SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AEROSPACE REPORTS

A Biweekly Publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
VOLUME 44, ISSUE 1 - January 13, 2006

06 AVIONICS AND AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTATION
Includes all avionics systems, cockpit and cabin display devices, and flight instruments intended for use in aircraft.

For related information see also 04 Aircraft Communications and Navigation; 08 Aircraft Stability and Control; 19 Spacecraft Instrumentation and Astrionics; and 35 Instrumentation and Photography.

20060002049 Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC, USA

Instrument Rating: Practical Test Standards for Airplane, Helicopter, Airship

Oct. 1994; 48 pp.; In English Report No.(s): PB2006-102156; FAA-S-8081-4B; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A03, Hardcopy

The Flight Standards Service of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has developed this practical test book as a standard to be used by FAA inspectors and designated pilot examiners when conducting airman practical tests (oral and flight tests). Instructors are expected to use this book when preparing applicants for practical tests. This publication sets forth the practical test requirements for the addition of an instrument rating to a pilot certificate in airplanes, helicopters, and airships. NTIS

Airships; Flight Tests; General Aviation Aircraft; Helicopters; Pilot Ratings

20060002234 Federal Aviation Administration, USA

Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Industry Engagement

Hanlon, Dan; Proceedings of the Fifth Integrated Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference and Workshop; November 2005, pp. 1-25; In English; See also 20060002231; Original contains color illustrations; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A03, Hardcopy; Available from CASI on CD-ROM only as part of the entire parent document

The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a navigation overlay that currently provides coverage over 100% of the Continental USA and Alaska with a precision augmentation to the Global Positioning System. When combined with GPS, the WAAS signal supports navigation with resolution of approximately one meter at altitudes ranging from 100,000 feet to the surface. WAAS assures the integrity, availability, accuracy and continuity of navigation signals required for use in all phases of flight that cannot be provided by GPS alone. WAAS has been fully operational in support of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) since July of 2003, and the publication of WAAS specific instrument approaches began in September of 2003. To date, the WAAS program has evolved much like GPS in its early stages, with little fanfare and only mild industry interest. This presentation will discuss what is being done to advocate WAAS implementation in several key aviation communities. Author (revised)

Augmentation; Navigation; Avionics; Aircraft Industry; Instrument Flight Rules

20060002236 Chinese Aeronautic Radio and Electronics Research Inst., China

Increasing Needs for Modular Avionics in the CNS/ATM-Based Air Space

Shimin, Gu; Proceedings of the Fifth Integrated Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference and Workshop; November 2005; 40 pp.; In English; See also 20060002231; Original contains color illustrations; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A03, Hardcopy; Available from CASI on CD-ROM only as part of the entire parent document

In China, the needs for air transportation have stably been increasing in the past two decades. One of drives is that more and more peoples are becoming to afford to take air transport instead of any other surface transportation, especially railway. Another is more air space available to airlines thus carriers can reduce operational cost and make various discount tickets to the public. Year 2004, as a whole, CAAC fleet got its biggest annual revenue, comparing with the any of the past years. 2005 will be another happy year to CAAC. When the new century begins, China makes more active steps to implementation the CNS/ATM concept. China made the first demo CNS/ATM flight over continental while most countries just made demo over sea. Then CAAC opened several official CNS/ATM routes cross China and promoted the Area Navigation application in airlines fleets, called as RNP in CNS/ATM. Meanwhile, Chinese civil aircraft program is launched. First of them is called ARJ21 which is 70 seat regional jet, developed now in Shanghai. Then that will be followed by projects from commercial plane, business and commuter to helicopters. CARERI, as the unique state owned Avionics Institute based on Shanghai, is engaging to R&D the whole solution of avionics, especially in Modular Avionics Concept, for meeting the increasing and various domestic aircraft market. This slide document will highlight our understanding and consideration in R&D Modular Avionics Concept based on the CNS/ATM environment. Reading the last year s presentations, we found NASA Glenn Center and relative US firms have developed Multi Mode Avionics. We believe there are some common interests and the possibility in collaboration to develop some applications in the China civil air transportation market. Author

