Aircraft company Airbus [36] is one of the leaders in the development of EIS. Their EIS developed and improved from one Aircraft model to the next.
Electronic indication system aircraft from family A330 / 340 consists of two sub-systems of electronic flight information indication system (Electronic Flight Instrument System - EFIS) and electronic indication system of general Aircraft’s parameters systems (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor - ECAM) (Fig. 165).
Fig. 165. Electronic Indication System A340
EFIS system desined to display aeronautical information necessary to control the Aircraft and consists of navigation and piloting displays (Fig. 166). Each of these displays is placed in front of the commander and the first pilot.
Fig. 166. The information displayed on the EFIS displays
ECAM - a separate subsystem designed for displaying paramters of engines and other general Aircraft’s systems (Fig. 167). The information is dispalyed on two screens placed midway between the commander and the second pilot.
Fig. 167. The information displayed on ECAM displays
System EIS A330 / 340 is based on the principle of SSDA. Architecture of building of EISis shown in Fig. 168.
Fig. 168. The principle of construction of EIS
Calculator receives information from Aircraft’s sensors and systems. Information is collected, decoded and converted into the desired format. Data are formed as an electronic list and sent over ultra-fast digital data transmission channel (ARINC 429) to the module of displaying information.
Structurally EIS A330 / 340 is placed in standard modules LRU, interconnected via ARINC 429.
Overall EIS is consists of six square displays (size 6,25 × 6,25 inches), each of which can display information in four types of indication: navigation, piloting, system and engine parameters. In case of refusal or failure detection displaying information switches to another screen, which results in achievement of the reliability and redundancy of the system.
The structure of the EIS includes three computing modules made structurally in different LRU. Calculators working in parallel, performing the same function but for different displays. In case of refusal or failure detection of one of the calculators a built-in control system redistributes executable evaluator’s functions and provides an indication of information from another calculator. Defective calculator completely removed from the functional system.
To control the giant passenger aircraft construction A380 developed a fundamentally new EIS (Fig. 169). To build EIS used 8 displays with size 6 × 8 inches:
- Piloting (two);
- Navigation (two);
- Engine control parameters (one);
- The system (one);
- Multifunctional (two).
Information on piloting display is divided into two zones. Smaller zone with size 2 × 6 inches is used to display additional text information (such as text messages from ATC), larger sone - for displaying piloting information.
Fundamentally new in building the EIS two multifunction display located midway between the pilots. They are connected with FMS and they can intuitively and easily interact and obtain all necessary information from FMS. Navigating in the FMS functions through these displays is very simple. To obtain the necessary information you should just go to the appropriate tab. Through these displays you can get information from communications and surveillance systems, control the flight systems, control of autopilot.
Except this displays, EIS can contain two informational displays. For management the EIS and the information they have keyboard, cursor and control panel.
Fig. 169. The system of electronic indication A-380To build the Aircraft A350 XWB applied the new principle of building EIS. Have become common principles for the integration of information display and for building separate blocks of systems.
Six large screens (15 inches) replaced 10 displays used on the A380. New configuration EIS has two central displays placed one above the other, two pilot displays (one for each place) and two information displays (Fig. 170). To manage the information on the display as well as for the A380, retractable keyboard, touchscreen device to control cursor and control panel are applied.
Fig. 170. The system of electronic indication A-350 XWB