WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Chapter 5.2
Electronic Flight Instrument System
Introduction
The Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) is a highly sophisticated Flight Director System
(FDS), which uses cathode ray tube (CRT) or light emitting diode (LED) technology to provide
attitude and navigation information. This system replaces the electro-mechanical type of
instruments and provides the necessary high reliability for safe operations. In this system all of
the information is integrated into a single presentation and is placed in the flight crews preferred
line of sight. The information is clearly presented using colour symbols and is also easily
understood. Any relevant information can also be easily selected without having to scan a large
instrument panel.
EFIS Architecture
A basic EFIS layout is shown below.

The system comprises of:

2 x Attitude Director Indicators (ADI).

2 x Horizontal Situation Indicators (HSI).
3 x Symbol Generators (left, right and centre).
2 x Mode Control panels.
2 x Light Sensors.

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The Attitude Director Indicator is alternatively known as the Primary Flight Display (PFD), and
the Horizontal Situation Indicator as the Navigation Display (ND). The EFIS is capable of
interfacing with multiple avionic, radio and navigation (long and short range) equipments, the
Thrust Management Control System, and also the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS).
This system is also inter-linked with the Flight Management System (FMS), and provides flight
progress, and MAP displays. It is additionally linked to the Inertial Reference System (IRS) to
provide attitude and heading data, and the symbol generator to process, and display data.
1. Symbol Generator (SG). These components are a central part of the EFIS, and receive
inputs from various aeroplane sensors and avionic equipments. The data is then processed
and converted into suitable data for presentation on the ADI/ HSI. When the symbol
generators are powered they provide appropriate displays on these instruments, but the
displays can be interrupted if the following faults occur:

the screen will go blank if a power failure, over temperature, or failure of the
relevant symbol generator occurs.

a partial loss of colour capability may cause an odd colour presentation, which may
be due to an over-temperature.

when information is unreliable or the received radio signals are not received, the
display will disappear.

If the aeroplane equipment fails a failure flag will be displayed.

2. Instrument Comparator Unit (ICU). This component detects data faults associated with
the ADI/ HSI and constantly monitors the following cross-cockpit displays for disagreement:

Attitude (pitch and roll)

Heading
Track

If conditions are detected outside set parameters, the appropriate Master Warning light will
illuminate, and an aural signal will sound. Instrument comparison monitoring is inhibited
when both pilots are using the centre symbol generator.
3. Compression Mode. On most EFISs, if either ADI or HSI screen fails, modified
information from the failed CRT will be automatically presented on the serviceable CRT in a
compressed format.
4. Temperature Sensing Units. These units are fitted to each ADI and HSI and are set to
low and high values, which are spaced approximately 20C apart. If the low value is
exceeded on the ADI the sky and ground shading will be switched off, thus alerting the pilot,
but will be automatically restored if the temperature drops. If the temperature however
exceeds the high value the whole display will switch off, but will similarly reset itself, if it
subsequently cools down.
5. Mode Control Panels (MCP). The ADI and HSI mode control panels administer the
symbology options, mode ranges, and the brightness of the respective ADI and HSI
displays. This panel also allows the radio altimeter decision height (DH) to be selected, as
shown on the next page.

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6. Light Sensors. These are fitted in close proximity to the displays and ensure that the light
intensity of the displays being selected by the flight crew is compatible with the ambient light
conditions on the flight deck.
Attitude Director Indicator (ADI)
The ADI is normally the upper of a pair of cathode ray tubes, which are sited in the instrument
panel in front of both pilots. The information is displayed on approximately 16cm square colour
screens, and provides indications on the current:

Attitude (pitch and roll).

Flight Director commands.
Localiser and Glide slope deviations.
Airspeed deviations.

The ADI additionally displays:

Auto-flight annunciations, eg auto-throttle.

Ground speed.
Angle of attack.
Radio altitude.
Decision Height (DH).

