Airbus FCU ARINC Inputs/Outputs

[MrHorgy]

All,

As a current Boeing pilot, who enjoys a busmans holiday (pun intended) I have recently acquired an A330 FCU with the intention of getting it to talk to my home PC.

This is no small task, and thus far (with the assistance of the AMM) I have managed to decode all the messages coming OUT of the FCU (selected alt, speed, etc) as well as all the various EIS controls from the respective sides.

What I have NO managed to do as yet is send ARINC labels IN to the FCU. I assume the signals from the FMGEC are what triggers the LOC/ALT/APPR pushbuttons to illuminate (they don't act as simple buttons) and to dash the SPD or HDG window, or change from SPD to MACH.

The AMM has only a limited list of ARINC labels defined (in ATA 22-86) and the tables only show FMGEC G GE-2 bus, and not the GE-1 bus I think the FCU is expecting and so I'm not sure what to send it.

Does anyone have any perverse desire to assist me in trying to get this working? Or perhaps knows someone at Thales or Airbus that might be interested in whether it can be done? I am pulling my hair out at the moment and as a simple button pusher, and not a spanner twister, it is slightly out of my comprehension!

[MrHorgy]

No takers? Some of the LCD window features are on Label 147 for the FGMEC's, however when I power the FCU they appear briefly and then revert to the stuff that is being held in the RAM? As if the info is being discarded? And I can't dash the displays, nor illuminate the LOC/ALT/APPR PBs.

If there is anyone out there who knows of this stuff there is considerable beer in it for your learned advice!

[mainwheel]

Can you access a wiring manual?;)

[MrHorgy]

mainwheel,

I can, and I have. I've also got the ASM and AMM - I think it's wired correctly but I have a feeling it's the ARINC labels I'm sending to it. If I could somehow get a list of the labels being sent on FMGEC GE-1 that it's expecting I'd be over the moon because then I could rule out if it's wiring or ARINC that's the problem!

Alas, the only way to get that (as they aren't in AMM) is from Thales directly, or some nice person who has an oscillascope and a spare FMGEC knocking around (not likely).

Here's hoping still

[mainwheel]

I'll have a look for you...will take some time though...
In perspective, and not being specific and unfortunately very general, I think you need other system components, mainly computers with long acronyms, to make it work.
There are also different ARINC cables.....

[MrHorgy]

mainwheel,

The problem is not so much the ARINC outputs from the FCU (I can decode that already) but the inputs to the unit. There are two ARINC inputs that I can see, one from each FMGEC. They both send labels on the FMGEC G GE-1 channel to their respective sides (Ref ASM 22-86-04). I need to make sure I am sending the correct labels to talk to the unit, as perhaps I am missing some!

Things like the discretes from AP/ATHR/FD engagement I think I have wired correctly. Obviously you are right, there is a fair amount of 'adaptations' as it's not connected to a real aircraft, but for example it's easy to ground the FCU HLTHY A/B/C and fool the unit into thinking everything is operating ok.

If you'd rather I send you a private message rather than going into great detail here let me know, whatever works best.

Thanks again!
Horgy