The Cockpit display systems (or CDS) provides the visible (and audible) portion of the
Human Machine Interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fr ...
(HMI) by which aircrew manage the modern
Glass cockpit and thus interface with the aircraft
avionics
Avionics (a blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fit ...
.
History
Prior to the 1970s, cockpits did not typically use any electronic instruments or displays (see
Glass cockpit history). Improvements in computer technology, the need for enhancement of
situational awareness
Situational awareness or situation awareness (SA) is the perception of environmental elements and events with respect to time or space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their future status. An alternative definition is tha ...
in more complex environments, and the rapid growth of commercial
air transportation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot ai ...
, together with continued military competitiveness, led to increased levels of integration in the cockpit.
The average transport aircraft in the mid-1970s had more than one hundred cockpit instruments and controls, and the primary flight instruments were already crowded with indicators, crossbars, and symbols, and the growing number of cockpit elements were competing for cockpit space and pilot attention.
Architecture
Glass cockpits routinely include high-resolution multi-color displays (often
LCD displays) that present information relating to the various
aircraft systems
Aircraft systems are those required to operate an aircraft efficiently and safely. Their complexity varies with the type of aircraft.
Aircraft software systems
Aircraft software systems control, manage, and apply the subsystems that are engaged ...
(such as
flight management) in an integrated way.
Integrated Modular Avionics
Integrated modular avionics (IMA) are real-time computer network airborne systems. This network consists of a number of computing modules capable of supporting numerous applications of differing criticality levels.
In opposition to traditional ...
(IMA) architecture allows for the integration of the cockpit instruments and displays at the hardware and software level to be maximized.
CDS software typically uses
API
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how ...
code to integrate with the
platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
(such as
OpenGL to access the graphics
drivers for example). This software may be written manually or with the help of
COTS tools such as GL Studio, VAPS, VAPS XT or
SCADE Display.
[http://www.esterel-technologies.com/products/scade-display/]
Standards such as
ARINC 661
ARINC 661 is a standard which aims to normalize the definition of a Cockpit Display System (CDS), and the communication between the CDS and User Applications (UA) which manage aircraft avionics functions. The GUI definition is completely defined ...
specify the integration of the CDS at the software level with the aircraft system applications (called User Applications or UA).
See also
*
Acronyms and abbreviations in avionics
Below are abbreviations used in aviation, avionics, aerospace and aeronautics.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
N numbers (turbines)
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
V speeds
W
X
Y
Z
See also
* List of avia ...
*
Avionics software
Avionics software is embedded software with legally mandated safety and reliability concerns used in avionics. The main difference between avionic software and conventional embedded software is that the development process is ''required by law' ...
*
Integrated Modular Avionics
Integrated modular avionics (IMA) are real-time computer network airborne systems. This network consists of a number of computing modules capable of supporting numerous applications of differing criticality levels.
In opposition to traditional ...
References
Embedded systems
Aircraft instruments