Originally Posted by
Mahatma Kote
The identifying code has to be changeable. Every time there is a maintenance swap-out of equipment the code has to be reprogrammed in the new equipment.
The only question is whether it requires physical access to the relevant PCB or whether it can be done using independent maintenance systems or using pilot interfaces operating in maintenance mode.
It is a changeable item, generally accessed through maintenance terminals (there are several PMAT ports, three of which are only accessible on the ground) or the primary MAT located in the cockpit, however access to specialized software (GBST) is required in order to create encoded data disks for upload. In addition, while some LRU's can be manually put into 'ground' mode, the central areas of the AIMS system require the air/ground logic to be in ground mode.
I suppose a Macgyver type or perhaps 007's Q could find a way to program the info into the relevant card memories, but this is now getting into the realm of fiction, particularly if we consider a de-rack/reprogram process would require the shutdown of the AIMS - not something one should or could do while airborne.