Design and Specification of a Local Area Network Architecture for Use in Real-Time Flight Simulation.

Abstract

This investigation examined the use of a Local Area Network (LAN) in the real-time environment of the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory's Flight Control Development Laboratory (FCDL) flight simulation facility. Using the requirements of the FCDL's Manned Combat Station (MCS) project as a guideline, a LAN based on the Ethernet protocol specification was identified as suitable for use in the real-time flight simulation facility. Both the architecture and the performance of the Ethernet protocol were examined to make this conclusion. The selection of the Intel 82586 Local Communications Controller chip (which defaults to the Ethernet specification), the in-house design and manufacture of a Network Interface Board (NIB) using this chip, and the standard operating procedure for FCDL simulations allowed a software design to be completed for the control of the NIB. A recommended course of action for the FCDL is made for the eventual implementation of the proposed LAN and software design. Keywords include: Local area networks, Ethernet, CSMA, CSMA/CD, Real-time flight simulation, Network performance.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADA152242

Entities

People

  • L. R. Maki

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Communications Protocols
  • Computer Networks
  • Computer Programming
  • Control Systems
  • Data Links
  • Data Transmission
  • Digital Communications
  • Engineering
  • Flight Simulations
  • Flight Simulators
  • Local Area Networks
  • Multiple Access
  • Network Architecture
  • Network Protocols
  • Simulators
  • Standards

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.
  • Radio communications and signal processing.
  • Software Engineering