Glass Cockpit EIS Assignment

Alexandra Slabutu C13758205 DT011/2 Avionics Date: 21 December 2014

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(B.Eng.Tech) Aviation Technology

Derek Charles

The Concept of Glass Cockpit in a Modern Commercial Aircraft


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Declaration

This is an original work. All references and assistance are acknowledged.

Signed:

Date: 21 December 14

Candidate Name: Alexandra Slabutu

If an assignment or project or part of an assignment or project has been plagiarized from

any source, this will result in a fail for that assignment or project. (DIT, 2011)


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Contents

1.Introduction ............................................................................................4

2.The Electronic Instrument System of Airbus A380..............................4

3.Conclusion..............................................................................................12

4.Referencing.............................................................................................13


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1.Introduction

As the air transport operations and the advancement of computer technology significantly

increasing among the years, together with the growing of air traffic congestion around airports

and other factors had impacted the design of airplane cockpit instrumentation. Today’s modern

aircraft, features its electronics instrument displays in so called ‘glass cockpit’. This new

complex concept has the advantage of minimizing the workload for pilots, thus focusing only on

the most pertinent information. The information given to the pilot is addressed into a

sophisticated LCD screen, prioritizing the messaging and therefore eliminating the old analog

insruments that once were clutering the cockpit environment.

Furthermore this assignment is going to analyze the different approaches developed by Boeing

and Airbus to the concept of a ‘Glass Cockpit’ and any future enhancement of this system,

followed by the description of the Electronic Instrument System (EIS) of A380.

2.The Electronic Instrument System of Airbus A380

Fig 1. A380 Display Units (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

Digital computers have been implemented in today’s aircraft systems in order to promote a safer

flight and to save weight and fuel, thus making the aircraft more efficient too. The ‘glass cockpit’

of A 380 is very similar with the other airbus aircrafts such as A320, A330, A350 with only

minor changes witch will be discussed in this assignment.


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The EIS system of A 380 is called the Control and Display System (CDS) which consistes of

eight interchangeable LCD units and associated control panels. A380 Brief for Pilots (2006)

asserts that each DU can support different display format to enable reconfigurations in case of

loss of one or more displays. In normal operation , the CDS displays: two main components: the

Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) having two PFDs and two NDs, and Electronic

Centralised Aircraft Monitor(ECAM) (which can be also know as Engine Indication and Crew

Alerting System (EICAS), in other aircrafts, such as Boeing aircrafts) having one E/WD and one

SD, plus two Multi-Function Displays (MFDs).

The different displays can be controlled throgh the following CDS control panels: two EFIS

control panels, one ECAM CP, two KCCUs and two CDS display brightness panels.

Fig 2. Main Instrument Panel (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

Fig 3. A380 Glareshield (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)


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According to A380 Brief for Pilots (2006), the EFIS is displayed on four display unists (DU),

showing flight paramenters and navigation data:

Two Primary Flight Display (PFD) units to show short term flight information and

Two Navigation Display (ND) units for navigation

The EFIS displays can be accessed by the flight crew through the EFIS control panels, Keyboard

and Cursor Control Unit (KCCU) and CDS RECONF control panels for reconfigurations.

Primary Flight Display (PFD) provides data on altitude, airspeed, attitude, heading, AFS status,

ILS deviation/marker and radio altitude, on the upper section of the unit and on the lower section

displays memos and limitations, slat/flap/trim positions. This DU replaces the convetional

classic T or six instrument configuration.

Fig 4. PFD (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

The two NDs provide long-term flight information based on aircraft position with respect to

navigation aids, FMS flight plan and map data, weather radar information, and SURV

information on the upper section o the ND, called Main Zone.

Fig 5. ND (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)


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Weather radar information and SURV vertical information combined with the vertical flight

profile to provide a synthetic view of the aircraft’s vertical situation, are found on the lower

section of the ND, called Vertical Display.

Fig 6. ND- Lower section (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

The Airbus ND can display myriad of information, as mentioned above, as well as grapfical and

textual data related to flight management. The different modes on the ND can be displayed using

EFIS control panel which is pictured below, Fig 7.

Fig 7. EFIS Control Panel (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

The Integrated Standby Instrument System (ISIS) although is not part of the CDS system, it’s

main role is to provide backup flight and navigation displays in the case of an Air Data Inertial

Reference System (ADIRS), Flight Management System (FMD) or Control and Display System

(CDS) failure. The ISIS has two independent units, the Standby Flight Display (SFD) unit and

the Standby Navigation Display (SND) unit which computes and displays : pitch and roll

attitude, side slip, ILS display etc and backup navigation aids (NAVAIDS), capability to

manually insert geographical waypoints, GPS position.


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The Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) is designed to provide information

to the pilot about normal and abnormal procedures. It incorporates engine displays, as well as

airframe. This system is the major reason to the modern two-crew flight deck as in the past, it

took a flight engineer to operate the instrument panel alone.

