CRT or LCD on airbus?

[dartagnan]

what type of screens do you have in your Airbus?
I have eared the new Airbus 320 (319?)have now LCD screen from the A330.

better than conventional screen tube?
any info?

[IFixPlanes]

The LCD is part of the "enhanced" option of A320 Fam.

[MrBernoulli]

"I was not aware of that!" Learn something every day on these forums. I didn't know that the 'modern' Airbus used CRT.

".... they unfortunately have a residual "white glow" even when dimmed in a dark cockpit." Not a problem on the 777 screens - balancing the 'master' brightness control against the 'individual' screen control sorts it out.

[FlightDetent]

The LCD is part of the "enhanced" option of A320 Fam.


Is it really an option? I always thought that it was a part in the continious improvement programme. Those we have CRTs (built 2000) and the new ones have LCDs. - also better readable in direct sunlight.


fd.

[J.O.]

That is correct. All new Airbus aircraft have come equipped with LCD screens for over a year now, maybe longer. They can be retrofitted if your company wants to spend the money.

I like the LCD, the "glow" really isn't that noticeable once you use them for a while. What I like even better than the LCD screens are the new pushbuttons on the overhead panel with integrated LED lighting, rather than the old mini incandescent bulbs. They are much cooler to the touch and easier to action as well.

[twitters274]

Just a thought, I flew a 321 with the LCD screens yesterday. Normally used to the CRT screens. Any ideas on what happens with these screens with a DMC failure. On the CRT's you get the white diagonal line, but that is surly just down to the fact they are CRT. My only thought is that you might get a Input error like on a computer screen. Any ideas?

[FlightDetent]

I wouldn't think a diagonal line is a must for CRT. True, however, it is no longer used on LCDs. FCOM 3 differentiates as follows:

A)
CRT: blank, or distorted
LCD: blank with or without a large letter F displayed in amber, or distorted

B)
CRT: Diagonal line displayed
LCD: INVALID DISPLAY UNIT message, or
INVALID DATA message.

FD (the un-real)

taken from Display Unit Failure Abnormal Proc, non-ecam.

[kijangnim]

Greetings,
All LCD on Airbus are made by THALES AVIONICS, they have a definition of 1280/1024 pixels and use white glass stripes technology.
the retrofit could be a problem if your Bus is Old and would need to be done during a D check.
The LCD advantages are much lower current consumption (60 W) no screen burn, no radiation, much lighter (1/2 the weight) , bigger viewing area (!5% inc) and can overlay any video signal such as CCD camera :8

[Dani]

...and much cheaper on maintenance.

I have to disagree, it's not part of the Enhanced option. I know enhanced A320s with conventional screens. If you mean Enhanced with variable prop RAT, new bus logic aso. It's simply from newer MSN numbers, around 2004 or so?

btw it's not only the screen that is different but also a different layout. Some synoptic pages look slightly different, some writings are also different and some messages. All in all very nice to look at.

I heard from an Airbus guy that you can retrofit older busses, it's even for free, belongs to the care package, so you get the whole fleet on the same standard. Still most operators don't do it, for reason which were not really clear to my source.

Dani