Multimode AADBY

AAD nv/sa - 193, Bld. A.Reyers - 1030 Brussels – BELGIUM

Tel: +32 (0)2 732 65 52 – Fax: +32 (0)2 736 06 27info@vigil.aero – www.vigil.aero

Vigil USA LLC – 1645, Lexington Avenue – Deland, FL – 32724 – USA

Tel : +(1)386 736 8464 – Fax : +(1)386 736 8468usa@vigil.aero – www.vigil.aero

nv/saAdvanced Aerospace Designs

EquipmentB y B r u n o P a s s e

n°214 - March 2005

From the beginning, AAD makers have tried tohumanize their product by choosing appropriateslogans. This started with clever phrases like: “Hereis your third hand” for the FXC 12000 and it becamea trend to get rid of the leading “the” in front of aproper name as in “Cypres”, opposed to “theCypres”. More recently we’ve seen the arrival ofVigil, “your guardian angel”.The AAD movement has been praiseworthy:entrusting your life to a machine. Even withtoday’s electronic AADs, this is not an easy taskpsychologically. This is certainly whymanufacturers have tried to humanize theirequipment. With that in mind, let’s begin thispresentation of Vigil…“The Vigil had a painful birth followed by a

difficult childhood, subjected to strict banswhich slowed down its development. Due toa diagnostic error by its personal Doctor, ithad to miss the exam of the 2003 Mondialwhere it could have been launched.Supported through these difficult momentsby its godfathers from the 4-way FS team“Equipe de France”, today it seems tohave reached the age of reason.” Here then is an imaginative, step-by-step biography of the Vigil, asreported in previous issues ofParaMag, starting with its firstappearance in, June 2003.The obligation to take over themarketing service that had beensubcontracted for the first months ofsales, the unexpected misfiring of aprototype (not yet commercialized)on a test jump of the French team(which was also a training jump),the ban for a short period of timeby the French Federation, printedcircuits that had to be modifiedin order to eliminate a staticelectricity problem and the freerecall of all devices in the field,then the Swedish and Germanfederations forbidding the useof the Vigil: these are some ofthe numerous obstacles thathad to be surmounted beforeeven hoping a real start ofthe project.

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"YourGuardian Angel"

"YourGuardian Angel"

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On the market since September 2003,Vigil is progressively integrating itselfinto the international skydiving web.Since its elaboration began in 2001 inpartnership with the French 4-way FSteam, attentive observers have knownabout the Vigil’s existence for severalyears already. As well, the flashy Vigillogos sewn on the French 4-way teamjumpsuits at the 2003 Mondial gotnoticed. More and more renownedskydivers are now gaining confidence in

Vigil and are accumulating a lot ofjumps using the device: members of theDeland Majik team (4-way FS worldchampions in 2004), French 8-way FS, 4-way FS and 4-way FS female teams,Belgian military team (world militarychampions), Willy Boeykens, thephotographer. As of the beginning ofthis year 2005, Vigil makers havesuccessfully passed further mandatorytesting during professional meetingssuch as the symposium of the Parachute

Industry Association (P.I.A.) and theFrench Technical Directors colloquium ofthe “Fédération Française deParachutisme” (F.F.P.) (see article in theMarch 2005 issue of ParaMag). Onevery occasion Jo Smolders, (head ofB&B Controls, the Belgian makers of theVigil) answered without hesitation thesharp questioning of the well-informedprofessionals who were utterly satisfiedby the answers. We are happy to sharethese clarifications with you.

Vigil is made by B&B Controls S.A. and marketed byA.A.D. S.A. (Advanced Aerospace Designs), a well cho-sen name since it shares its initials with “AutomaticActivation Device”. The two companies are headquarte-red in Brussels while the electronic components areassembled, calibrated and tested in a factory located at afew 30 minutes drive from the Belgian capital. A.A.D. is asubsidiary of B&B Controls group specialized since1970 in research, development and production of sub-assembly of automatic systems such as the electronicmotion controls of electromagnetic devices (solenoids,clutches,...). B&B Controls’ first contact with skydivingwas made in 1996 when they were asked to bid on thedevelopment and manufacture of the E.P.O.S. controller.The project, dealing with an activation device based onacceleration, never came through. Following this firstexperience, B&B Controls kept their eye on the AAD mar-ket and started to study the possibility of designing andpatenting a new concept based on the continuous calcu-lation of the remaining free fall time: the Vigil project wasborn.

