pC-NOVA* is Aechelon Technology’s fully integrated image generator whose software-based runtime engine transforms commodity PCs and other enterprise-quality COTS PC components into image generators for flight simulation; with rock-solid 60Hz frame rate, rendering high-resolution, geospecific databases with stunning realism in both out-the-window scenes and for a full range of correlated sensors.* pC-NOVA*'s proven program track record speaks for itself in terms of quality, reliability and performance.




pC-Nova has taken advantage of vertex and pixel shaders since 2000 and has now implemented its sixth generation shader engine in the latest pC-Nova release (v4.0), maintaining its technology lead on competitors who are only now adopting shader technology.
The pC-NovaIG’s modular architecture and advanced task scheduling enable deterministic real-time performance, low latency, and unprecedented scene complexity, as well as multi-channel and performance scalability. Real-time paging of texture, terrain, and cultural features enable maximum fidelity flight training. pC-Nova databases can contain an unlimited number of high-resolution insets down to 1/4 meter per texel. Real-time load management ensures sustained update rates of 60Hz or higher at display formats up to 2560x1600. *pC-Nova’s* high-performance rendering supports complex scenes for more effective mission training.
Support for hundreds of simultaneous moving models supports realistic tactical scenarios. Controllable model lighting, articulations (landing gear, gear doors, control surfaces, speed brakes), afterburner plumes, propellers and helicopter rotors contribute to scene detail. A comprehensive model library (800+) delivered with each pC-Nova contains friendly and hostile aircraft and weapons, ground vehicles, and ship models. Extensive mission functions support collision detection, radar altimetry, line of sight to emitters, laser ranging, and ground reactions
pC-Nova includes an extensive library of highly realistic environment, weather, and special effects to make simulated missions as demanding as in real life. Environment effects include continuous time of day with ephemeris-controlled Sun, Moon, and stars, dawn and dusk horizon glow, real time shadows and high-dynamic range rendering to create veiling glare from the Sun (and from the Moon in NVGs).
Weather effects include visibility, haze, solid and patchy ground fog, three cloud layers, scud, storm fronts, lightning, rain, snow, and wet runways. Special effects launch flash, smoke trails, air, ground, and water explosions, and rotorwash over dirt, sand, and water.
Lights and their illumination effects are the primary contributor to scene realism for night operations, and pC-Nova includes extensive capabilities for their simulation. Model lighting includes navigation lights, anti-collision lights, and covert lighting, with host-controlled intensity. Lighting effects include light lobes from landing, taxi and multiple, simultaneous searchlights (including IR searchlights), glare from ownship lights in clouds, and terrain illumination from flares. All effects may be instanced simultaneously and are correlated and appropriate in the sensor channel scenes.
pC-Nova uses Aechelon Technology’s pC-Radiant™ plug-in module to support rendering of out-the-window and sensor scenes in a single runtime engine. This ensures full correlation across all sensors in every training scenario. Per-texel, physics-based with 32 bit floating point spectral responses, are rendered in real time for each sensor using a common material-coded, geospecific database. Accurate effects for FLIR, NVG, Day TV, and Low-Light TV and Radar are fully supported, and include automatic and manual gain control, noise, halos, bloom, and atmospherics.
Airfield modeling is supported with every known airport light system, including beacons, obstruction lights, Aldis lamp, runway and taxiway edge and centerline lighting, VASI, PAPI, REILS, RAILS, and approach lighting systems with sequenced flashing lights, all with host-controlled intensity.
Operations on air-capable ships are supported with extensive simulation of optical landing systems, including FLOLS, IFLOLS, LRLS, SGSI, GAILS, HARS bar, and HPI. Ocean effects include a three dimensional physics-based 3D sea state, whitecaps, bow and stern wakes with bioluminescence, breaking waves along shorelines, and a raster coastline definition that creates a natural, smooth boundary. Floodlight illumination is supported for both airfields and ships.
Each pC-Nova IG is delivered with Buyer’s choice of one of Aechelon Technology’s off-the-shelf geospecific databases. This enables the prime to perform early integration with the host pending the delivery of any program-specific databases, and may be delivered as the program database if the areas are compatible with requirements. As an example, the pC-Nova Southwest US database covers an area of more than 650 x 650 NM, and includes high-detail terrain and more than 40 high-resolution insets for areas that include Nellis, Edwards and Luke AFBs; MCAS Yuma, Miramar and Camp Pendleton; NAS Fallon and China Lake; and the Nellis and Goldwater training ranges. pC-Nova has full support for the Navy NASM NPSI standard.

