Flight Data Recording

& Data Transfer

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Flight Data Recorders

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Dr David Warren Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL)

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History

Early recorders used scratch foil analogue recording

Limited number of parameters

Single use foil

Digital recorders introduced in 1950s

Tape based, so can overwrite after 25 hours

Higher precision

Better protection of data

Defined in ARINC standard 573

Solid state recorders introduced in 1990s

More robust than tape

Lighter as no tape transport required

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Parameters or parameters?

Hercules

7 parameters

B737 NG

88 parameter rule

1063 parameters recorded

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3,400 G shock for 6.5 ms

500 lb. Dropped from 10 ft with a ¼-

inch-diameter contact point

1100 ºC flame for 30 minutes.

260 ºC for 10 hours

Immersion in aircraft fluids

for 24 hours

Immersion in sea water

for 30 days

5,000 pounds crush

for 5 minutes on each axis

Pressure equivalent to

depth of 20,000 ft.

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Quick Access Recorder

Flight Data Recorder

Data Acquisition Unit

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Investigating aircraft accidents What does the Flight Data Recorder

not need to record?

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Things we don’t need to record…

created during the training course Fuel

Aircraft registration and Type

Passenger list

Departure and Destination airports = Route

Date & time

Weight

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Flight data recorders - Summary

Designed for accident investigation

Parameters recorded depend upon

age of aircraft

manufacturer’s design

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Data Frames

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Data Format Example of FDR data, with the frame start identified.

002AF5C0 00 00 76 07 04 01 64 08 06 01 3C 0C F2 0E 3C 0C ..v...d...<.ò.<.

002AF5D0 00 00 58 02 02 0C 00 0C 48 08 00 00 00 00 00 0C ..X.....H.......

002AF5E0 00 0C 00 00 00 00 E0 0F 00 00 00 0C 40 0C 00 0C ......à.....@...

002AF5F0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 90 01 ..............•.

002AF600 47 02 77 07 03 00 2B 0E DF 0F 02 0C A5 0F 78 00 G.w...+.ß...¥.x.

002AF610 55 04 D3 01 D8 0F EA 03 A4 0F EE 0F FD 0F 00 00 U.Ó.Ø.ê.¤.î.ý...

002AF620 08 00 10 00 00 00 08 00 11 00 00 00 06 00 1E 00 ................

002AF630 F8 0F 10 00 00 00 8C 0B 0C 00 0A 00 00 00 00 00 ø.....Œ.........

002AF640 00 00 77 07 96 0F 64 08 06 01 3C 0C F2 0E 08 08 ..w.–.d...<.ò...

002AF650 00 00 00 00 01 00 AC 00 4C 08 01 08 00 00 00 00 ......¬.L.......

002AF660 00 00 04 02 D0 02 0D 02 12 02 00 0B 44 01 00 00 ....Ð.......D...

002AF670 A4 06 40 01 03 00 00 00 40 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 ¤.@.....@.......

002AF680 02 00 77 07 00 00 2B 0E DF 0F 04 0C A5 0F 00 08 ..w...+.ß...¥...

002AF690 54 04 D4 01 DA 0F EA 03 A4 0F 73 0E 00 00 01 00 T.Ô.Ú.ê.¤.s.....

002AF6A0 08 00 10 00 01 00 08 00 00 00 03 00 06 00 1D 00 ................

002AF6B0 FB 0F 11 00 02 00 01 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 û...............

002AF6C0 01 00 76 07 00 00 64 08 06 01 3C 0C F2 0E 3C 0C ..v...d...<.ò.<.

002AF6D0 6A 02 21 03 03 00 00 00 48 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 j.!.....H.......

002AF6E0 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................

002AF6F0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 FC 0F ..............ü.

002AF700 CC 08 77 07 03 00 2B 0E DF 0F 02 0C A5 0F 79 01 Ì.w...+.ß...¥.y.