The manufacturerThe manufacturer

The Vigil has 3 modes: PRO, STUDENT or TANDEM,selectable by the user during the start-up procedure.

In “PRO” mode, the Vigil fires at 840 ft or 256 m if thefall speed rate is equal to or higher than 115 ft/sec or 35 m/sec.

In “STUDENT” mode, the Vigil fires at 1040 ft or 317 mif the fall speed rate is equal to or higher than 66 ft/secor 20 m/sec.

In “TANDEM” mode, the Vigil fires at 2040 ft or 622 m ifthe fall speed rate is equal to or higher than 115 ft/secor 35 m/sec.

As soon as the predetermined altitude and speed forthe selected mode is reached, the Vigil fires instantly.The device is guaranteed for one year against all manu-facturer defects, its lifetime is not limited but estimatedto 20 years starting from the date of manufacturing.Moreover, the manufacturer doesn’t require mandatorymaintenance. The suggested sales price is 899 eurosor US $1199.

The deviceThe device

Vigil custombuild pressureand testchamber.

Main Electronic andpower pack

Pyrotechnicalcutter

Display and control unit

Article published in ParaMag n°214 March 2005.WWW.PARA-MAG.COM

Translated from French text by Jean Charland and André Lemaire

The functional principle is protected by two patents: a European one (filed in September 1999) and an American one (filedin September 2000). It is based on a permanent calculation of the remaining time before reaching the activation altitude. The device continuously calculates the remaining time at the rate of 64 measurements per second. It uses an average speed so thatpeaks caused by fast and brief position changes in free fall will have little or no effect on calculations.Thanks to the patented “time calculation” method, the Vigil has a never reached opening accuracy of ±20 m or ±66 ft in allmodes.

Graph A shows the completion of a normal jump whereVigil is in the “PRO” mode. It corresponds to what theuser can see after downloading the data to his computer.The recording starts 7 seconds before reaching the verti-cal speed of 35 m/sec or 115 ft/sec and stops 12 secondsafter the freefall ends.The red dot indicates when the speed of 35 m/sec or 115ft/sec is exceeded in freefall.The green curve shows the altitude decrease with respect to time.The red curve shows the average fall speed calculated bythe Vigil.The yellow dot indicates when freefall ends.The real time functionality of the remaining time calcula-tion concept is outlined by A.A.D. engineers who havesuperimposed the 2curves on the corres-ponding jump video.This animated demo isavailable on the manu-facturer’s web site:www.vigil.aero, underDOWNLOADS, selectvideo item “GapNico”.

Equipment

The conceptThe concept

Graphs B et C show anactual save by a Vigil in“PRO” mode onSeptember 11, 2004 atMoorsele in Belgium. Thiscorresponds to whatA.A.D.’s technical staffrecovers and uses as datain such a case. In this par-ticular instance, a latecutaway generated asecond graph because ofthe second acceleration.Graph B shows the mainpart of the jump and dis-plays an almost normalcurve: opening at 700 m or2300 ft and then decelera-tion. After a malfunctionfollowed, by a late cutawaythe Vigil triggered the cut-ter. The secondacceleration shows up asthe curve shown on graphC where the speedincrease is well seen (as ifit were another jump) follo-wed by the activation. The

recording starts at 425 mor 1394 ft at a verticalspeed of 65 km/hr or 40mph. The cutaway is madeat 290 m or 951 ft and onesecond later, when the 35m/s or 115 ft/sec speed isreached, the Vigil cuttersevers the reserve closingloop at 212 m or 696 ft fromthe ground.The red dot shows whenthe speed of 35 m/sec or115 ft/sec is reached.The blue curve shows theheight change with respectto time.The red curve indicates thecalculated speed used bythe Vigil.The green curve is the ave-rage speed calculated bythe Vigil.The blue dot shows thecutter firing.The yellow dot indicateswhen freefall ends.