Real-Time

  • Modular runtime architecture; OTW and sensor support within a single runtime engine
  • Multi-channel scalability; up to 20 channels in a single rack- 32 channels in two racks
  • Sustained real time performance with load management
  • Video formats to 2048 x 1536, with >250,000 polygons per channel
  • Rock-solid 60 Hz update rate
  • Full-scene anti-aliasing, and 8x anisotropic texture with tri-linear filtering
  • Real-time Sun-cast shadows from moving models and features
  • CIGI 2.1 or 3.1 host interface

Weather Effects

  • Visibility, haze, solid and patchy ground fog
  • Three cloud layers, scud, storm fronts, lightning, rain, snow, and wet runways

Environment Effects

  • Continuous time of day with ephemeris- controlled Sun, Moon, and stars
  • Dawn and dusk horizon glow

Special Effects

  • Launch flash, smoke trails, muzzle flash, small arms fire, and tracers
  • Air, ground and water explosions
  • Fire, wind-driven smoke
  • Chaff, Illuminating flares, and decoy flares
  • G-dimming and crash effect
  • Rotorwash effects for sand, water, and grass for ownship and other helicopters
  • Rotor simulation with coning and tilt

Ocean Effects

  • 3D physics-based dynamic ocean for sea states 0 though 5, including whitecaps
  • Bow waves and stern wakes with bioluminescence
  • Breaking waves along shore
  • Smoke and dye markers

Light Systems and Effects

  • Airfield light systems include beacons, obstruction lights, Aldis lamp, runway and taxiway edge and centerline lighting, VASIs, PAPIs, REILS, RAILS, and approach lighting systems with sequenced flashing lights
  • FLOLS, IFLOLS, LRLS, SGSI, GAILS, HARS bar, and HPI for air-capable ships
  • Light lobes for landing, taxi, and multiple, steerable searchlights
  • Illumination glare in clouds and low visibility from ownship lights
  • 128 light groups, each with host- controlled state and intensity

Moving Models

  • 150 simultaneous moving models, each capable of up to 12 simultaneous, complex articulations
  • Air models with articulations, lighting, afterburner plume, contrails, and weapon effects
  • Ground models with articulations, dust trail, tread marks, dust trails, and weapon effects

Mission Functions

  • Collision detection, radar altimetry, line of sight to emitters, laser ranging, and ground reactions

Sensor Simulation

  • Physics-based 32 bits floating point multi-spectral sensor support FLIR, Day TV, Low-Light TV and NVG (simulated and stimulated)
  • Gain, offset noise, polarity, halos, bloom, multiple FOVs, digital stabilization and zoom with constant high resolution scenes
  • Video HUD integration in sensor channels
  • Paging module for third-party radar (RGBM/SAR) simulations ensures correlation with sensors

Databases

  • Support for wide-area geospecific databases with an unlimited number of high-detail insets and geotexture resolution to 1/2 meter per texel
  • Adaptive terrain generation algorithm creates perfectly meshed surface with eight LODs and excellent conformance to elevation model; LOD transitions are rarely detectable
  • Real-time paging of terrain, geotexture, and features
  • Cultural lights and area lighting

Logistics

  • Reference designations and markings per IEEE-200/li>
  • Comprehensive documentation package/li>
  • Organic configuration management on IG/li>
Images from pC-Nova

Aechelon Technology, pC-Nova and C-Radiant are trademarks of Aechelon Technology. Inc. 2005 Aechelon Technology, Inc.