Software updates
Headset review
Stay tech savvy… Ian Fraser says keep your tech up to spec with software updates…
B
oeing and the FAA say they have learned a valuable lesson from the 737 Max software (SW) saga, but is there a lesson there for us too? Most modern electronic devices in our aircraft are, in effect, computers and use software (a computer program) as a key part of their function. This approach offers manufacturers an easier and cost-effective way of designing their devices (avoiding the expensive process of redesigning electronics every time there is a minor change). They then have the ability to adjust or tweak the devices later through user (you and I) installed SW updates if something is not right or they want to add features. The downside is that while changes and fixes are easy, and thus tempting, comprehensive re-testing is still very
Above Typical download page as the new software package is loaded, here on Ian’s Avmap.
expensive and time consuming, however minor the change.
Software is everywhere
SW applications abound in our aircraft these days not just in the form of navigation devices in a tablet or smartphone, but also in permanently installed devices such as 8.33 radios, transponders, engine management systems, flight instrument systems, autopilots, electric trim systems, integrated glass cockpits, electrical switch systems and even intercoms. Many of them can now be updated by simply downloading a software file to your computer, then to a memory stick or card, and plugging that into your aircraft device. Others are a little more complex. The latest devices will even update themselves automatically if they can access a Wi-Fi hub such as your smartphone’s Wi-Fi hotspot.
38 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021
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21/04/2021 12:30
