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Multicolor CDU

Started by Hardy Heinlin, Sun, 7 Jul 2019 10:36

Hardy Heinlin

Good morning,

on the multicolor NAV RAD page the tuned NDB frequencies are displayed in cyan and VORs in green.

I'm wondering if this color rule is also valid for the PRESELECT lines. Or are those always white?

If someone can give me a tip: Thank you!


Regards,

|-|ardy

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

No knowledge here, but the flight deck philosophy would NOT allow meaningless, non-working numbers to get a colour.

Hoppie

Hardy Heinlin

But that wouldn't be meaningless nor less non-working than an out-of-range frequency or ID entered in the upper portion of the page.

The colors on the NAV RAD page don't indicate activity. They just indicate the station type:

Green : VOR/DME
Cyan: ADF
White: ILS


|-|ardy

Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Ok, that ILS is white completely buries my argument.

Hoppie

ahaka

I'm not sure if this should be used as a source, but in this screenshot from a 777 simulation (not the same fidelity as PSX) the preselect line appears white: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/Pinatubo/Flight%20Simulator/CDURadioFrquencies1_zpsf737428d.jpg
Antti

Hardy Heinlin


ahaka

Oops! That was a scratchpad line after all. Sorry. Does this prove the multicolor CDU is actually more difficult to read? :)

While I was browsing the images there was one before that where the preselect line was filled and was white, but it was an ILS frequency so it doesn't really tell anything either.
Antti

Hardy Heinlin

Quote from: ahaka on Mon,  8 Jul 2019 07:13
Does this prove the multicolor CDU is actually more difficult to read?

I think it's better to read.

In the green and in the multicolor versions the preselect lines only accept entries that are valid entries in all other fields on the NAV RAD page. This assures there is no invalid data preselected. It's a helpful, foresightful feature. In addition to that, if the preselected data also indicates the station type by using colors, it's even more helpful, in my opinion. -- However, I must admit, it may look strange when the colored preselection is downselected, and the scratchpad shows it in white, and then it's colored again when upselected ...


|-|ardy

ahaka

Yes, I was of course only joking because of the mistake I made.

In general, it is certainly easier to pick up information at a glance with the multicolor version and to avoid reading the wrong line. And the LCD display should, I think, have better readability in bright light conditions.
Antti

Hardy Heinlin

I missed the joke because that line break put your smiley so far away  :-)


|-|ard
y

ahaka

See how easy it is to miss a line. :) But this time I noticed the sense of humor in your last post. :)

Anyway, I have checked from another 777 simulation (which I consider more reliable than the one I posted the link above) that the preselect numbers are always white. Do you need a screenshot as proof?
Antti

Hardy Heinlin

Thank you, but the only reliable source is the real FMC :-) I don't even trust multi-$$$ CBTs ...

ahaka

Yes, I understand.

If it really is white though, I assume the logic is that only the tuned in frequencies are colored, to not mistake the preselect line as an already tuned-in station?

Just that the ILS does not have it's own color code...
Antti

Hardy Heinlin

Maybe. I have no idea. If this was a quiz question I would toss a coin ...

Hardy Heinlin

Isn't it strange that the LCD CDU is multicolor (on/off functions in green, rest in white) on the MENU page and ALTN EFIS/EICAS CP page, but is all-white on the ALTN NAV RADIO page and ACT IRS LEGS page?

Maybe it was too much work :-)


|-|


Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers

Most likely. If you can reuse software without change, you can also reuse the 25 cm of paperwork that goes with its certification. Unless somebody sees a business or real safety advantage for which there is budget, no go.


Hoppie