Avionics; Airspace; Commercial Aircraft; Chinese Aircraft; Airline Operations; Air Transportation; Area Navigation; Civil Aviation

20060002299 ViaSat, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, USA

MMDA Use of JTRS Architecture

Kocin, Michael J.; Proceedings of the Fifth Integrated Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference and Workshop; November 2005; 27 pp.; In English; See also 20060002231; Original contains color illustrations; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A03, Hardcopy; Available from CASI on CD-ROM only as part of the entire parent document

JTRS architectural goals are quite consistent with the goals for future civil avionics developments. In particular, the goals stated in ARINC 660A, are consistent with the JTRS vision. The architectural approaches discussed for a civil avionics version of JTRS contain the key hardware and software elements required to implement an MMDAapproach consistent with the goals of software programmability and upgradeability with minimal impact on the basic hardware and system.

This proposed architecture has an open bus structure and uses SCA/CORBA to define software interfaces, content and performance. The JTRS architecture as applied to the civil aviation sector must be considered a functional architecture. The physical, installation and environmental requirements of the military sector would make this architecture much too expensive for direct application to the commercial world. The benefits of the new technology would not outweigh the cost, risk and scheduled implementation of the military world. Additionally, only five civil aviation applicable waveforms are being implemented in the JTRS program. JTRS may in the end, design and develop additional civil aviation-related waveforms, but in all likelihood commercial development will be required to meet a reasonable deployment schedule.

MMDA will provide an unique blend of hardware and software, facilitating higher levels of performance coupled with ease of upgradeability. The upgradeability and re-certification of the system is key to its economic benefit to users. Upgrades in technology are generally thought to occur in cycles. RF technology rolls once every 7 - 15 years and digital technology is rolling in as little as 14 months. Digital technology upgrades usually include a significant increase in speed, throughput and memory. These performance improvements result in smaller hardware for avionics allowing more processing to be packaged in the available space.

Although on a somewhat slower time scale, RF technology usually involves improved performance and miniaturization. Today, digital technology is creeping into areas traditionally considered RF. Signal processing capabilities of DSPs have enabled many functions that were traditionally accomplished in hardware (i.e., analog) to now be accomplished using software. Digital technology is now used in the Intermediate Frequency (IF) portions of designs to accomplish RF band pass filtering, demodulation and RF to digital conversion. Powerful processors coupled with re-programmable FPGAs have enabled designers to continually improve algorithms, processing techniques and filtering techniques. Even RF receivers are using more digital technology for front end filtering and signal capture.

Future digital processing applications may include final RF with implantation of analog-to-digital conversions taking place at the antenna. RF amplifiers will, however, remain analog for the foreseeable future. Derived from text

Avionics; Radio Frequencies; Analog to Digital Converters; Civil Aviation; Computer Programs; Signal Processing; Intermediate Frequencies

20060002324 Aviation Management Associates, Inc., Springfield, VA, USA

Role of Multi-Mode Multi-Function Digital Avionics in the Future NAS

Harrison, Mike; Wargo, Chris; Proceedings of the Fifth Integrated Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference and Workshop; November 2005; 8 pp.; In English; See also 20060002231; Original contains color illustrations; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A02, Hardcopy; Available from CASI on CD-ROM only as part of the entire parent document

Current avionics are generally: not interoperable across CNS modes and national standards; expensive to upgrade and certify; not easily reconfigurable for new functions and/or modes; and not able to provide user-selected integration of C, N, S and management functions. The number of waveforms (both new and legacy) is beginning to overwhelm ability to fit aircraft with new capabilities. A new, cost-effective methodology to certify avionics is needed (both initial and subsequent for added waveforms). The objective is to develop an architecture and prototype for multi-function multi-mode digital avionics (MMDA) that demonstrate: interoperability with international standards and operational modes; low life-cycle cost to equip/modify; compliance with existing and next generation airground and air-air CNS requirements & functions; and compliance with redundancy, certification, security and safety standards. Derived from text

Avionics; National Aviation System; Pulse Communication

Source: NASA.