Fig. 8 A380 ECAM Architecture (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

The ECAM is composed of:

Two Flight Warning Systems (F/WS) that compute alerts and manage the display of the

ECAM information

One ECAM Control Panel (ECP)

Two sets of visual attention-getters

Four loudspeakers for aural warnings

The ECAM is displayed on four display units:

The Engine/Warning Dsplay (E/WD)

The System Dispay (SD)

The lower part of the two PFD DUs

The E/WD display is divided into two sections:

The top section (Engine Display Zone) displays the engine primary parameters

The bottom section (Warning Display Zone) displays either of the following:

i) In normal operations:

(a) Checklist menus and items requested by the pilot and also all the memos

ii) In abnormal operations:

(a) Failure related procedure

(b) Deffered procedures

(c) Not sensed abnormal procedures and associated menus requested by the pilots

(d) All the limitations due to the failure


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(e) Advisory indications

(f) Status indication, fallowing an ECAM Alert

Fig 10. A380 E/WD (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

The Systems Display (SD) is divided into three sections. The top section while in normal operations gives a synoptic page or the More Information page, and when in abnormal operations provides the failure related system synoptic page and the Status page after the flight crew has cleared the procedure(s) on the E/WD. The center section (Permanent Data Zone) mainly provides temperature, time and aircraft weight data. The bottom section displays the ATC Mailbox. In the case that there will be more information available, the More appears next to the Status title. The additional information can relate to

different SD system synoptic pages, such as: APU, BLEED, COND, CRUISE, FUEL etc.

Fig 11. SD Cruise page (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)


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PFD

The lower section of the PFD is dedicated to display in addition to the E/WD, the memos and

limitations that have a direct impact on the aircraft flight performance.

ECAM Operation

While in the normal operation, the ECAM gives the flight crew the apropriate information in

order to assist them with the monitoring and operation of the aircraft systems. For example the

system synoptic pages on the SD are automaticallly displayed in acordance with the flight phase,

however it can also be requested manually. The ECAM system also manages aural altitude

callouts and decision-height announcements during approach.

During abnormal operation, the ECAM helps the pilots to manage system failures and aircraft

abnormal configurations by producing visual and aural warnings and cautions, if failures are

detected; providing associated procedures and associated limitations and memos, if any;

displaying the applicable system sypnotic pages; providing abnormal not sensed procedures, on

flight crew request. The ECAM also computes flight phases to inhibit warnings and cautions that

can be postponed, for example during takeoff and landing.

Colour coding is given to various situations in order of importance, to attract the pilot attention,

as shown in Figure 12.

Fig 12. ECAM Colour Coding (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)


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The Multi Funtional Display Units

Fig 12. MFD (A 380 Brief for Pilots 2006)

There are two MFDs in the A380 part of the ECAM, these being the main components that

makes this aircraft differ from all other airbus aircrafts. This tool has the advantage of giving the

pilot as much information as three unit displays. Data such as radio information, gear, flaps,

speed breaks fuel load, EGT and oil pressure can be displayed.


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3. Conclusion

This assignment has analysed the concept of ‘glass cockpit’and its impact on today’s modern

aircrafts which has proved to ease the workload for the flight crew by providing in sequence the

most esential data, on flat screen dispays LCD, replacing the CRT. Recent aircraft avionic

system is merely comprised of PFD’s, MFDs, GPS and autopilot features.[FAA Chapter 10.

Electronic Instrumentation]

It has also been looked at the A380 electrical instrumentation, mainly focusing on the EFIS and

ECAM display units and enphasising the MFD as being the primarily feature differenciating

A380 from its other airbus family counterparts. During the research, the information based on

articles such as [Boeing Software, Innovative 787 Flight Deck and A380 Brief for Pilots 2006

articles] has underlined the different approaces used by both Airbus and Boeing in relation to the

‘glass cockpit’ concept, which resulted with very little and almost no contrast. Both OEMs have

same objective in providing the right solution to its aircrafts and flight crew. The only

differences which are very few, are mainly based on the terminology given to various systems or

diplay units. Perfect examples being ECAM and EICAS, two different names given to the exact

system. The Control and Display System (CDS) for A380 and Control Display Unit (CDU) for

B787 being another example.

Nevertheless it is worth mentioning a unique caracteristic that EICAS has, compared with the

airbus ECAM, that being that, it automatically records the parameters of a failure event or it can

be innitiated by the pilots by pressing the record button on the display select panel, if they think a

problem has arose during flight (hydraulical, electrical,performance etc) which then is brought to

the attention of the maintenance staff.

The only downside in relation to the differences of terminology, is that it may somehow bring

confusion to some of the flight crew or maintenance staff that are new to one of the systems,

after being used to operate on the other.


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4. References:

A 380 Brief for Pilots (2006). Retrieved 2014, Dec 10

http://www.smartcockpit.com/aircraft-ressources/A380_Briefing_For_Pilots_Part%202.html

FAA Chapter 10 – Aircraft Instrument Systems (n/d). Retieved 2014, Dec 12

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yKaDNALPixEJ:https://www.faa.gov/r

egulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/amt_airframe_handbook/media/ama_Ch10.pdf+

&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

Boeing Software (n/d). Retrieved 2014, Dec 12

http://www.projectmagenta.com/boeing-software/

Innovative 787 Flight Deck (n/d). Retrieved 2014, Dec 11

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/2012_q1/3/

http://www.smartcockpit.com/aircraft-ressources/A380_Briefing_For_Pilots_Part%202.html

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yKaDNALPixEJ:https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/amt_airframe_handbook/media/ama_Ch10.pdf+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie



http://www.projectmagenta.com/boeing-software/

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/2012_q1/3/

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Glass Cockpit EIS Assignment