagis' products has also allowed the ITAP group to reduce the complexity of the software implementation and to provide a more modular and maintainable software system that supports Boeing's reuse goals. By using the same OFP for both aircraft and training system applications, the group can minimize the costs of fielding incremental improvements in fielded systems.

Saving Time

Prindle estimates that ITAP has saved 20 man-years of effort by using VAPS rather than an OpenGL approach and an additional 20 years by using FlightSIM and STAGE as opposed to tailoring a legacy simulation system. Overall, says Prindle, "by using Presagis' products, 4 man-years of effort were expended in completing a task that would have taken 40 man-years of effort using the previous development approach."

Using FlightSIM and STAGE make the project affordable and enable ITAP personnel to focus on our core competency, and the incorporation of VAPS makes possible the rapid development and flexible use of the aircraft software for hosting on either PC or aircraft hardware.
James Lawson, Chief Engineer of ITAP

Presagis' complete visual and simulation package has helped Boeing's ITAP group to design a truly innovative and portable integration lab. Using Presagis COTS software instead of developing in-house tools has saved the ITAP group both time and money. According to Lawson, the project has been so successful that "the next step for the ITAP group is to convert the mission processing OFP to comply with the same standards as the MFP OFP. In this way, the mission processing OFP will also be portable between a PC and an aircraft computer. We have already begun this conversion, and we are looking forward to its completion."