The primary part of the ADI display is the aeroplanes attitude, which is supplied by the Inertial
Reference System (IRS), when it is aligned in the navigation, or attitude reference mode.
Attitude data is however unavailable during the pre-flight checks, and whenever the ATT flag
appears.
Individual generators contained within the symbol generators produce the individual displays via
a scanning process. The coloured background is produced by raster scanning, which is the

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method by which electron beams travel back and forth across the screen to form a solid image.
The sky shading is cyan (light blue) in colour, whilst the ground shading is brown, and all other
symbols/characters are produced by a digital stroking technique known as stroke scanning.
A typical display is shown below.

Flight Director (FD) commands are presented on the ADI by conventional command bars, or in
some systems by V-bars. A failure in either axis will cause the respective command bar to
disappear, but if both axes are unreliable, both bars will disappear, and a FD flag will appear.
The FD bars will also not be displayed until the IRS has been properly aligned. The auto-flight
modes are usually presented in the select mode in white, and in the acquisition mode in green.
Additionally, if the normal data sources for the ADI are not available, alternate data can be
accessed via an Instrument Source Selector Panel. The following data is also displayed on the
ADI:Radio Altitude. Above 2500 feet the radio altitude display will remain blank, but
between 2500 feet and 1000 feet, the radio altitude will be digitally displayed on the
ADI. A white analogue ring scale and digital readout will replace the sole digital display
when the aeroplane is below 1000 feet. This ring is calibrated in 100 feet segments,
and steadily disappears with reducing altitude.
Decision Height (DH). This is normally displayed digitally, but from 1000 feet to
touchdown the selected DH is displayed as a magenta (pink) triangle on the circular
radio altitude display. During the descent, when the aeroplane is 50 feet above the
selected DH, an aural alert chime will sound at an increasing rate until the DH is
reached. At this point the ring and scale will change from white to amber, and the DH
marker will change from magenta to amber. The ring, scale, and DH marker will also
flash for a couple of seconds. The flashing can be cancelled by pushing a reset button
on the mode control panel, which will cause the scale and marker to return to their
original colours.

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Localiser and Glide Slope Indication. The ADI localiser deviation pointer sense is
reversed whenever the aeroplane's track is greater than 90 from the ILS forward
course. This ensures that the ADI deviation pointer is usable on a back-course
approach, and it also retains the compatibility between the HSI and the ADI localiser
deviation directions at all times. ILS Deviation Monitoring will also alert the flight crew of
any ILS deviations during an auto-pilot or flight director approach, when flying below
500 feet AGL. With the APP (Approach) mode selected on the MCP, if the glide slope
deviation is greater than one dot per second, or the localiser deviation is greater than
one fifth of a dot per second, the respective localiser or glide slope scale will
automatically change colour, from white to amber, and the pointer will flash. This alert
condition will cease when the localiser and/or glide slope parameters return to within
their normal limits.
The Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)
The HSI is a cathode ray tube (CRT), which is usually fitted beneath the ADI, and presents
plan view orientation navigational information to the flight crew. It also presents a selectable,
dynamic colour display of the flight progress. The display modes include MAP, PLAN, ILS and
VOR. Heading data is forwarded to the HSIs by respective IRSs (CAPT HSI - L IRS, F/O HSI R IRS), whilst the centre IRS is available as an alternate source. A typical normal HSI display is
shown below.

The HSI compass rose is automatically referenced to magnetic north when operating between
73N and 60S latitudes, with the NORM/TRUE switch selected to NORM, and to true north
when operating outside these latitudes. The compass rose may be also be referenced to true
north by manually selecting the NORM/TRUE switch to TRUE, regardless of the latitude.
TRU will be displayed at the top of the HSI, and will be enclosed by a white box if the HSI is
referenced to true north. When the HSI is referenced to true north and the aeroplane descends

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2000 ft at more than 800 fpm the box will change from white to amber. The box will then
continue to flash for 10 seconds, and thereafter remains amber. The box will return to white if
the aeroplane climbs 2000 ft at more than 500 fpm. A green box will be displayed around the M
for 10 seconds when the HSI is returned to magnetic referencing.
In the MAP mode, shown above, the HSI presents the following information against a moving
map background:

Heading.
Routes.
Curved trend vector.
Range to altitude.
Wind.
Distance.
Estimated time of arrival.

