The development of airborne hardware and software requires thorough verification. Controllers in modern aircraft are upgraded regularly after the initial entry into service.

Bypassing is based on the concept of Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) by emulating a controller using a real-time target machine and a Simulink^® model of the control algorithm. During bypassing, the controller is integrated into the test setup while only certain functions or variables are changed and influenced by the real-time target machine. This saves time since the code for the controller does not have to be completely rewritten.

Controller code partitioning is required to perform bypassing. After this initial effort, testing new functions, parameter tuning, and certification efforts can be executed more efficiently.

Bypassing allows reading and writing the controller's variables without the need for signal conditioning, which may be required in RCP or Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) setups.

Depending on the specific application and controller, there are several ways to perform bypassing. One way is to use bypass hooks or service calls to jump from the controller to the real-time system. Another method is to change values in the RAM to overwrite specific outputs of the functions.

"Bypassing will accelerate the development and certification process of your flight controller significantly"

Yves Gerster, Aerospace Industry Manager, Speedgoat