Electronic Flight Instruments A320

ELECTRONIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS

Electronic flight instrument system integrate many individual instruments into a single presentation called a primary flight display (PFD). Flight instrument presentations on a PFD differ from convetional instrumentation not only in format, but sometimes in location as well. For example, the attitude indicator on the PFD is often larger than conventional round-dial presentations of an artificial horizon. Airspeed and altitude indications are presented on vertical tape displays that appear on the left and right sides of the primary flight display. The vertical speed indicator is depicted using conventional analog presentation. Turn coordination is shown using a segmented triangle near the top of the attitude indicator. The rate-of-turn indicator appears as a curved line display at the lower half of the PFD.

FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (FMS)

A flight managent system (FMS) automates the tasks of managing the onboard navigation equipment. An FMS acts as the input/output device for navigational data from navaids, such as VOR/DME and localizer facilities, and from GPS or INS equipment. During flight, the FMS uses this data to indicate airplane position, track, desired heading, and groundspeed and to provide inputs to the airplane's autopilot and navigation displays, such as the HSI, RMI, digital flight deck display, or head-up display. An FMS incorporates a large database of waypoints, airports and navaid information, aircraft perfomance data, airways, and intersections, as well as instrument departure, arrival, and approach procedures. You can program and store your own waypoints and flight plans in the FMS. In addition, an FMS can create a route from your airplane's current position to any destination, perform the flight planing, including time and fuel calculations, and provide you with an accurate picture of the total flight.

MULTIFUNCTION CONTROL DISPLAY UNIT (MCDU)

The MCDU is a combination of a keyboard and a high-performance Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD) that allows pilots to input and modify flight plans. It works in conjunction with the flight management system.

FLIGHT CONTROL UNIT (FCU)

A flight control unit, usually a long narrow panel located centrally in front of the pilot, may be used to control heading, speed, altitude, vertical speed, vertical navigation and lateral navigation. It may also be used to engage or disengage both the autopilot and the autothrottle. The panel as an area is usually referred to as the "glareshield panel". The FCU has two channels, each able to drive the entire FCU.

In general, turning a knob will select a guidance target and pulling it will then engage a mode to guide the aircraft to that target. Pushing a knob, on the other hand, engages a mode managed by the FMGS. When pushed, dashes and a white dot appear in the associated window.