Handheld Devices Development Program Final Report

University of Alaska Anchorage Aviation Technology Division

May 11^th^, 2006

Handheld Devices Development Program Final Report

Grant Number 01-G-017

University of Alaska, Anchorage

Aviation Technology Division

May 11, 2006

Table of Contents

**Part I: Executive Summary** [3](#part-i-executive-summary)

The team [3](#the-team)

Purpose [3](#purpose)

Background [3](#background)

Evaluation [4](#evaluation)

Conclusion [4](#conclusion)

**Part II: Hardware** [5](#part-ii-hardware)

PDA [5](#pda)

Tablet PC [6](#tablet-pc)

Data conversion [6](#data-conversion)

**Part III: Human factors** [8](#part-iii-human-factors)

Turbulence [8](#turbulence)

Placement of devices [8](#placement-of-devices)

Head down time [8](#head-down-time)

**Part IV: UAT Interface wiring diagrams**
[9](#part-iv-uat-interface-wiring-diagrams)

RS422/RS232 [9](#rs422rs232)

USB [10](#usb)

UAT Interface wiring diagrams [11](#uat-interface-wiring-diagrams)

Bluetooth [11](#bluetooth)

**Part V: Recommendations** [12](#part-v-recommendations)

PDA [12](#pda-1)

Tablet PC [12](#tablet-pc-1)

Interface [13](#interface)

**Part VI: Cost** [13](#part-vi-cost)

MFD [13](#mfd)

PDA [13](#pda-2)

Tablet PC [13](#tablet-pc-2)

Data converters [13](#data-converters)

Software [13](#software)

**Part VII: Specifications** [14](#part-vii-specifications)

MFD [14](#mfd-1)

PDA [14](#pda-3)

Tablet PC [14](#tablet-pc-3)

**Part VIII: Acronyms** [15](#part-viii-acronyms)

**Handheld Devices Development Program Report Final**

**University of Alaska Anchorage**

# **Part I: Executive Summary**

## **The team**

The team was formed with a grant from the Capstone Program Office with
the direction of Leonard Kirk, who is the Principal Investigator.
Michael Workman was appointed lead researcher and Marcus Holmquist
assistant researcher for the task. A diverse group of people from the
aviation industry were consulted or aided in project tasks.

## **Purpose** 

In support of the Federal Aviation Administration, Alaska Region
Capstone Program, the University of Alaska Anchorage Aviation Technology
Division Research Office has developed the test and evaluation plan for
the purpose of using ADS-B portable technology. The goal was to conduct
research and review of existing and developing technologies that may be
adapted to general aviation use for acquisition of terrain, traffic and
weather information from the ADS-B/UAT system.

## **Background** 

In coordination with the on going Capstone safety initiative, the
University of Alaska Anchorage Aviation Technology Division has been
issued a grant, number 01-G-017 from the FAA Capstone Program Office to
conduct research and review the existing and developing technologies
that may be adapted to the general aviation community. This review
entails an analysis of portable and or handheld technology which can
interface with the ADS-B/UAT system in order to present terrain, traffic
and weather information in the cockpit of general aviation aircraft. The
goal is to demonstrate a system design that will allow a low cost
handheld device to be coupled to an ADS-B system in a manner that will
allow the maximum amount of information to be displayed in the cockpit.
The UAA Aviation Technology Capstone research team has acquired several
handheld devices and data converters for the interface to the ADS-B/UAT
Garmin GDL-90. Handheld GPS navigation software vendors were encouraged
to participate in the display of ADS-B, TIS-B, FIS-B and weather using
their software.

## **Evaluation** 

Be advised this is a non-scientific study. Much of the initial research
was conducted via the internet using various means of research such as
newsgroups, hardware reviews and equipment manufacture's websites.
Several different models of handheld technology were purchased and
reviewed as were the adapters for data conversion. UAA has undertaken
acquisition of navigational software from various vendors, tablet PC's,
personal data assistants (PDA's), Garmin 296 moving map for reference as
well as off the shelf components. The team has integrated an interface
in a Cessna 208B flight simulator to conduct initial evaluation of the
handheld devices for usability in the cockpit. The handheld units were
also evaluated for sunlight readability, weight, size and ease of use in
a cockpit environment. Data interface from the Garmin GDL90 UAT was
tested to demonstrate the feasibility of using various means of
connectivity to the handheld devices i.e. Universal Serial Bus (USB),
RS232 and Bluetooth.

Handheld units were demonstrated to the general aviation piloting
community at trade shows and conferences for their input on the
practicality of use in differing aircraft.

Navigation software from [PCAvionics.com]{.underline} named
MountainScope was used on all tested devices since it was the only
software available that decoded all the data from the Garmin GDL90 UAT.

