Flight Computer

September 1, 2019

Abaco Systems
Huntsville, AL
866-652-2226
www.abaco.com

Abaco Systems’ FORCE2 flight computer has been chosen by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to be at the heart of GA-ASI's Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS). The CGCS was recently used to control the complete flight of an MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicle – including take-off and landing. This was the first time the CGCS has been used to control an entire end-to-end flight of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), and was an important step in achieving GA-ASI's goal of the SkyGuardian being the first certifiable RPA certified to fly in national and international airspace.

The CGCS architecture provides separation between flight and mission critical functions. Flight critical functions are performed using a combination of off-the-shelf avionics, Abaco's FORCE2 flight computer, and hardware developed by GA-ASI that are controlled by GA-ASI's certifiable DAL B software. The mission critical functions are separated and run alongside GA-ASI's proven Advanced Cockpit payload and weapons equipment.

The FORCE2 Open Reference Computing Environment is designed to support the planned development of safety-critical, DO-254/DO-178 certifiable applications compliant with the FACE™ initiative. A rugged, pre-integrated small form factor system for mission computing, the FORCE2 comprises a high TRL (technology readiness level) SBC314 3U VPX single board computer and avionics communications card housed in a robust enclosure to deliver unprecedented levels of performance in demanding flight applications.

The FORCE2 will be supported by DO-254 artifacts suitable for use in systems requiring Design Assurance Level (DAL) A, the highest level of assurance.

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