JEPSAN Group subcontracted to Magnavox, Electronic Systems Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana, engaging in an extensive systems and software development from 1987 to 1990.  Our task was to assist with a major retrofit of anti-submarine avionic computer equipment onboard the US Navy P3B aircraft.

Named IPADS (Improved Processor and Display System), the "Improved Processor" relates to the Airborne Sonar, Signal Processors, and 99 Channel Receivers provided by Magnavox.  Whereas "Display" relates to the Tactical Coordinator, Navigator, and Pilot display computer improvements.  JEPSAN Group was tasked with the Display work, as well as the distributed database.  The Tactical Coordinator (TACCO) hardware consists of control/display plasma panels and a Hi-Res video monitor built by Magnavox.  The Navigator and Pilot Functions involved previous generation avionic equipment, originally Lear Siegler's ASN-124 Tactical Navigation System.

Across the entire system IPADS also required a Real Time Transparent Distributed Database, a File Manager, a Dynamic Configuration Manager, and a Distributed Database Administration Utility (precompile time).  JEPSAN Group designed and implemented these functions.  The distributed database and file manager are located in the two sonar computers, the sonobuoy receiver control and interface, the Tactical Control/Display, and the older ASN-124 computer.

The TACCO function display depicts the geographic location of various contacts, signal acquisition devices, and geographic objects.  Dual interactive control panels (plasma) are provided for the TACCO to insert and modify system data, construct graphics and manipulate contacts/targets on the map display, and steer the aircraft.  Perhaps the most innovative concept in the TACCO function is the compiled/optimized Finite State Machine technology used to implement the plasma control display terminals.  Besides saving memory, the table driven modular design of this software affords rapid prototyping useful to the design and implementation of menu control/display, coupled with consistent, accurate, auto-generated software. This FSM was developed in 'C' on UNIX, tested there and on a MacIntosh, then ported to a DEC VAX.  The development time of the TACCO C/D function was cut drastically.  One of the benefits of this design is that last minute changes by the customer may be incorporated in days instead of months.

JEPSAN Group totally rewrote the Pilot's function (Map display/control) and the Navigator's function on the P3B's previous generation computer.  Both functions were modified to interface with the new file manager.  Work on the Navigator and Pilot functions was especially exciting since the new distributed database, the file manager, and a new real-time kernel program (JEPSAN's design) had to be squeezed into the previous generation (vintage 1973) ASN-124 computer.  To accomplish this task JEPSAN wrote a 'C' to LS-52 assembly language cross-compiler that runs on UNIX and VAX computers.

Since 1979, JEPSAN has been developing and using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools and Data Base products.  Our success in quickly developing application software can be credited to these tools.  The operator control function that is employed in the IPADS project was developed using a CASE tool that we made which converts the design parameters, contained in the design document, into parameters that drive the state table contained within the control function.  The text input to the preprocessor was taken from the software top level design document.  A CASE tool was designed which allowed the control function to be simulated and tested on a MacIntosh computer.

And, one last word: activation.  The Software Guys wanted to make sure this was mentioned.  They created "activation," a feature that enables several innovative features in the distributed aircraft database.  Today's Internet and JAVA worlds have a similar (new) feature called "Agents."

The IPADS project was a technical success and came in on schedule and budget.  An exciting project with which to be associated.  /signed/  WestPac P-3  Super B's Forever!