Graph A

Graph B

Graph C

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Main UnitVigil is composed of a strong metallicmain unit box in which you will find thepower pack as the electronic unit. The2 Kevlar “ reinforced flexible cablesare the links between the main unit,the control display unit and the pyro-technical cutter, using a two-wiretechnology (specially designed forVigil). You can handle these reinforcedcables without worrying disconnec-tions.The manufacturer makes it clear thatthe shielding guarantees the properfunctioning even when exposed toelectromagnetic interferences fromairport and airplanes (up to 100 volt/m)to protect the Vigil against electroma-gnetic waves produced by radio,cellular phones, transponders orradars.The main unit is equipped with two fil-ters that safeguard against dust whileallowing the transfer of air pressurefrom outside. A single screw allowsaccess into the main unit in order toreplace the power pack or the pyro-technical cutter, but it isrecommended to let a rigger or an offi-cial manufacturer representative do

The electronic unitIts electronic components benefit from automated assembly and are using S.M.D. (Surface Mounted Devices) technology. Combinedwith optical and electronic quality control, they meet the highest industrial standards and military specifications. The unit works asa data recording device as well. It automatically keeps in its memory the reference parameters of Vigil (version, serial number …)temperature, barometric pressure as the last 16 minutes of freefall data (max. 16 jumps). The unit also shows the total number ofjumps made with the Vigil, total freefall time, last freefall maximum speed as the number of firings. Most of this data can be seen onthe digital LCD display and the memory can be downloaded on a computer via an infrared interface.

Power Pack

The power pack is equipped with a “LithiumBattery” and a “Pulses Plus” componentwhich ensures there is enough capacitanceavailable to fire the pyrotechnical cutter ins-tantaneously. The battery, speciallydesigned for Vigil by Sonnenschein-Tadiran,is molded in epoxy to avoid any leakage. Itis guaranteed to have no memory effect andhas a lifetime (estimated at 4 years or 700jumps). The battery only needs replacingwhen the digital display indicates: “BAT-LOW” or “BATRPL”. The power pack’sworking range allows for temperature bet-ween –25 and +70 degrees Celsius or –13and +158 degrees Fahrenheit.

ComponentsComponents

Optical and electronic control during production

Pyrotechnical cutter unitSpecially designed for the Vigil, the pyrotechnical cutter has a functional warranty of 20 years. It is made in the U.S.A. by a companyworking for NASA according to a patent held since 1965 for Apollo Capsules parachute recovery. The cutter is composed of a cir-cular blade which ensures a double mechanical cut of the closing loop. In case of a life-saving activation, a new cutter will beprovided free of charge by the manufacturer upon acceptance of a user-submitted official report based on the document availablefor downloading on the Vigil web site www.vigil.aero. It is recommended to have the cutter replaced by a certified rigger, this proce-dure being mandatory in some countries.

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Control Unit & display consoleI.R. download consoleThe control unit includes a LCD screen (26 x 96 pixels), ared LED pacing the switch on/off procedures, a green LEDwhich confirms the end of the startup process and anorange push button located on the right hand side of thedisplay window. The red LED also doubles as an infraredtransmitter when plugged into the I.R. communicationinterface.

CommunicationInterfaceThe Vigil’s infrared communication portallows data download to a computer. Theinterface and associated software are

available as an option. The completedata of the last 16 minutes of

freefall (16 jumps maximum)and the total number ofjumps made with the Vigilare memorized along withother data described elsew-here in this article. Riggerscan also download test

reports made in pressurechamber.

