State-of-the-Art Technologies for Integrated Modular Avionics and the Way Ahead

Towards the end of the 20th century, the aviation industry started to adopt the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture. It describes an airborne system with a unified design and standardized components. This allows application software to be used on various hardware modules that share common features. The previously established federated avionics architecture, which describes the self-containment of avionics functions as Line-Replaceable-Units, would therefore gradually become obsolete. A major advancement of IMA is its computing paradigm. With the allocation of multiple functions to single processing units, IMA systems show a higher efficiency, modularity, and maintainability compared to the federated systems. This paper motivates the journey to the next generation of IMA systems. For this new generation of avionics systems, highly adaptive and integrated structures, i.e., computing platforms, are being developed and implemented. The novel design enables the reconfiguration and reassignment of safety-critical applications to counter total system failures. The deployment of advanced airborne applications is enabled due to to more powerful processing units and wireless technologies. The study presents the state-of-the-art in designing ARINC 653-compliant IMA systems as well as development efforts for future IMA architectures. Three major points are discussed in the paper. First, IMA as a technology is presented. Second, the status quo and development efforts for IMA systems are discussed. This refers mainly to the research performed for state-of-the-art avionics systems. Third, the requirements for next generation IMA with some potential implementations are discussed. The research shows that IMA is invaluable for aviation systems and there will be a major shift to more advanced software and hardware technologies with future IMA systems. Nevertheless, there are many emerging requirements yet to be met with this next generation of IMA.

I. Introduction

Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) is a technology that has revolutionized the aerospace industry. It is an advanced avionics architecture that has been replacing the traditional federated architecture used in aircraft since the 1970s [1]. In IMA, multiple avionics applications are consolidated onto a common computing platform, which allows for more efficient system integration and management. The concept of IMA was first proposed in the 1990s by the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) and the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA). It was developed as a response to the increasing complexity of avionics systems in aircraft and the need for a more flexible and scalable architecture. The goal was to create a modularized architecture that could be easily upgraded, maintained, and customized without requiring extensive reconfiguration or redesign. Since the proposal, several guidances and standards for the development of IMA have been introduced. Some relevant examples are [2], [3], [4] issued and published by the Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC), RTCA, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Today, IMA is used in various aircraft, including commercial airliners, military aircraft, and business jets. It has become the industry standard for avionics architecture and has led to significant improvements in system integration, reliability, and maintenance. Using IMA, manufacturers can reduce the time and cost associated with aircraft design and development, while also improving safety and performance [5], [6].