Avionics News March 2013 - 22

MATCHING TOOLS TO NEEDED FUNCTIONS
Continued from page 21

Beyond Document Readers: Tablets in
Cockpits... Tools for Many Tasks

Before we snapshot some of the many applications available for the most-popular functions – documents, charts,
plates, etc. – consider the array of portable operational options available for the cockpit.
Weather: The oldest of the options available for portable
devices, weather datalink receivers first came along more
than a decade ago – available both for cockpit displays and
for display on portable GPS navigators; today, more options
exist than ever.
Traffic: Once upon a time in general aviation’s production
heyday, collision-avoidance help came only in the form of
cockpit-mounted systems. In the past decade, a number of
portable devices have emerged – and ADS-B is adding yet
another option.
Avionics input device: Among the newest technologies
for the cockpit is a wireless interface system that lets tablets
communicate with installed equipment. For example, transferring directly into a GPS navigator of flight management
system a flight plan from the tablet device on which it was
authored… no re-keying or cable-connecting.
From smartphones to tablets to EFBs, the options range
far and wide. Let’s take a look.

Weather

XM Satellite Weather data remains popular as a long-time
option for thousands of pilots flying with compatible, panelmounted displays and with compatible, portable movingmap navigators.
Now you can own purpose-built portable GPS navigators
with the XM receiver integrated into the electronics – as well
as add-on receivers that work with the wide range of portable
devices and tablets.
If the hosting hardware also offers a GPS sensor, the same
tablet also may serve as a navigator – in some cases with
geo-synchronized moving-map charts and plates or with
weather graphics overlaid as needed.
As you’ll see later, another option is beginning to challenge the dominance of satellite-based weather.

Traffic

Zaon offers a range of portable traffic-detection sensors,
and at least one is capable of linking to a panel-mounted or
portable display, such as a portable GPS navigator’s moving
map, to display traffic bearing, distance and elevation.
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2013

Jeppesen arguably offers one of
the widest array of digital charting
solutions for cockpits and portables,
with and without paper, with and
without the company’s impressive
new flight-planning software.
These sensors – one for ADS-B Out and TIS-B signals, the
other for conventional Mode A/C transponders – may require
a cable or a Bluetooth connection to work effectively with the
display of your choice.
There’s another option for traffic, which we’ll address shortly.

Avionics Input Device

So far, this option is gaining rapid acceptance.
The Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal of the tablet runs proprietary software from Aspen Avionics to talk to a behind-thepanel-mounted box, which, in turn, communicates with GPS
navigators, VHF nav/comm and transponders – any equipment capable of speaking the digitized language of avionics
through a connection to the Aspen Connected Panel system.
So a flight plan written on a tablet using any number of
available programs can translate the flight-plan data into language understood by the FMS or GPS flight-plan software.

The ADS-B Option – After Initial Costs,
Freedom from Fees

Portable ADS-B has power to add free traffic and weather to
a tablet, EFB or, yes, a smartphone. Pilots increasingly realize
the savings in subscription costs can quickly counter the cost
of little, portable, battery-powered ADS-B In receivers – with
the safety enhancement of improved situational awareness the
icing on the cake.
ADS-B In can serve as the traffic and weather eyes for a
pilot. With no Federal Aviation Administration requirement for
ADS-B In, and no specific standard beyond a receiver technical standard order, portable units can carry the day at a cost
lower than installed equipment.
Weather-wise, an ADS-B In unit capable of receiving FIS-B
Continued on page 24

Avionics News March 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News March 2013