Integrated Modular Avionics

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Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) represent real-time computer network airborne systems. This network consist of a number of computing modules capable of supporting numerous applications of differing criticality levels.

1 Architecture
2 Examples of IMA architecture
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Architecture

IMA modularity simplifies the development process of avionics software :

As the structure of the modules network is unified, it is mandatory to use a common API to access the hardware and network resources, thus simplifying the hardware and software integration.
IMA concept also allows the Application developers to focus on the Application layer, reducing the risk of defaults in the lower-level software layers.
As modules often share an extensive part of their hardware and lower-level software architecture, maintenance of the modules is easier than with previous specific architectures.
Applications can be reconfigured on spare modules if the module that support them is detected faulty during operations, increasing the overall disponsibility of the avionics functions.

Communication between the modules can use an internal high speed Computer bus, or can share an external network, as of ARINC 429 or AFDX.

It must be noted that there is no overall hardware or software standard that defines all the mandatory components used in an IMA architecture. However, parts of the API involved in an IMA network has been standardized (see ARINC 653).

[edit] Examples of IMA architecture

Examples of aircraft avionics that uses IMA architecture :

Rafale : Thales IMA architecture is called MDPU (Modular Data Processing Unit) [1].
F-22 Raptor
Airbus A380 [2]
Boeing 787 : Smiths Aerospace IMA architecture is called Common Core System [3]
Dassault Falcon 900, Falcon 2000, and Falcon 7X : Honeywell's IMA architecture is called MAU (Modular Avionics Units) [4]