Lecture 2

Brief Summary of Typical Avionics Systems

Core Avionics Systems

 Major avionics systems in a modern aircraft (both military and civil) can be grouped into various
categories based on their role and function as shown in Figure 1.
 In addition to the systems shown in Figure 1, there are some avionics systems which are
mandatory for civil aircrafts, such as Air Traffic Control (ATC) transponder system for
communication, Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) and Traffic or Threat
Alert/Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) for providing situation awareness/warning.

Figure 1. Typical avionics systems common to civil and military aircrafts, where DR means dead
reckoning, FMS means flight management system.
(Source: R.P.G. Collinson, Introduction to Avionics Systems, Springer Science, 2011)

 The display systems provide the visual interface between the pilot and the aircraft systems and
displays critical flight information.
 The systems include head up displays (HUDs), helmet mounted displays (HMDs), and
head down displays (HDDs).
 The communications systems help the pilot to make a two-way communication between the
ground bases and the aircraft or between aircrafts, which is essential for air traffic control.
 The communications are through a radio transmitter and receiver using high frequency
(HF), very high frequency (VHF), ultra high frequency (UHF), and satellites (satellite
communication).
 The data entry and control systems allow the pilot to enter some inputs to avionics systems
through voice inputs (using speech recognition) or keyboards and touch panels.
 The flight control systems (FCS) are used to control the aircraft’s motion through control
surfaces which are deflected either by pilot’s control stick input (fly-by-wire FCS) or auto
command from flight control computer (autopilot and stabilization systems) to get quicker and
stable response from the aircraft.
 The air data systems provide accurate information on the air data quantities such as altitude,
calibrated airspeed, vertical speed, true airspeed, Mach number which are essential for the control
and navigation of the aircraft.
 The inertial sensor systems provide the information on aircraft attitude (roll, pitch, and yaw) and
the direction in which it is heading which is essential information for the pilot in executing a
manoeuvre or flying in conditions of poor visibility, flying in clouds or at night.
 The inertial sensors are gyroscopes and accelerometers.
 The systems include Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), and Attitude and Heading
Reference System (AHRS).
 The navigation systems in aircraft will provide the aircraft’s position, velocity (ground speed)
and heading (or track) angle with respect to a reference frame.
 The radio navigation systems in aircraft will use the radio signals received from ground
transmitters and derive the aircraft’s position using a computer.
 The systems include VHF Omni Range (VOR)/Distance Measuring Equipment (DME),
Long range navigation (LORAN), and Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN).
 The dead reckoning navigation systems derive the vehicle’s present position from present
information of velocity/acceleration and the elapsed time, along with the past/previous position
information.
 The systems include Inertial Navigation System (INS) using an acceleration sensor
(accelerometer), and Doppler navigation system using a velocity sensor (Doppler radar).
 The satellite navigation systems will provide the aircraft’s latitude, longitude, height information
using received satellite signals.
 The most commonly used systems include Global Positioning System (GPS) by US, and
Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) by Russia.
 Navigation systems also include approach guidance systems for aircraft which guide the aircraft
to the airfield/airport in conditions of poor visibility by providing aircraft’s position information
relative to the airport runway.
 The systems include the instrument landing system (ILS), and an advanced microwave
landing system (MLS).
 The infrared (IR) sensor systems provide a video picture of the thermal image scene of the
outside world either using a forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor or IR imaging sensor.
 The radar systems in aircraft will detect an object/target using radio waves transmission and
reception, and also able to generate a map type display from the radar returns from the ground.
 The systems include
 Weather radar (in civil aircrafts) which provide weather warning by detecting water
droplets and provide warning of storms, cloud turbulence and severe precipitation.
 Radar altimeter which provide the aircraft’s height above the ground.
 Military-based airborne radars are used to provide the information of intruding aircrafts
in a battlefield, and terrain map display for target identification.
 The task automation systems will reduce the crew workload and enable minimum crew
operation by automating and managing the tasks carried out by various systems.
 The systems include
 Navigation management system which combines the information from all the
navigation systems in aircraft and provide the best possible estimate of the aircraft
position, ground speed and track, and then issue steering commands for the
autopilot so that the aircraft automatically follows the planned navigation route.
 Autopilot systems whose function is to control the flight of the aircraft and
maintain it on a pre-determined path in space without any action being required by
the pilot.
 Flight management systems (FMS) which collects information from various
systems and performs functions such as automatic navigation and guidance,
management of aircraft systems, efficient management of fuel, etc.
 The Engine control and management systems carry out the task of control and the
efficient management and monitoring of the engines.
 For example, in modern jet engines, a full authority digital engine control
system (FADEC) will automatically controls the flow of fuel to the engine
combustion chambers by the fuel control unit so as to provide a closed-loop
control of engine thrust in response to the throttle command.
 The control system ensures the engine limits in terms of temperatures,
engine speeds and accelerations are not exceeded and the engine responds
in an optimum manner to the throttle command.
 House-keeping management systems automated the background tasks which are
essential for the aircraft’s safe and efficient operation, such as fuel management,
electrical power supply system management, hydraulic power supply system
management, cabin/cockpit pressurisation systems, environmental control system,
warning systems, and maintenance and monitoring systems.
 ATC transponder (responding to a transmitter) system will receive radio signals from ground
transmitters and again transmit the own aircraft’s range and position to the air traffic controllers.
  GPWS provides warning to the pilot by means of a visual display and audio signal (for example,
‘Pull up, Pull up . . .’) that the aircraft is on a flight path that will result in flying into the terrain,
and that action must be taken to change the flight path.
 TCAS provides an alerting and warning display of other aircraft within the flying space in terms
of their range, course and altitude together along with some advisory collision avoidance
commands.

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