The respective Flight Management Computer (FMC) supplies track information, whilst the
opposite FMC is available as an alternate source. If the information from the FMC is unreliable,
an IRS will automatically provide the necessary information. Selected navigation data points
are also programmed into the FMC, so it is important to be familiar with the colours and
Symbology used. Purely for reference a comprehensive listing is provided at the end of this
chapter, although these symbols may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The recommended display mode for most phases of flight is the MAP mode, as shown above.
Other available modes are as follows:PLAN mode. This display is presented, on the bottom 2/3 of the HSI against a static
map background, and shows the active route data oriented to true North.

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The top part of the HSI maintains a display of track and heading information as in the
MAP mode. Sequencing through the Flight Management Computer Control Display Unit
(FMC CDU) allows the active route to be viewed by the pilot.
VOR and ILS modes. When these modes, as shown below, are selected the HSI
presents expanded track scale and heading orientation. Wind information, and system
source annunciation is also provided with conventional VOR/ILS navigation information.
Conventional full compass rose VOR and ILS modes are also available.

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The HSI displays weather radar data in cyan, green, amber and red. Red depicts areas of:

Greatest return intensity, and thus the highest risk area for intense turbulence

Reductions in the return intensity are indicated by a change of colour from red to
amber, and then to green.

Cyan and amber are additionally used for message displays.

Weather radar data can only be displayed when the system is switched on and the
respective HSI is in the expanded VOR, expanded ILS or MAP mode.

Note.

When Weather radar (Wx) is displayed in the VOR or ILS mode, the scale shown
applies only to the Wx display, and not to the deviation display.

Like attitude, heading/track data is unavailable until the associated IRS has completed its
alignment and has entered the navigation mode. HDG (heading) flags do not appear in this
case. In addition to previously mentioned EFIS failure indications, other discrepancy
messages can be displayed on the HSI. For example WXR/MAP RANGE DISAGREE,
indicates both Flight Management Computers, and the Weather Radar range, disagree with
the current control panel range data.
EFIS/IRS Interface
A block schematic of a typical EFIS/IRS interface is shown below.

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Electronic Flight Instrument (EFI) switching determines the Centre Symbol Generator (C-SG)
inputs and outputs. If the left EFIS switch is selected to Alternate (ALTN), the left system
instrument sources will supply the C-SG. When the First Officer (F/O) EFI switch is in the ALTN
position, the right system instrument sources will supply the C-SG. If both flight crew select
ALTN with their respective EFI switches, the left system instrument sources will supply data to
the C-SG. The C-SG will always use the centre ILS and centre radio altimeter. Each ADI and
HSI Control Panel is connected to the symbol generator via the EFI switch. Additionally each
IRS switch will permit flight crew selection of the alternate data source for heading/track, attitude
and vertical reference data.
Heading Reference Switch
This switch is normally sited on the centre instrument panel and permits the selection of a
magnetic or true heading reference for each Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI), the Radio
Magnetic Indicator (RMI), the Flight Management Computer (FMC), the Auto-pilot Flight Director
System (AFDS) and the Flight Control Computer (FCC).

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The AFDS uses true heading only when the switch is in TRUE, but if TRUE is selected when the
AFDS is in the HDG SEL mode, it will automatically change to HDG HOLD. HDG SEL may
then be re-selected.
HSI Symbology
The following symbols can be displayed on each HSI/ ND depending on the switch selection on
the EFIS control panel. Symbols can be displayed with different colours but the general colour
presentations are as follows: GREEN (G).
WHITE (W).
MAGENTA (M) (pink).
CYAN (C) (blue)
RED (R)
AMBER (A) or YELLOW (Y).
BLACK (B)

engaged flight mode displays, dynamic conditions.

present status situation, scales, armed flight mode
displays.
command information, pointers, symbols, fly-to
condition.
non-active and background information.
WARNING.
cautionary information, faults, flags.
blank areas, off condition.

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