##  

## **Conclusion** 

The RS422 data interface from the Garmin GDL90 UAT to a handheld device
proved successful. The UAT was programmed to be in 'Pass through' mode
for transmitting the data. UAA demonstrated that data transfer via
RS232, USB and Bluetooth are possible. This allowed all handheld devices
to receive information from the UAT. The data from the UAT is a one-way
transmission to the handheld, thus allowing the use of either a RS422 or
RS232 adapter for conversion to USB. RS232 was derived from using a
portion of the differential output of the RS422 bus and providing a
ground as reference to the unit or adapter. The main focus in the study
was on RS232 and USB because the vast majority of the handhelds use
these data formats for communication. The final data communication
studied was Bluetooth. With Bluetooth aircraft power is required, so a
means of providing power will need to be incorporated by the installer.
Wireless Bluetooth worked marvelously; however, it requires a good
working knowledge of how to setup communication ports and pairing for
security so other computers can't use the connection.

Sunlight readability was a main factor in determining which of the
devices were suitable for use in the cockpit environment. Most of the
units failed to maintain readability in direct sunlight and were
expunged from further evaluation. A majority of the PDA's passed mainly
due to the transflective type screen. The rest of the passing handhelds
are expensive, however they are just as powerful as most high-end
computers and could be used for many other purposes, helping justify the
expense of acquiring the equipment.

When running on batteries, there always seems to be a concern of how
much power is available. To help alleviate this concern it's advised to
have some form of auxiliary aircraft power connection. Also, all power
management and screen saver functions need to be turned off for maximum
performance which will result in a higher degree of power consumption.

Any device containing a hard drive for storage should be operated less
than 10,000 feet as not to exceed manufacturer specification. A majority
of PDA's use solid state memory without any altitude limitations.

Due to FAA certification issues handhelds are not a permanent part of
the aircraft and must be installed in a manner to be readily removed.
UAA used a yoke style clamp with an articulating arm, but other means
may be available. Careful installation of the wiring and secure mounting
of the display is critical to maintain full movement of flight controls
and avoiding being tangled in the wiring.

Flight testing with the UAT and various handheld technology is not
complete due to restrictions of **not** having an approved interface
connection for the Garmin GDL90 UAT. UAA improvised using a remote
Bluetooth GPS and a handheld for flight testing and a stationary UAT in
the testing laboratory for communication testing. The Capstone Office is
currently working with Garmin for an interface connection that will use
a RS232 connection. Consequently the wiring shown in Part IV is for
educational use only and may change as the product development
continues.

# **Part II: Hardware**

## **PDA** 

The Personal Digital Assistant is the smallest and most economical of
the handheld devices tested. Display sizes range from three to four
inches; this is a favorite of small and ultra light aircraft pilots.

Most of the PDA's utilize a transflective type display technology
helping with visibility in sunlight. Several cockpit mounting options
are available including cradles with communications via RS232 or
wireless Bluetooth.

The clear leader of the PDA is the Hewlett Packard hx4700, however, this
series is soon being discontinued. The closest PDA to the HP is the Dell
Axim X51v.

For database storage all the PDA's require the addition of common
inexpensive memory. A 1 gigabyte card will hold all of the North
American Database.

The downside is anemic processing power and small screen size. Mapping
takes a few seconds to load when changing ranges and making a selection
in turbulence on the small screen is difficult. The operating system is
Microsoft Windows Mobile Edition, which lacks many of the software
features you get with a tablet PC.

The upside is that these units take up little space, weigh less than 8
ounces and have no problem running for long periods of time on battery.
Also a passive stylus or finger can be used for the touch screen
functions, so if you drop the stylus your finger is a reliable backup.
The simple Microsoft Windows Mobile Edition makes it an easier unit to
learn for novice users.

## **Tablet PC** 

The Tablet PC is larger and more expensive. These devices have more
processing power than the PDA which gives them an edge on quickly
displaying range changes and updating information.

The majority of the tablet PC category is unusable in direct sunlight. A
few have display technologies that help reduce sun glare or allow the
sun to aid in brightness. Examples are Sony 'Xbrite' technology and the
Motion Computing 'View Anywhere' display.

Memory storage is located on the internal hard drive, which has ample
space for all the databases and programs. The limiting factors are high
altitude operations and or severe shock that may damage the hard drive.

The downside is that these units are power hungry, take up lots of space
and weigh 1 to 2.5 pounds depending on model and battery size. Most
require the use of an active stylus, so your finger cannot be used to
select on screen functions. If the tablet PC is used on a network,
remember, this makes the unit susceptible to viruses, worms, spy-ware
and other common internet/network dangers. The user should always
perform a virus and spy-ware check before using in the cockpit or
immediately after using the internet/network.

