Systems and Software Engineering solutions for a next generation Air Traffic Management system for commercial aircraft.

Noventus Role

Our Client engaged Noventus to provide a team of System Engineers, Hardware Engineers, Systems Integrators and Software Engineers to assist with the development of their next generation of Air Traffic Management system.

The environment / processes included DOORS, ClearCase/ ClearQuest, Linux, JUnit, OO Design Patterns, Eclipse, and Agile Development.

Business Need

Our Client had won a significant project to deploy a variant of their Air Traffic Management (ATM) Product Line. To keep the project on track, the Client needed a senior team of experienced and highly qualified ATM literate System Engineers, Hardware Engineers, Systems Integrators and Software Engineers to augment the extant engineering capability and provide enhancements to the system.

Noventus Solution

Systems Engineering

Responsibilities included DOORS requirements engineering / management, system requirements derivation and design. Key tasks involve preparing and conducting customer workshops (elicitation and clarification of business requirements) and design reviews as well as preparation and delivery of system artefacts (i.e. Requirements Specification, Design Documents and Application Interface Documents). Parallel tasks include project delivery support.

Software Engineering

Java GUI framework and engine for complex real-time command and control systems such as ATM Human Machine Interface (HMI). It was developed as the foundation and common platform for the next generation of ATM products. The HMI was a high performance, flexible and configurable HMI engine making use of modern software engineering design methodologies, concepts and tools.

With the new HMI, the Client was subsequently positioned as a technology leader with a competitive advantage allowing the company to secure future business in the world wide ATM market.

The HMI engine provides a complete framework for Air Situation Display applications. Its layered component based architecture allows for deployment in entire system replacements or as an Air Traffic Management upgrade to existing legacy systems.

The software incorporates OpenGL for high performance graphics capabilities that provide
advanced capabilities for the presentation of information to air traffic controllers. The design of the system is highly reliable, scalable and adaptable to a broad range of system sizes and
complexities.

Systems Integration

Noventus was responsible for leading the Automation Testing Development activities for the HMI. The aim was to meet DO- 278/ED109 Safety Requirements. This included:

• Design and implementation of the Automation Test framework using QF-Test, Python/Jython and Groovy Scripting. This included implementing interfaces using Jython to tap into the underlying Java application – System Under Test.
• Review and development of Software Requirement Specifications, Use Cases and Test Cases.
• Risk Identification and corresponding solution development at the architecture level.
• Production of Integration Test Plans and performance of integration testing phases.
• Installation and testing of the sub-assemblies that makes up the ATM product.
• Raising and investigation of software defects in order to assist the Software Development team.
• Prioritisation and identification of which defects and change requests needed to be implemented for each release.