Force feedback could save lives

The Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer (CEET), made by Oldham company EDM, can simulate hydraulic failures or damage to aircraft emergency exit doors on the Airbus A380. It uses Baldor’s Ethernet-compatible NextMove e100 machine controller and two servo motors to dynamically vary each motor’s forward and reverse limits based on the angular position of the door and handle. It also I/O controls other simulated aircraft functions such as cabin lighting and indicators. This allows simulation of various ‘trouble’ scenarios such as stiff doors and door and handle jams. The motion and I/O control software is written in Mint. “Software represents one of the largest elements of our product costs,” says EDM systems manager Alan Nicholson. “The high level nature of Mint helps us minimise the engineering cycles for new simulator designs. He adds that, now the base software is in place, modifying it to emulate different types of aircraft door can be achieved very quickly. The development tools supplied include a diagnostics capability, which gives EDM access to features built into the Ethernet Powerlink hardware such as data acquisition capabilities, an error log and a temperature sensor. The user can monitor real-time parameters of the control system, or run test moves and compare them with ones captured at the time of manufacture using a ‘software oscilloscope’ tool, to see if any mechanical issues have emerged following commissioning. As the tools are free-issue, EDM bundles them onto the control PC provided with each simulator. This helps EDM offer rapid engineering support to airline customers worldwide in the event of a problem, by simply logging into the system over the internet. The first user of EDM’s new generation of simulation technology was at “a major European airline”, which commissioned a cabin trainer for the Airbus A319. Since this order, EDM has completed a door trainer for the inaugural purchaser of the new double-decker Airbus A380. EDM is also employing the real-time torque control facility of Baldor's Ethernet Powerlink motion control modules to emulate brake pedal action on a vehicle simulator project. Baldor’s David Greensmith adds: “The sheer speed of Ethernet Powerlink allows EDM to vary torque limits dynamically rather than simply configuring them – a control mechanism that is simply not feasible using a traditional analogue interface or general-purpose fieldbus.” He says that the new network will allow most machine builders to take a fresh look at their control system architecture, adding that the single Ethernet Powerlink controller can handle up to 200 devices on the network – including up to 16 interpolated axes simultaneously. Baldor EDM Pointers * Software and two servo motors allow the realistic simulation of emergency exit door problems on passenger aircraft to assist in crew training * Programming dynamically varies each motor’s forward and reverse limits based on the angular position of the door and handle as well as I/O control of other simulated aircraft functions such as cabin lighting and indicators