Dominion Electronics D602 COTS hardware for CompactPCI systems

Developed originally as a safe computer for controlling the freight load system of the Airbus A400M, the computer assembly D602 is now also available as COTS hardware for CompactPCI systems. It is used in applications in aircraft (up to DAL-A) and in trains (up to SIL 4).

The device provides triple redundancy of the hardware components on a single board to safely operate systems and provide high availability. Functions like voters are implemented as IP cores in the FPGA, which also has a triple-redundant structure.

Using voters it is ensured that at least two of the three redundant components provide the same result to guarantee safety. The system remains operational even if one of the three redundant components fails.

The computer has been developed according to DO-254 and is airworthy up to DAL-A. Additional diagnosis mechanisms (BITE, eg, extensive self-tests) help to detect latent errors before they lead to a system error.