002AF710 54 04 D4 01 D8 0F EA 03 A7 0F EE 0F FE 0F 01 00 T.Ô.Ø.ê.§.î.þ...

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ARINC 573 – data frames

The data is encoded in frames.

The data in a frame consists of a snapshot of the many avionics

subsystems on the aircraft.

Each frame contains the same data at a different snapshot in time.

Each frame is broken into four sub-frames.

At the start of each sub-frame is a unique sync word that is used by the

receiver to synchronize with the incoming data.

Data rate minimum is 64 words per second.

128 & 256 wps common to allow more data to be recorded

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Data frame layout Word T seconds T+1 sec T+2 sec T+3 sec

1 Sync Sync Sync Sync

2 Time Time Time Time

3 Heading Heading Heading Heading

4 Roll Roll Roll Roll

5 Engine 1 N1 Engine 2 N1 Engine 3 N1 Engine 4 N1

6 OAT Lavatory smoke

OAT Flap selection

…to…

64 latitude longitude latitude longitude

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Sample rate = 1Hz

Word T seconds T+1 sec T+2 sec T+3 sec

1

2

3 X X X X

4

5

6

…to…

64

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Sample rate = 0.5Hz Word T seconds T+1 sec T+2 sec T+3 sec

1

2

3 X X X X

4 Y Y

5

6

…to…

64

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Sample rate = 2Hz Word T seconds T+1 sec T+2 sec T+3 sec

1

2 Z Z Z Z

3 X X X X

4 Y Y

…to…

34 Z Z Z Z

…to…

64

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Data frame problems There is no rule about which parameter to record where

There is no standardisation of data storage format

Manufacturers purchase equipment from different suppliers

New FDAUs are programmable

The consequence is that a given aircraft type can have many

alternative formats of FDR data

Known as “Data frame layout” or “Logical frame layout”

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Logical frame layout and signal

conversion

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Types of Flight Data Recorders FDR

Originally data was supplied to a Flight Data Recorder. Hard to access

as it was encased in steel and repeated downloading wears out the

tape

Can repeatedly download solid state FDRs

QAR

“Quick Access Recorders” stored the same data but on tapes or data

cards that are easy to take off the aircraft

DAR

Direct Access Recorder stored data from programmable data frame,

allowing large airlines to configure their own data frame

Makes the frame layout problem worse !!!

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Data Transfer

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L3 Communications

microQAR By far the most common recorder at FDS

Removable media

Built-in clock

Data transferred by compact flash card

CF card MUST NOT be formatted

microQAR stores it’s own serial number, date and time into the data stream

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Avionica miniQAR

Older than uQAR

(did L3 Communications copy Avionica?)

No clock

No removable media

Downloaded using Avionica’s

Ruggedised Service Unit (RSU)

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Teledyne PC Card

Teledyne DFDAU with PCMCIA data card slot

Data files stored in DOS file structure

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SAGEM PC Card

SAGEM Flight Data Interface and Management Unit (FDIMU) has a slot for a PCMCIA data card

Found on Airbus aircraft

Data stored in files

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Penny & Giles MO Disk

Magneto Optical disk

Like a small CD in a floppy disk cover

Prone to data errors, especially upon landing due to

vibration

FDS recommend replacement by uQARs.

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L3 FA2100

Fairchild made the FA2100 FDR

Fairchild were bought out by L3 Communications

This solid state FDR uses data compression

Can record more than the mandated 25 hours. (50-80 hours possible).

Download using the Portable Interface unit (PI)

Can select only data that has not been downloaded before, to avoid

repeated transfer and analysis of old data

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Honeywell FDAMS

Installed on RJ100 aircraft and others

Data stored in files, one file per flight

Engineering data (engine running times etc) also stored in

files on same card

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Wireless downloading

Where data is transferred wirelessly, we receive the data

through an FTP site, however the

underlying data format still

complies with one of the data formats previously described.

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