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OVERVIEW
Rockwell Collins has developed a family of products to reduce the workload
associated with pre-mission flight planning, post-mission debriefings data
dissemination and maintenance actions. The core of this family is a series of reliable, solid state data transfer
devices that interface with PC based mission planning systems and the aircraft
system. These products enable the aircrew to capture their pre-mission planning
and transfer this work directly to the aircraft system without time consuming
and error prone manual entry of this data. This capability can be added to
almost any aircraft system. The Mission Planning Ground Station (MPGS) provides a method for creating
mission files used by the Collins FMS-800 Flight Management System (FMS).
It allows the user to load navigational databases, user-defined waypoint databases,
and flight plans onto a Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association
(PCMCIA), which is then loaded into the Mission Data Loader (DR-200) on the
aircraft. MPGS can also be used to capture data that is created or modified
in flight. The Mission Planning & Data Transfer Systems products are available
on General Services Administration (GSA) Contract No. GS-35F-5926H to all
U.S. Federal Agencies.
DESCRIPTION
Mission Planning Ground Station
MPGS is a flight planning software that supports the FMS-800. Designed
for Windows, MPGS reads source data and constructs data tables. MPGS was first
conceived as a tool for FMS-800 engineering test and development. The MPGS
software package was released to relieve FMS-800 operators who previously
loaded flight data manually via the CDU. The broadened scope of the current
MPGS package offers FMS-800 users a better way to utilize the flight management
system. Depending upon the specific FMS-800 configuration, the MPGS allows:
Pre-flight loading: GPS Almanac Magnetic Variation Markpoint Lists Databased Refuel Patterns User-Defined Waypoint Lists Take Off and Landing Data (TOLD) Operational Load Monitoring/Individual Aircraft Tracking (OLM/IAT) Primary Identifier Database (DAFIF or Jeppesen™ conversions) Flight Plans Communication Presets (VHF/UHF, FMT, MWOD, VOR/ILS, HF, etc.) Post-flight download: System Fault history data GPS Almanac Markpoint Lists User-Defined Waypoint Lists Take Off and Landing Data (TOLD) Operational Load Monitoring/Individual Aircraft Tracking (OLM/IAT) Communication Presets (VHF/UHF, FMT, MWOD, VOR/ILS, HF, etc.)
MPGS Functionality
The MPGS provides a means of generating and storing data that is used
to enhance mission effectiveness by allowing preparation of mission data remotely,
loading data for each flight and by enabling crew members to exchange mission
data with other crews via the data cartridges.
MPGS functionality is implemented using Windows XP. Detailed operation
of the MPGS is described using on-line help capabilities. The MPGS design
ensures that additional capability can be easily added. The primary purpose of the MPGS is to generate mission data for data
cartridges that cannot be generated on the aircraft. This includes data from
external sources such as navigation data bases, Jetplan™ data and magnetic
variation databases. Pre-loaded PCMCIA cartridges containing Jeppesen™
data tailored to the specific needs of the MPGS are available as a subscription
service. The types of data that are generated and/or maintained by the MPGS
include: Cartridge Table of Contents and Status Primary Database (DAFIF, ARINC 424) Reversionary Database (200 primary or user defined waypoints) SIDS, STARS, GPS and Visual Approaches Magnetic Variation Tables Flight Plans (Includes time, fuel and gross weight computations) Patterns (Circle, Figure 8, Racetrack, CARP, HARP, SAR) Waypoint List Points (user defined) Markpoint List Points Comm Data (HF, VHF, UHF, ARC-210, FMTs, MWODS, ALE, OAMA) Nav Data (VOR/ILS) GPS Almanac Data CDU/BSIU Operational Flight Program (OFP) Load JETPLAN™ Interface Mission Data Recorder Data Cartridge Zeroizing The various external interfaces of the MPGS allow the use of CD ROM,
Modem, or floppy disks to provide source data from commercial sources, OFP
data and others. Data generated by the MPGS can be printed to provide hard copies for
review or crew use in flight.
TYPICAL SYSTEM
MPGS HardwareThe minimum required hardware: The MPGS software may work on PC's that do not meet the above requirements;
however, all the MPGS functions may not be available or work correctly. Required Operating Systems:
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