Chapter 1 Avionics Engineering
1. Avionics: A literal blend (mix) of the terms "aviation" and "electronics," the
avionics installed in an aircraft. The development and production of electronic
instruments for use in aviation and astronautics.
1.2 Aircraft cockpit:
The cockpit of an aircraft is a typical location for avionic equipment, including
control, monitoring, communication, navigation, weather, anti-collision systems, the
display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are
fitted to aircraft to perform individual functions. The majority of aircraft power their
avionics using 14- or 28-volt DC electrical systems; however, larger, more
sophisticated aircraft (such as airliners or military combat aircraft)
have AC systems operating at 400 Hz, 115 volts AC. There are several major
vendors of flight avionics, including The Boeing Company, Panasonic Avionics
Corporation, Honeywell , Universal Avionics Systems Corporation, Collins
Aerospace, Thales Group, GE Aviation Systems, Garmin, Raytheon, Parker
Hannifin, UTC Aerospace Systems, Selex ES (now Leonardo S.p.A.), Shadin
Avionics, and Avidyne Corporation.
2. Avionics Tasks: The avionics installed in an aircraft or spacecraft can include:
Engine controls,
Flight control systems,
Navigation, communications,
Flight recorders,
Lighting systems,
Threat detection,
Fuel systems,
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Electro-optic (EO/IR) systems,
Weather radar,
Performance monitors, and
Systems that carry out hundreds of other mission and flight management
tasks.
Aircraft avionics system:
The cockpit is the section where the pilot and the co-pilot manage the aircraft.
The two main functions of the cockpit are; to provide the pilot with a good angle and
to make all control mechanisms accessible to them.
Figure 1
The cockpit of an aircraft is a typical location for avionic equipment,
including:
2.1 Navigation
Avionics systems use satellites like WAAS- Wide Area Augmentation System-
or GPS, ground-based ratio, and/or interior navigation programs to help pilots
determine their position above the earth’s surface.
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Today, most navigation technologies have multiple systems for additional reliability
(for example, GPS for main navigation and radio systems in case of emergencies).
By contrast, older aircraft that used VOR and LORAN were less efficient that they
required the pilots to plot their course on a paper map first.
Figure 2
2.2 Communications
The communications system, being one of the most essential components of
avionics, connects pilots to ground crew and authorities.
As of this writing, the most common airband is between 118 MHz and 136.976, with
slight differences between military vessels, commercial aircraft, and international
planes. Meanwhile, some aircraft avionics can even reach artificial satellites.
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Figure 2
2.3 Weather systems
They warn pilots about excessive precipitation, turbulence, and other harsh weather
conditions. As a result, pilots can adjust their planes’ altitude to keep a safe flight
path. Nowadays, you can access affordable weather systems for light aircraft that
can detect lightning, storm activities, etc.
Figure 3
2.4 Monitoring systems
They include gauges, dials, and other similar instruments that evolved in a more
computer-based system instead of manual models that you can find in older aircraft.
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However, the advancements come with a downside, especially if the pilot wants to
balance automation with some manual functions.
Figure 4
2.5 Fuel system
Every aircraft needs fuel systems that calculate the remaining fuel and manage other
related tasks to ensure efficient fuel usage. While you can easily pull over a car to
the side of the road when it’s running out of fuel, the same thing can spell disaster
in airplanes.
2,6 Collision avoidance and traffic alert
This technology detects other aircraft and alerts pilots about possible collisions. It
comes with software that provides instructions after seeing potential accidents and
ground-proximity warning systems for additional safety.
Figure 4
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2,7 Flight control
Flight control was initially used in bomber planes to keep them steady during an air
raid, but in later years, it evolved to prevent pilot error, especially during landing
and takeoff. Today, it is considered one of the most critical avionics systems that the
FAA even requires its frequent testing to ensure aircraft safety.
Conclusion: Monoplanes, commercial aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial
vehicles, spacecraft, and business jets all use avionics that performs a wide range
of functions.
The more complex the plane is, the more sophisticated the electronic systems it
needs. Additionally, the most advanced avionic systems integrate multiple functions
to simplify maintenance, improve performance, and even keep the cost down.
Future in Avionics
The contemporary trends in aviation to make the air space denser and denser with
a vast spectrum of aircraft ranging from small UAVs to supersonic commercial
aircraft has opened a multitude of research areas related to Avionics. The safety
criticality aspects of Avionics imply special adoption steps, Artificial Intelligence
that is largely used in other systems is required to meet avionics certification
mandates. Developing certifiable AI based avionics systems is a key research area.
Development of Communication, Navigation and surveillance systems to make air
traffic management of such a huge volume of hybrid mix of aerial platforms and
their integration in National Air Space is another challenging area. Rapidly
reducing space, weight and power requirements in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
and small size satellites calls for developing small Multifunction Integrated RF
Front Ends and Antennas. Concept of connected aircraft warrants robust and
efficient communication systems for networked operations. Reliance on networks
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and increased role of software in systems also brings to focus the research required
in Cyber Security of Avionics Systems. To make Urban Air Mobility a possibility in
near future substantial resources are being allocated to conduct research in
developing avionics architectures for the aerial platforms and supporting Urban Air
Management systems.