equipe simulation visualising your imagination achieving faa / jaa level d with current, low cost...

Equipe SimulationVisualising Your Imagination

Achieving FAA / JAA Level D with current, low cost digital projection

technology

Contact:[email protected]

mailto:sales%40equipe-simulation.com




Objectives

• To discuss the objectives of visual simulation• To explain the need for Raster Calligraphic replacement• To explain why this replacement is challenging• To provide a summary of the competing technologies


Visual Fidelity

• It ‘Feels’ inherently right that the higher the visual fidelity (resolution etc), the higher the pilot training value• Where do we draw the line in terms of cost / performance ?

• The FAA / JAA criteria provide the metric which must be adhered to• Exceeding these criteria is possible but expensive

• What is the Actual value of doing so ?


JAA / FAA Standards

• Specifically focus on the requirements for • Visual Characteristics – ACJ STD 1A.030 2.3…

• Touch upon the requirements for • Latency - ACJ STD 1A.030 2.1.r (2)


Visual Characteristics• Specific requirements

• Field of View: 1800 x 400 Collimated• Resolution: 2 Arc-minutes• Light point size: 5 Arc-minutes• Surface contrast: 5:1• Brightness: 6 foot-lamberts• Light point contrast: 10:1 (day)

25:1 (night)• Total light points: 6000 (day – 60Hz)

15000 (night – 40Hz)


Visual Characteristics

• In the vast majority of existing Level C / D simulators, these criteria are met by Raster / Calligraphic CRT projectors

• Operationally unique• High intensity ‘Calligraphic’ light points


Calligraphic Light PointsWhat’s the big deal ? – Highly intense light points !!

Scan is continuous, each pixel is illuminatedfor an equal amount of time (10 ns at 1280 – 1024)

Raster complete,before next scanlight points aredrawn.

Since only 2000 light points are drawn (at 60hz), each point may be focused on for an extended period

allowing for very high point intensity

1 frame (16ms at 60Hz)


Light Point Generation

Light point generation is problematic, due to fundamental

differences in the projection devices.

• Light points drawn calligraphically in CRT projection• Competing technology is ‘Raster’ only

This clearly results in the need to draw light points within the raster itself for non CRT based projectors.


Why Replace CRT’s ?

The desire to move away from Raster CalligraphicCRT projectors is largely cost driven

• High initial cost• CRT Tube lifespan• Require highly skilled maintenance• Require hundreds of hours PA on maintenance & alignment

But also..• Obsolescence concerns • Prone to expensive failure• Very heavy – potential logistical problems


What’s Required ?

In order to match CRT in terms of level D criteria, the projector must• Have a high resolution• Produce an ‘Artefact’ free image• Have uniform colour between projectors• Be able to produce light points within the raster

• Very high brightness• Very high contrast


About Resolution

• The Level D Criteria specify 2 Arc Minutes per pixel• Therefore 30 pixels per degree • For a 180 x 40 display, 3 channels are an ideal• 180 degrees ÷ 3 channels = 60 degrees per channel• 30 pixels x 60 = 1800 pixels wide• 30 pixels x 40 = 1200 pixels high

Therefore we can see that to achieve Level D in 3 projectors we need a resolution of at least 1800 x 1200


Alternative Technologies

Light Valve projectors• LCD - Liquid Crystal Display• LCoS - Liquid Crystal on Silicon• DLP - Digital Light Processor

Others…• Laser

• Emerging, developmental technology.


Laser

• Emerging technology• Potential for extremely high resolution• Potential for extremely high brightness and contrast• More efficient use of power• Very high cost• Prone to ‘Speckling’ and other artefacts• Unproven in the field


LCoS

Image is produced by passing light through an LCD substrate, andreflecting it from an underlying mirrorTypically utilise 3 LCoS panels to produce colour


LCoS

A relatively young technology• Reflective technology • Very High Resolution – up to native QXGA (2048 x 1536)• High Brightness• Potentially High Contrast – in high end units• No Frame Delay • Requires analogue control over LCD substrate• Complex • High Cost


DLP (single chip)

Image is produced by an array of ‘Micro Mirrors’, one for eachpixel. Colour is created via a rotating colour wheel


DLP

A highly mature technology• Reflective technology• High Resolution – up to native 1080p and beyond…..• High Brightness• High Contrast• Low Cost• Pure, digital technology• ‘Rainbow’ effect caused by colour wheel now countered• 1 frame delay (16ms at 60hz)


Latency ACJ STD 1A.030 2.1.r (2) specifies an over all latency of 150ms

Specifically the time between a Pilot control input and the Simulator responding – both visual and motion

Motion base must respond before the visual therefore somelatency is desirable !!

1 Frame delay introduced by DLP (16ms) is in no way problematic

In fact is equivalent to Raster Calligraphic projectors, since these ‘Scan’ 1 pixel at a time giving a 1 frame ‘delay’ between pilotInput and display of a Complete frame…


DLP vs. LCoS

LCoS offers • Very high resolution and potentially very high contrast

DLP offers• Very high resolution and high contrast

Both LCoS and DLP offer resolutions high enough to meet the Level D surface resolution requirement (2 arc minutes per pixel), and both offer contrast ratios that potentially enable the generation of compliant light points, directly within the raster.


Cost Benefits


With Civil airlines under increasing economic pressure, the underpinning goal should be to provide compliant systems at the lowest price point.

While both LCoS and DLP are able to meet the Level D criteria, DLP is a more mature technology that offers significant cost benefits

Level D with DLP


Equipe Simulation has successfully designed and installed a number of Collimated DLP systems, both military and civil, compliant with both JAA and FAA Level D criteria.

In these systems the use of DLP has enabled a cost reduction of up to 50% compared to competing technologies.

Equipe TXGA Patent Pending


TXGA is a new resolution specifically designed to meet Level D requirements !!

• Based on Proven DLP technology• Low Cost• Stable colour• Very high brightness• Very high contrast

• 1920 x 1400 resolution

Enables JAA / FAA Level D for fixed and rotary wing aircraft within a very low channel count

TM


Thank You

equipe simulation visualising your imagination achieving faa / jaa level d with current, low cost...

Documents

imagination slide

hz equipe simulation

scan light points

intense light points

night total light points

arcminutes light

high point intensity

high resolution