Control unit/display console assembly with its “2 wires technology” connectioncable. The Kelvlar“ reinforcement feature can be seen as well

Equipment

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The Vigil will switch on by 4 short pushes on the push but-ton located on the right hand side of the display console.Each push needs to be done shortly after the red LEDflashes. The shutdown procedure of the Vigil is similar to the star-tup procedure: 4 short pushes on the push button eachtime the red LED flashes. Those safety procedures elimi-nate the risk of unexpected startup/shutdown. The Vigilcannot be switched on or off by an accidental pressure onthe push button. Each time the device is turned on it cali-brates itself according to the present altitude.During the startup sequence, the Vigil validates the correctoperation of all its components. It verifies and displays thecorrect operation of the power pack, the cutter unit andelectronic circuits as follows: “Bat OK”, “Cut OK” and “CtrlOK”. If an anomaly is detected an error message will bedisplayed and the device will switch itself off automatically.As soon as the Vigil is correctly operating, it switches tostandby status and calibrates itself automatically every 32seconds.Upon reaching activation altitude in a climbing airplane(150 ft or 46 m), the Vigil will switch to the active statewithin 32 seconds. It will then calculate its position 64times per second and confirms its activation with 3 flashesof the green LED.The Vigil stays on for 14 hours, or it can be switched offmanually during that period of time.

Startup and shutdown proceduresStartup and shutdown procedures

Additional features and goodies• The Vigil is shipped in a small aluminum case which, after the installa-tion of the device in the parachute pack becomes very handy to carrysmall skydiving accessories such as goggles, altimeter, audible altimeter,camera etc…• Very clever also are the user-selectable measurement units, the up ordown orientation on the LCD display, along with adjustable contrast.

Restrictions• Whatever mode is selected, the airplane must not fly longer than 100 seconds in a range of 150 ft (46 m) above or belowthe take off altitude (with or without altitude correction). Should this happen, the Vigil would return to its standby state.• The Vigil multimode is not waterproof.

Altitude correction• The altitude correction function allows the user to enter a positive difference (max +2000 m or + 6000 ft) or a negative dif-ference (max – 2000 m or – 6000 ft) between the take off altitude and the expected landing site altitude. Vigil takes thatcorrection in account in order to recalculate the activation altitude.

Installation and compatibility• The Vigil is compatible with international market standards such as Relative Workshop, Sun Path, Parachutes de France,Performance Variable, Parafun. • A special Vigil pocket is provided which can be installed in the reserve container by a rigger or the manufacturer.• The reserve closing loops available on the market (Spectra type) are usable but tests have shown the cutter is able to cutthrough any type of loops. The pyrotechnical cutter of Vigil has to be installed in accordance to the specifications of thecontainer/ harness manufacturer.

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Equipment

Disturbing questions,Reassuring answers…

Disturbing questions,Reassuring answers…

As the previous title suggests,A.A.D. representatives have

had to answer questions frominstructors and riggers when

attending professional meetings(P.I A. Symposium, Colloque

des D.T. (Colloquium ofTechnical Directors) in France,

A.G.M. day in England). Weare making available to you a

selection among the most inter-esting exchanges rewritten in

interview form.

ParaMag : As soon as it sho-wed up on the market, theVigil was hit by 3 bans: one inFrance in June 2003 (lifted afew weeks after), one inGermany in October 2004 (lif-ted few days after) and one inSweden. How do you explainthat?A.A.D. : Vigil is a new product;it’s therefore logical thatconcerned people raise ques-tions… We have always tried toanswer these questions byexplaining the functioningcharacteristics of our deviceand then generally the misun-derstanding dissipates and thebans are removed

It seems anyway that some banswere due to unexpected firings…In France, there has been afiring on a prototype used by amember of the French team inJune 2003. It was related toexperimental software (not inpublic distribution and evenbefore sales standards) that ourengineers had configured withmodified parameters which evi-dently proved to beinappropriate. This was part oftesting, which we then correc-ted and explained to Federationwho immediately lifted the ban.A few months later we expe-rienced firings on the groundduring packing in an environ-ment loaded with staticelectricity. I want to point outthat before Vigil was marketedin September 2003, more than5000 test jumps were made overa five year period, the projecthaving started in1998.Regarding the static electricityissue: we designed our firstdevices with a protection of 12Kvolts which had seemed to besufficient. However it wasdemonstrated that some pac-king environments or the use of

a static line can generate staticcharges over 17 Kvolts therebytriggering unexpected cutterfirings. Even though that riskwas only present on the ground,after March 2004, we have rai-sed that protection to 25 Kvoltsand we have upgraded andreplaced, free of charge, everyunit in the field.

