FBW Algorithm

[QJB]

Hi all,

All this talk about flight computer algorithms (AF447 etc.). The logic always seems to be, the bla bla unit receives this raw data and then uses a number of algorithms to: compute minimum speeds, evaluate data integrity etc etc. I know this is not the most well worded question, but has anyone actually had access to the algorithms that these flight computer systems use to come up with their rules/limits. i.e the airbus FBW system. Are these algorithms publicly available or a trade secret.

Cheers,

J

[GarageYears]

I don't think the words "trade secret" fit - the correct term is "Intellectual Property" (IP).

Anyone outside of the parent organization that gets access to Airbus or Boeing IP will almost certainly have to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that will prohibit release of that information (or suffer the legal consequences - which are punitive in the extreme). I'm sure the same is true of employees of those same corporations, probably part of their employment contract.

IP would cover any aspect of the aircraft design, not just the FBW part. Obviously you can infer certain behaviors from what is visible externally, or published within the public domain (training information on systems for example). The core algorithms and code though are sure to be closely guarded.

- GY

[FREDAcheck]

I don't think the words "trade secret" fit - the correct term is "Intellectual Property" (IP).

[nerd mode] Just to be boring, a "trade secret" is a type of Intellectual Property. You can patent an invention - but that means making it public. However, software can't normally be patented, and algorithms can be hard to patent. Software implicitly has copyright, so others can't copy it directly (I mean byte by byte). But if someone figures out what it's doing, there's nothing to stop them writing their own software that does the same thing. So sometimes it's easier to keep software IP as a trade secret - just like the formula for Coke. This is often the case with software that's buried in a box. [/nerd mode]

[twistedenginestarter]

I don't know the answer to your question but I suspect aircraft manufacturers would have to specify how they calculate certain key factors, and demonstrate they have tested the systems work correctly, in order to get their aircraft certificated.

[Superpilot]

As silly as my response may seem. The algorithms you speak about can't be doing much more beyond computing flight dynamics. Which we all studied at flight school.