Upgrading electromechanical instruments and CRT displays with active matrix liquid crystal displays

Existing aircraft instrument panels are capable of supplying only limited data to pilots. Adding information such as forward looking infrared radar or digital map is limited by the display media currently in the cockpit. Electromechanical instruments such as horizontal situation indicators (HSI) and attitude direction indicators (ADI) are dedicated instruments which are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain as they come to the end of their product life cycle. They contain many moving parts and weigh several pounds each. The large panel depth required also limits the locations where electromechanical instruments and CRTs can be used. Several new core products and technologies have been developed which utilize active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) to provide pilots in military and commercial applications vital information. This paper describes the key characteristics of the displays, including operation in day and night mode operation and performance in military environments