The upside is an easier to read display, menu selection functions appear
larger and additional accessories such as a thumb track ball can be
used. Tablet PC's generally have ample amounts of processing power and
storage for all your piloting needs. In many cases these handheld
devices can be used for everyday computing which helps justify the
additional cost.

## **Data conversion** 

A note on RS232: This mode of connectivity is no longer included with
newer tablet PC's, however, many of the PDA's still utilize RS232. Newer
PDA's will soon use the new USB 'On The Go' standard of which will
eliminate RS232 altogether on PDA's. Another technology is wireless
Bluetooth which has been incorporated into almost all handhelds built to
date thus pushing RS232 further into oblivion in the mainstream
industries. For the most part, USB is the accepted data interface for
computers of today. So the focus will be on converting the UAT RS422
data to USB and discuss Bluetooth briefly. Keep in mind the data is a
one way connection from the UAT via the data converter and then to the
handheld device.

For the handheld devices at present, the Garmin GDL90 UAT produces
'passthrough data' via the RS422 bus so conversion will be one of the
following:

**RS422 to USB Company: Vscom Model:** USB-1COMI DB9 (9-pin male)

The differential transmission is converted to a USB signal and passed to
the handheld device for reception. A supplied Microsoft Windows driver
is required to be installed in order for the unit to work.

**RS422 to RS232 Company: N/A Model: N/A**

The simplest of the converters is wiring the negative half of the RS422
TX and providing a signal ground for the RS232 receiver reference
signal. We experienced no problems with this direct connection to a PDA.

**RS422**/RS232 **to USB** **Company: Vscom Model:** USB-1COM

By wiring the RS422 to be a pseudo RS232 as explained above one can use
a RS232 to USB converter in place of the more expensive RS422 converter.
A supplied Microsoft Windows driver is required to be installed in order
for this solution to work.

**RS422 to Bluetooth Company: Connectblue Model:** cB-OEMSPA33i-01

Bluetooth requires the use of external power for operation. The
Connectblue unit operates between 8 and 30 volts and can use either
RS422 or RS232, serving up to seven handhelds at the same time. The
advantage of using wireless technologies in the cockpit is mainly the
reduction of wires and freedom of moving the unit around. During testing
our Bluetooth unit broadcast in excess of 300 feet to the handheld. A
security scheme called 'pairing' is used to avert others from using the
same Bluetooth transmitter. Certain steps need to be done on the users
handheld equipment to prevent being seen or looking for other wireless
networks. This is beyond the scope of this report and is not discussed
any further.

# **Part III: Human factors**

## **Turbulence** 

In light turbulence all of the devices were relativity easy to use. With
moderate or greater turbulence using the stylus at times caused
incorrect selections to be made. Some functions such as range changes
utilize the handhelds buttons. Other common tasks can also be mapped to
available handheld buttons. A helpful solution was to add a small USB
thumb track ball to control pointer movement, but this is only useable
on the tablet PC's. It is suggested that the user preset and program the
flight before airborne.

## **Placement of devices** 

The universal solution is using a tubular clamp style attachment with an
articulating arm. This allows the user to place the handheld on the yoke
in most aircraft, for others they may clamp on to any tubular structure.
The yoke seemed the most practical mounting location even for handhelds
with the larger 8.4 inch screen. Control loading didn't seem to be a
factor even with 2 to 3lbs of weight on the yoke. Having the unit placed
as part of your instrument scan is helpful and maintains continuity
during flight. Remember, handheld devices are not part of the aircraft
and need to be installed so as not to be a permanent installation. The
use of items like Velcro, tape or rope is generally considered not to be
an aircraft mounting device. We are not saying to use these items but
some users have. Reference the applicable FAR and Advisory Circulars.
Such as FAR 43, FAR 91.21, AC 91.21-1a and AC120-76a

## **Head down time** 

When the unit is first installed in the aircraft, many pilots may look
at the handheld for longer periods of time because of the innovation of
seeing other aircraft and weather. As with most new things they become
the norm and will be utilized as another tool for safety and shorter
periods of head down time will occur. What we observed was that by
having the means of displaying traffic on a handheld, allowed the pilot
to quickly establish the known aircraft and spend more time looking for
any unknown obstacles.

# **Part IV: UAT Interface wiring diagrams**

Simplified, for reference only

## **RS422/RS232** 

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="5.992361111111111in"
height="4.527083333333334in"}

**UAT Interface wiring diagrams**

Simplified, for reference only

## **USB** 

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="5.992361111111111in"
height="4.527083333333334in"}

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.6041666666666665in"
height="2.6041666666666665in"}

## **UAT Interface wiring diagrams**

## Simplified, for reference only

## **Bluetooth** 

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="5.992361111111111in"
height="4.527083333333334in"}

![](media/image5.jpeg){width="3.448611111111111in"
height="2.8027777777777776in"}

# **Part V: Recommendations**

## **PDA** 

Hewlett Packard hx4700 series is best in class, mostly due to its larger
screen size. The next in line is the Dell Axim X51v.

