The Electronic Flight Instrument System and Symbol Generators

Posted on February 21, 2022 Elvis Clinton Aircraft Parts

As aircraft have continued to advance with the introduction of computers, computer systems, and the glass cockpit, pilots have been provided an increasing amount of data that is easily obtainable at their fingerprints. With the implementation of computers for flight instrumentation and system monitoring, pilots can always ensure that they are able to pay full attention to matters that are of the utmost importance. This is done through the use of electronic flight information systems, all of which create and maintain displays through the use of aircraft symbol generator equipment.

As flat screens and multifunctional displays began to permeate the aircraft cockpit, the flight instrument system was the first set of equipment to benefit. With dedicated symbol generators, DRT technology, and EADI & EHSI technology, pilots can obtain all the information that they need from instruments such as the attitude indicator with ease. While many early electronic flight instrument systems (EFIS) were more analog in their design, modern assemblies have become increasingly digital with a larger amount of control over visuals being provided to the pilot.

While flight instrumentation data is paramount for a pilot to safely conduct a standard flight operation, they must also be adamant about consistently monitoring engine and airframe systems for their health and operational characteristics. The types of conditions that a pilot will monitor will vary based on the aircraft, such as transport aircraft requiring the pilot to monitor various gauges with the use of an electronic centralized aircraft monitoring (ECAM) system. With the ECAM system, pilots can have all monitoring duties automatically performed, and the system will utilize a symbol generator to create alerts, visual cues, and suggest corrective actions as necessary.

Depending on the age of a particular ECAM system, monitors will either be based on CRT or LCD technology. The left/upper monitor is typically relied on for tracking system statuses and warnings, while the right/lower screen provides diagrams of systems. To power these monitors, separate aircraft symbol generator systems are used.

The ECAM system can be operated in four basic modes, those of which are flight phase, advisory, failure related, and manual modes. Generally, the flight phase is the most commonly used mode during flight, and it covers preflight, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, and post landing phases. If a situation comes about where the pilot needs warnings and suggested corrective actions, the advisory and failure-related modes will kick-in and display on data the primary and secondary monitors. To ensure that the most crucial issues are attended to first, most systems will utilize color-coding.

While electronic flight instrumentation systems and glass cockpit equipment have all radically changed how pilots conduct flight and track data, they all require regular maintenance and part replacement to ensure operability over time. When conducting an inspection, one should ensure that all aging or defective instrumentation, symbol generator systems, panels, and other components are repaired or replaced as necessary. When such needs arise, Aviation Purchasing Platform is your sourcing solution with over 2 billion items readily available for purchase with competitive pricing and rapid lead-times.

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