Page 23 - ITU-T Focus Group on Aviation Applications of Cloud Computing for Flight Data Monitoring - Avionics and Aviation Communications Systems

ITU-T Focus Group on Aviation Applications of Cloud Computing for Flight Data Monitoring
Avionics and Aviation Communications Systems

rather than accessing and downloading data from the black box (FDR). Auxiliary flight data recorder technology
has moved from magnet tape, to Magneto-Optical disk to Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association (PCMCIA) and other solid state cards, and increasingly today the auxiliary recorder function is
connected with or hosted on a networked system on the aircraft.

10.1.8 Aircraft servers, Internet protocol (IP) data routing and airport surface data communications

Over the last five years, aircraft is increasingly installed with a network server or other IP data routing capability
and an airport surface data communication capability that features IEEE 802.11 wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) or
second, third or fourth generation (2G, 3G or 4G) cellular technologies. With all these technologies coming
together, over 170 airlines and around 8,000 aircraft today are routinely transmitting auxiliary recorder flight
data post flight while on the ground at the airport.

10.1.9 Other avionics and electronics systems
Other systems that generate and collect data that may be suitable or relevant for transmitting aircraft data
in-flight include the following:

• Flight management system (FMS): FMS is an important source and destination for aircraft information.
The ACARS system is the data communication system available to FMS but working together with FMS
and the ACARS system enables the important applications of automatic dependent surveillance-contract
(ADS-C) and the future air navigation system (FANS) utilized on many long haul aircraft operations. FMS
also is connected to and outputs flight data parametric data to the flight data concentrator and the real-
time flight data analysis (ACMS) systems.
• Centralized aircraft fault monitoring or maintenance computers: These systems include the central
maintenance computer (CMC), centralized fault display interface unit (CFDIU), electronic centralized
aircraft monitor (ECAM) and others. Most avionics units and systems are required to monitor themselves
and report any fault conditions and codes in a standard format. CMC, CFDIU, ECAM or similar systems
centralize all the fault information from all the avionics systems on the aircraft. The fault information is
made available for download and the most important information that is critical to aircraft maintenance
and trouble-shooting is relayed to the airline's maintenance provider via ACARS data links.

• Other ACARS peripherals and end systems: There are many other avionics units that typically have
dedicated applications that are also connected to ACARS and are therefore able to send short text
message data via ACARS data links. As FMS, and maintenance computers provide data to the ACMS and
FDR systems so do most avionics systems also provide flight data to ACMS and FDR.
• Airline operational communication system (AOC): This system is typically resident inside the same unit
that is also the ACARS router. AOC is used to send short text message operational reports such as start
of flight, end of flight, take-off and landing out, off, on, in (OOOI) reports.
• Aircraft interface devices (AIDs): AIDs are discrete devices or avionics interface functions hosted in other
avionics systems that are designed to safely provide flight data and connectivity services to other less
critical or non-certified systems installed or portable electronic flight bags (EFBs). ARINC 834 defines
an aircraft data interface function (ADIF). Although EFBs were the intended clients for ADIF flight data
feeds, it is worth considering that fielded AID ADIF functionality may be re-purposed to support real-time
transmission of flight data parameters. Although AIDs have not seen widespread deployment yet on new
aircraft by aircraft manufacturers, it is expected that AID and ADIF functionality will become widespread
due to the increasing use of tablets by airline crew on board. It is therefore worth considering connecting
AID's ADIF functions via aircraft data links to provide real-time data off board.

10.1.10 Conclusion

Of all the on-board information systems, ACMS has access to the richest source of data on all aircraft types.
ACMS is connected with ACARS and can use all the data links available to the ACARS router. ACMS also

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