5.1 Electronic Instrument Systems

Question 1

the earliest air speed indicator (ASI) consisted of what

Answer 1

a flexible bamboo strip

Question 2

what period saw major advancements in instrumentation

Answer 2

WW1 and the first air mail delivery in the 1920’s

Question 3

instrumentation in an aircraft provides what

Answer 3

information about its position and speed

Question 4

the front instrument panel contains what

Answer 4

all instruments needed to fly the aircraft safely and is positioned directly in the pilots eye line

Question 5

basic six arrangement (instruments) create a “picture” of an aircrafts flight condition

Answer 5

• Airspeed Indicator
• Attitude Director Indicator (ADI)
• Altimeter
• Turn & Bank Indicator or Coordinator
• Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)
• Vertical Speed Indicator

Question 6

the basic T instrument layout makes the dials easy to read and helps the pilot to establish the aircraft’s attitude and position

Answer 6

.

Question 7

all aircraft instrument layouts conform to standards set by who

Answer 7

ICAO

Question 8

There are four key indicators in the T arrangement, they are

Answer 8

Airspeed Indicator
Attitude Direction Indicator (ADI)
Altimeter
Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)

Question 9

electronic Instrument Systems (EIS) have many advantages over their analogue predecessors including

Answer 9

exchange of images between units in the case of display failure. removal of “clutter” on screen

Question 10

some other advantages of EIS over analogue include

Answer 10

• Coloured displays
• fewer components are needed
• all display units for EIS are the same type

Question 11

there are many different EIS, including

Answer 11

Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS)
Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS)
Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM)

Question 12

displays are interchangeable, which improves

Answer 12

redundancy

Question 13

Required data is transmitted digitally by ARINC 429 buses:

Answer 13

Via display data buses to CPU-controlled CRT or LCD
Via digital data buses to a printer for a hard-copy printout
In digital form to a radio transmitter, which sends data to a ground receiver

Question 14

calculations in the system are made by what

Answer 14

CPU (central processing unit)

Question 15

electronic units are interconnected by what

Answer 15

digital data buses

Question 16

Reading the indication in bright sunlight used to be more difficult on Engine Instrument Display System (EIDS) monitors than on analogue indicators. what was the solution to this ?

Answer 16

brighter, more modern displays

Question 17

the EFIS displays are controlled by what panels

Answer 17

EFIS control panels and lighting/loudspeaker control panels

Question 18

(GGs) graphics generators transmit video signals to what

Answer 18

display units (DUs)

Question 19

(SSPs) source select panels and centre display control panel supply what

Answer 19

additional controls for the display system

Question 20

a modern electronic attitude and direction indicator (EADI) displays

Answer 20

Pitch and roll information
Ground speed
Airspeed
Flight director information
Glide slope and localiser deviation
Numerous warning and status message

Question 21

the numerous warning and status messages displayed on EADI include

Answer 21

pitch and roll mode
navigation aid selected
radio altitude
altitude alert
decision height

Question 22

EHSI stands for

Answer 22

electronic horizontal situation indicator

Question 23

A modern EHSI presents a selectable and dynamic colour display of the aircraft’s position and heading in relation to the navigation aids around it

Answer 23

.

Question 24

Electronic horizontal situaton indicator
(EHSI)

EHSI items displayed include:

Answer 24

Magnetic heading
Radio steering commands for VOR or ILS
Way points, airports, and nav aids
Distance to go
ILS steering info

Question 25

EHSI can be switched by pilot to display either

Answer 25

a conventional full compass rose or just the portion of the compass rose ahead of the aircraft, commonly called the ARC or “SECTOR Display”.

Question 26

If an EHSI or EADI display fails

Answer 26

a composite mode on the remaining display shows combined elements of both displays

Question 27

Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) is a system used by who

Answer 27

Airbus
engine parameters need to be displayed continuously .
top display shows system status messages, warnings and corrective actions
lower screen shows pictorial diagrams of systems

Question 28

Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) is a system used by who

Answer 28

BOEING
the lower screen is usually blank during normal flights
and the upper screen displays primary engine parameters

Question 29

in both EICAS and ECAM warnings are accompanied by

Answer 29

master warning lights
the two systems are becoming more alike on modern aircraft

Question 30

older aircraft used CRT for their displays and have now been supplemented by

Answer 30

LCD as they are brighter
Liquid crystal

Question 31

LCD have several advantages over CRT including

Answer 31

more robust
produce far less heat
require lower and simpler power supply
are brighter

Question 32

All EIS have brightness set initially by the pilot then they adjust automatically by

Answer 32

using photocells, to adapt to the ambient light levels in the cockpit

Question 33

An MCDU multi-function control display unit are used as

Answer 33

primarily as an interface between the pilot and the flight management system
they also act as an interface to the on-board maintenance system

Question 34

In case of total failure of the EIS what is implemented

Answer 34

a standby artificial horizon, airspeed indicator and altimeter are fitted in view of both pilots

Question 35

what does EIS use for its displays

Answer 35

Cathode ray tube (CRT)
and
Liquid crystal display (LCD)

Question 36

EIS allows manual transfer of displays

Answer 36

PFD with ND
secondary ECAM with ND