Why Not Use PC To Make Glass Cockpit?

Standard disclaimer applies: I still have my copy of Flight Training
next to the porcelain throne. Ahem.

However, as I flip the pages of this magazine, I cannot help but think
that companies like Garmin are getting off a bit easy.

Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

A PC can be had for under $500 easily, the mother board for even less.
There are software programmable radios that can be made for under $100
that can tune into any frequency under 1GHz (in other words, if it's
there and not encrypted, you can get it). There are USB sensors of all
sorts (altitude, humidity, wind speed, etc.) And good software
engineers can write pretty much any piece of software that is required
so long as they receive guidance about what is supposed to do what,
with pictures of twirly things to on the display to keep the pilot from
getting bored.

So I am wondering, why isn't anyone doing this on a grander scale. Are
they?

-Chaud Lapin-

In article .com,
"Le Chaud Lapin" wrote:

And good software
engineers can write pretty much any piece of software that is required

well, for one thing, "pretty much" isn't quite up to the standard I'd
like to see for software that would be responsible for flight critical
information.


so long as they receive guidance about what is supposed to do what,

and there's the rub, the classic problem in software development.

--
Bob Noel
no one likes an educated mule

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:


So I am wondering, why isn't anyone doing this on a grander scale. Are
they?

-Chaud Lapin-

The "Blue Screen of Death" takes on a new meaning when your entire
instrument panel locks up and you have no backup.

Dave

Are you ready to bet your life on Windows XP and some $200 disk drives made
in China and designed to operate in an office?

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

Standard disclaimer applies: I still have my copy of Flight Training
next to the porcelain throne. Ahem.

However, as I flip the pages of this magazine, I cannot help but think
that companies like Garmin are getting off a bit easy.

Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

A PC can be had for under $500 easily, the mother board for even less.
There are software programmable radios that can be made for under $100
that can tune into any frequency under 1GHz (in other words, if it's
there and not encrypted, you can get it). There are USB sensors of all
sorts (altitude, humidity, wind speed, etc.) And good software
engineers can write pretty much any piece of software that is required
so long as they receive guidance about what is supposed to do what,
with pictures of twirly things to on the display to keep the pilot from
getting bored.

So I am wondering, why isn't anyone doing this on a grander scale. Are
they?

-Chaud Lapin-

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:
Standard disclaimer applies: I still have my copy of Flight Training
next to the porcelain throne. Ahem.

The Garmin (originally Apollo) MX-20 is a highly specialized PC.
It runs Windows NT 4.0. If you look carefully at the datacard
you'll find a stripped down verion of Windows there (and if you
look really carefully when it boots up you'll see the kernel
startup message appear (updside down at the bottom of the screen
in the current incarnation...older versions came right side up).

The MX20 has yet to blue screen or otherwise exhibit any software
related failure.

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

Standard disclaimer applies: I still have my copy of Flight Training
next to the porcelain throne. Ahem.

However, as I flip the pages of this magazine, I cannot help but think
that companies like Garmin are getting off a bit easy.

Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

A PC can be had for under $500 easily, the mother board for even less.
There are software programmable radios that can be made for under $100
that can tune into any frequency under 1GHz (in other words, if it's
there and not encrypted, you can get it). There are USB sensors of all
sorts (altitude, humidity, wind speed, etc.) And good software
engineers can write pretty much any piece of software that is required
so long as they receive guidance about what is supposed to do what,
with pictures of twirly things to on the display to keep the pilot from
getting bored.

So I am wondering, why isn't anyone doing this on a grander scale. Are
they?

-Chaud Lapin-

What do you believe is in the glass cockpit equipment? Yup. PCs.

Why would any company put out a pice of equipment for $500 when the
market will bear $10,000 ? They are not in business to do pilots a favor.

In article , wrote:
Are you ready to bet your life on Windows XP and some $200 disk drives made
in China and designed to operate in an office?

Not the original poster, but actually yes I am A good stable system
that you do not touch/play with should work/last without problems. And I
don't need to run winXP I could run linux (in fact given the costs and
licenses I would) which is rock solid stable.

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:
Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

Already been done.
10-15 years ago Burt Rutan had one of his aircraft (Catbird?) completely
controlled by an Apple laptop computer with custom coded software.

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 23:02:25 GMT, john smith wrote:

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:
Being a software developer, I am very suprised to discover that not
every aicraft costing over $30,000 has a full-featured glass cockpit.
Unless I am missing somethnig, it appears that everything that a pilot
needs can be made with very very cheap hardware.

Already been done.
10-15 years ago Burt Rutan had one of his aircraft (Catbird?) completely
controlled by an Apple laptop computer with custom coded software.

His asymetric twin, Boomerang used a laptop for much of the
instrumentation.

"'Vejita' S. Cousin" wrote:

In article , wrote:
Are you ready to bet your life on Windows XP and some $200 disk drives made
in China and designed to operate in an office?

Not the original poster, but actually yes I am A good stable system
that you do not touch/play with should work/last without problems. And I
don't need to run winXP I could run linux (in fact given the costs and
licenses I would) which is rock solid stable.

You still need sensors for attitude and heading. You also need sensors for
engine and fuel parameters, and so forth. Somehow, you need all those to
interface with your PC's flight instrument display (displays?).