Is it reasonable not to imposea lifetime limit neither a per-iodic maintenance for such anelectronic device?Compare this to the car indus-try: manufacturers do notimpose a lifetime limit or perio-dic maintenance for airbags.Only when required, as indica-ted by a red warning light youneed to consult for mainte-nance. Nowadays this is anaccepted, normal practice, com-mon in the electronic world:the devices are able to self-dia-gnose and can warn the userwhen they require a mainte-nance or intervention. Thismeans that the Vigil’s functionsare controlled every time it isswitched on. On the other hand, a programof mandatory maintenancedoes not protect you from abreakdown which can happenat any time.

Some system failures havebeen observed when the baro-metric pressure is above 1035millibars or 30.56 inches ofmercury…

This happened once in 2004 atTexel Island, Holland and oncemore in Ampuriabrava inSpain. Indeed at the beginningwe had set up the lower usagelimit to sea level or for a maxi-mum atmospheric pressure of1034 millibars or 30.53 inchesof mercury, assuming no jumpswould be made below thatlevel. This was a mistake firstlybecause some jumps can beperformed below sea level (forexample: the Dead Sea inIsrael lies at minus 398 m or1306 ft). Secondly, when theambient barometric pressure isvery high and over 1035 milli-bars or 30.56 inches ofmercury at sea level (which isextremely rare), the Vigilconsiders that pressure asbeyond the acceptable level andwill switch itself into “invalid”status. To overcome that problem, onecan proceed to an altitude cor-rection of 50 m (164 ft) toallow the Vigil to become servi-ceable again. In the PRO mode, that meansit will fire at 306 m or1004 ftinstead of 256 m or 840 ft. Onevery device made afterOctober 2004 we have modifiedthe software in order to allow amaximum pressure of 1090millibars or 32.19 inches ofmercury. Devices made beforeOctober 2004 can be updatedfree of charge in our factory ifthe owner so chooses, but this

is optional.

Is it true that the pocket of acompetitor is not compatiblewith the Vigil? That specificpocket can currently be foundin most reserve containers.We have our own pocket whichcan be installed by the manu-facturers on new rigs or byriggers on used equipment. Wewant to make it clear that ourpocket is similar to the existingones. Additionally, we can cer-tify that the Vigil is compatiblewith existing rigs and theirAAD configuration, whatevertheir brand

Since the Vigil is not water-proof do we have to worryabout mould or moisture rela-ted problems? Especiallywhen used in very humid cli-mates for instance…Absolutely not, all electroniccomponents are protected bya”tropicalization” processusing a special varnish

”Three modes in one” is pre-sented as being very useful forparachute fleet managementor when used equipment isresold. But that could alsorepresent a danger if the userchooses the wrong mode orinvert it unwillingly…On the Vigil, the mode is dis-played continuously when thedevice is operational; this is thesame as the color code featuredon some devices… And unfortu-nately it has not avoided somemistakes in the past as in thecase of the Pilatus crash inGermany in 2000 when an ins-tructor had possibly used astudent AAD without noticing it.Ask the skydiving schools aboutusing multimode and you willsee what they think about it:schools such as: Texel Holland(120 Vigil units), Pack Plus atGap France (130 Vigil units),Belgian army (75 Vigil units).In January 2006 we count morethan 5000 devices in servicearound the world and remain atthe skydiver’s service. We areconvinced that today and in thefuture that the Vigil will be theanswer to the demands of theskydiving industry, as it’s doingwhat it does best: being reliableand saving lives!

In front of the Vigil’s electronic components assembly factory, located atabout 30 miles from Brussels, part of the A.A.D. team accompanied byWilly Boeykens, a renowned skydiver sponsored by the manufacturer.

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