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="1.4465277777777779in"
height="2.627083333333333in"}![](media/image7.jpeg){width="1.3958333333333333in"
height="2.5in"}

## **Tablet PC** 

Motion Computing LS800 with View Anywhere display is best in class.
Runner up being the Sony Vaio U750P (discontinued) replaced by the Sony
Vaio UX180P which may be the clear winner with its bright *touch* screen
display. This unit was not tested as its release date is slated for July
2006.

![](media/image8.jpeg){width="3.1319444444444446in"
height="2.4319444444444445in"}![](media/image9.jpeg){width="2.498611111111111in"
height="2.498611111111111in"}

## **Interface** 

The RS232 to USB is the best all around connection for interface,
considering the UAT will provide a true RS232 port in the near future.

# **Part VI: Cost**

Dollar figures are approximate values, cost may vary.

## **MFD** 

Garmin 396 \$2,195.00

Garmin MX-20 \$6,095.00

## **PDA** 

HP hx4705 \$595.00

Dell Axim X51v \$374.00

## **Tablet PC** 

Motion Computing LS800 \$2198.99

Sony Vaio UX180P \$1799.99

## **Data converters** 

VScom RS422 to USB \$49.00

VScom RS232 to USB \$18.45

Connectblue Bluetooth \$245.00

## **Software** 

PCAvionics MountainScope \$495.00

#  

# **Part VII: Specifications**

## **MFD** 

  ------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------
  Product name  Garmin 396 GPS               Garmin MX-20

  Display type  3.8 inch sunlight readable   6 inch sunlight readable LCD
                LCD                          

  Processor     ?                            ?

  RAM / ROM     ?                            ?

  Bluetooth     No                           No

  Battery life  5+ hours @ max brightness    0 hours requires external
                                             power

  Weight        14.2 ounces                  3.1 lbs
  ------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------

##  **PDA** 

  ------------- ---------------------------- -----------------------------
  Product name  Hewlett Packard hx4700       Dell Axim X51v
                series                       

  Display type  4 inch Transflective LCD     3.7 inch Transflective LCD
                Touch                        Touch

  Processor     Intel 624Mhz Xscale          Intel 624Mhz Xscale

  RAM / ROM     64MB / 128MB                 64MB / 256MB

  Bluetooth     Yes                          Yes

  Battery life  5+ hours @ max brightness    4+ hours @ max brightness

  Weight        6.6 ounces                   6.2 ounces
  ------------- ---------------------------- -----------------------------

## **Tablet PC** 

+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Product name        | Motion Computing LS800 | Sony Vaio UX180P     |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Display type &      | 8.4 inch View Anywhere | 4.5 inch Xbrite      |
| resolution          | LCD                    | touch LCD            |
|                     |                        |                      |
|                     | Max 800 x 600          | Max 1024 x 600       |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Processor           | Intel Pentium M 1.2GHz | Intel Core Solo      |
|                     |                        | 1.2GHz               |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| RAM / HD            | 512MB / 30GB           | 512MB / 30GB         |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Bluetooth           | Yes                    | Yes                  |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Battery life        | 2+ hours @ max         | 4.5 hours @ max      |
|                     | brightness             | brightness           |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+
| Weight              | 2.2 lbs                | 1.1 lbs              |
+---------------------+------------------------+----------------------+

# **Part VIII: Acronyms**

AC.............................................\...Advisory Circular or
Aircraft

ADS-B..........................................Automatic Dependant
Surveillance-Broadcast

FIS-B..........................................\...Flight Information
Service-Broadcast

GB.............................................\...Gigabyte

GDL.............................................Garmin Data Link

GPS..............................................Global Position System

HD.............................................\...Hard Drive

HP................................................Hewlett Packard

LCD..............................................Liquid Crystal Display

MB.............................................\...Megabyte

MFD..............................................Multi Function Display

PC................................................Personal Computer

PDA..........................................\.....Personal Digital
Assistant

PED.............................................. Personal Electronic
Device

RAM.............................................Random Access Memory

ROM.............................................Read Only Memory

TIS-B.............................................Traffic Information
Service-Broadcast

USB..............................................Universal Serial Bus

USB OTG.......................................Universal Serial Bus On
The Go

UAA............................................. University of Alaska
Anchorage

UAT..............................................Universal Access
Transceiver