Track Descriptions
Track Chairs
Room Location

Technical Program Co-Chairs

The technical program for the 27th DASC, focused around Integrated Modular Avionics, will have approximately 180 papers in 6 parallel tracks. These tracks include Integrated Modular Avionics, CNS, ATM, Avionics Applications, Avionics Design, and a poster track cutting across all of these subject areas as well as some additional special topics.

Track 1 - Integrated Modular Avionics
Chris Watkins, GE Aviation
Governors Hall II

The recent trend in avionics systems architectures has been to increase the level of integration between avionics systems. At the forefront of this trend, modern avionics architectures have embraced Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA). IMA systems provide the ability to host multiple avionics functions on a shared set of computing, network, and I/O resources.

IMA architectures have catalyzed many new and novel technologies, processes, and industry standards which are considered in this track and categorized into the following sessions:

• Open IMA architectures
• Processes for integrating systems together on an IMA platform
• Information assurance and security for integrated systems
• Communications infrastructures that support integrated systems
• Certification of IMA systems

Track 2 - Communications, Navigation, Surveillance (CNS) Systems
Rafeal Apaza, FAA and Dana Hall, Sensis
State I

The United States air transportation system must significantly modernize to serve forecasted near-future demands.  With predictions of 1.2 billion passengers using the system by the year 2020, improvements will have to be made at different levels to meet the increased capacity demand.  This Track focuses on Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) technologies and systems that will contribute to the development and modernization of the National Airspace System.  Track sessions will address CNS technologies and integration, surveillance systems enhancements, innovative communications, modernized navigation technologies, and cutting edge research in the CNS field.

Track 3 - Air Traffic Management (ATM)
Suzanne Porter, MITRE and Frank Alexander, Northwest Airlines
Governors Hall IV

The ATM Track will focus on the role of the aircraft in Next Generation ATM operations, and improving tactical as well as strategic/flow management performance through NextGen concepts and capabilities. Sessions will focus on international research and development activities associated with trajectory-based operations in en route and terminal airspace leveraging two-, three- and four-dimensional trajectories, ADS-B, improved conflict resolution and arrival/departure management tools. Focus of sessions will also be on international methods and tools for optimal airspace design and utilization to meet future traffic projections.

Track 4 - Avionics Applications
Maarten Uijt Haag, Ohio University
Governors Hall I

This track will focus on key areas in which avionics systems play a key role in the performance and safety of the aircraft or spacecraft into which they are integrated and their impact on the aircraft operations.

• Human Machine Interface & Human Factors addresses the aspects of the human operator and the interface of this operator with the flight deck instrumentation onboard aircraft and the interface with controller tools with air traffic control.
• Flight Deck Systems provides insight into new developments for cockpit-based systems that improve the safety of approach, landing, and surface operations. Special emphasis will be placed on synthetic vision, enhanced vision, external hazard monitors and visualization of aircraft hazards of terrain, traffic, weather and flight path on the ground and in flight.
• Communication/Navigation/Surveillance (CNS) address technologies that will contribute to 4-D trajectory operations such as new developments in the area of navigation aids, next generation air transportation systems, innovative communications technologies, modern CNS system architectures, and safety and security developments. 
• Unmanned Aircraft Systems will cover topics including avionics systems for UAS, intelligent systems for vehicle autonomy, operation of UAS in civil controlled airspace, and sense and avoid capability.
• Spacecraft includes next generation launch technology, orbital space plane avionics, commercial space use, impact of new space missions being proposed and launched, new ways to use space for military missions, satellite systems and missile related technologies.

Track 5 - Avionics Design
Ellis Hitt, Strategic Systems Solutions, Inc.
State III

The Avionics Design track will focus on the design life cycle and will include sessions on:

• Hardware Design
• Software Design
• Systems Engineering
• Systems Integration
• Flight Critical Systems

There will be six papers presented in each session.  Hardware design papers encompass FPGA use, micro-air vehicles, UAV, and rocket applications.  Software design paper authors present some of the latest work in the field of software engineering processes and procedures to ensure that software is safe and affordable.  Systems engineering tools and processes papers cover applications ranging from fault tolerant systems to space systems.   Systems integration papers address integration of new systems with legacy system, to integration of sensor information to improve availability and safety.  Flight critical systems papers address completeness of requirements to integrated flight critical systems using wireless communication.

Track 6 - Poster Papers
Tim Etherington, Rockwell Collins and George Andrew, GNA Aerospace Consulting Group
Minnesota Foyer

The Poster Sessions are included to allow increased participation and significantly more audience interaction. We will have four poster sessions, beginning Tuesday afternoon. Each of these will be a half day inlength and are organized by topic. Since the poster sessions cover the content of all the current presented tracks, only a general description is included. A careful study of all poster papers on the schedule will be required to find all topics of interest. Topic areas include GPS, augmentation, satellite navigation, ADS-B technologies and airspace applications, UAV technologies, and flight control and guidance technologies. Be sure to browse the poster sessions at break times to engage the authors or any other time if you want to spend more time on a poster paper.