BACARS Version 8 - Major Overhaul of BACARS / Planning Portal

[skelsey]

Hi Mariano,

That is an excellent catch, thank you!

I have found the problem and fixed it here, so when the latest version is uploaded to the server this will be fixed.

Little changelog preview:

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v1.0
- Initial release version
- Complete Flap 20 data now available including all correction codes, runway conditions and derates
- Fixed some data table issues related to TO1 datasets
- Fixed packs off not being correctly set
- A/C PACKS display in output now accurately reflects actual packs setting used in computation
- Vr/V2 speeds now correctly displayed in all cases
- Complete Flap 10 data to be added in future update

[Mariano]

Thank YOU, guys! Your level and speed of support of BACARS is perfectly aligned with Hardy's level and speed of support of PSX.

Best regards,

Mariano

[Gary Oliver]

Server Updated with V1.0

[Mariano]

Thanks! :-)

Mariano

[Gary Oliver]

Still looking at the weird splitting on a long message - tried tonight but after a day at work had no more brain power to fix it

[Mariano]

Thanks for all you work, Gary.

I hate to bring this up, seeing how hard you've been working on this.

I just requested packs off and anti-ice on numbers, and it seems like those two toggles are still being ignored.

Code 31 (one pack on) is working now :-).

Is there a vehicle by which I could make a small donation for all of your work?

Thanks again,

Mariano

[skelsey]

Thanks for all you work, Gary.

I hate to bring this up, seeing how hard you've been working on this.

I just requested packs off and anti-ice on numbers, and it seems like those two toggles are still being ignored.

Code 31 (one pack on) is working now :-).

Is there a vehicle by which I could make a small donation for all of your work?

Thanks again,

Mariano

Hi Mariano,

Made a few changes to Packs Off performance (the appropriate adjustments are now correctly applied to field and climb-limited weight).

There is currently no performance effect for anti-ice under normal conditions (although the toggle should show correctly on the printout) -- because the FPPM says:

No takeoff EPR adjustment is required for engine or wing anti-ice operation.

The only performance decrements for anti-ice relate to enroute and landing performance (i.e. driftdown).

PSX CARD v1.1 is now active on the server with the following updates and improvements:

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v1.1
- Added minimum acceleration height calculation and output to perf notes
- Updated packs logic in PLTOW calculation to apply correctly to field and climb limited weights
- Fixed erroneous entries in airport and runway database that meant not all intersections or obstacles were found
- Tiny fix to TEMP formatting on output printout
The minimum acceleration height automatically calculates an 'on the day' minimum acceleration height taking in to account weight, wind, OAT, QNH etc (applicable to OEI - i.e. 3% net second-segment climb gradient - but used generally for both AEO and OEI cases, unless the Perf Notes suggest a different AEO acceleration height should be used e.g. for noise abatement). If the computed minimum acceleration height is greater than the minimum of 1000ft aal it will be displayed on the printout beneath the performance result; if below 1000ft aal then nothing will be displayed.

The min accel height is, incidentally, in classic BA style, styled as "MIN ACCEL ALT" but the output is in fact a height, so you can use it directly in the FMC -- this is accurate to the real CARD manual which refers to it as an acceleration height, and thus I assume to the real printout as far as I know, although I haven't seen a real one with that particular parameter on it so if anybody has and thinks it should display an altitude let me know!

I'm fairly confident the calculation is working correctly but it may be that the obstacle database has some rogue data so if you spot anything that seems wildly out of whack let me know.

Re-donation - as with all software produced by the Simfest Technology Centre, if you enjoy our software and would like to contribute we're always grateful of a donation toward our Worldflight charity, the Lullaby Trust - https://www.justgiving.com/page/simfest2025

[skelsey]

I should add, incidentally, that correction codes will always take precedence over the toggles - so if you select PACKS OFF and also enter Code 31 for one pack on, the performance will be calculated for one pack on (and displayed as such).

Depending on which aspect is most limiting (field, climb, obstacle) you may or may not see a significant impact on TOPL with packs off (it is more significant now I am correctly applying the adjustments to field and climb limited weight; packs off results in an improvement of 2000kg to the field-limited weight and 5500kg to the climb-limited weight).

[Mariano]

Thank you both!

I should have been more clear regarding anti-ice on. I meant to say that the printout continued to display anti-ice off. Performance output was correct, just the line description was incorrect. I hope that this misstatement did not cause a lot of work on your end.

Thanks for the donation link and for all your continued work on this gem.

Best regards,

Mariano

[Gary Oliver]

Well Spotted problem with BACARS not sending ANTI ICE or PACKS to the server.

Replace the existing files in your BACARS install with this...

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9xocw7w6bqkjvfwr5vpfo/BACARS_V8.0.7_Update.zip?rlkey=dgvae7ivbo5f0awwcvhcb824s&dl=1

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V8.0.7
======
-Fixes PACKS OFF and ANTI ICE OFF Performance requests

V8.0.6
======
-Tidy up of print outs to ensure within 34 characters of printer
-Tidy up of ATIS handling

V8.0.5
======
-Stops Prelim or Final loadsheet sending more than once per flight.
-ACARS final report now sends 3 minutes after engine shutdown not 30 seconds, giving time to enter a landing pilot this however can be sped up by sending final report on INIT PRES FLT P2/2.
-EFeulling only starts 7 minutes after shutdown rather than 1 minute (mistake in previous version)


[Mariano]

Gary/Simon,

New version is working great, THANK YOU!

A small, cosmetic, time-permitting request. Would you consider adding an option that would cause the performance printout to display simulator time (not real UTC time) on the line just above "G ENG"? This would also match the transmission time on the topmost line of the printout.

Kind regards,

Mariano

[Gary Oliver]

Yep can do :-)

At the moment it generates with UTC Time Now when it sends it back from the server I can make it use sim time optionally.  Probably a post world flight job.

[Mariano]

Thank you.

Mariano

[Will]

Two other cosmetic considerations. I don't know how the real aircraft works, but...

On the WT/BALANCE page, clicking 6R SEND> changes to SENT>, however the font remains large. On other pages, the word "SENT" is in a smaller font.

Also, on the legacy FMC, on non-BACARS pages, there is a 0.5 second screen blanking when pages are changed or inputs from the scratchpad are made. That screen blanking and delay are missing in BACARS; the changes happen instantaneously.

Again, I don't know how the real aircraft works.

Thanks!

[Gary Oliver]

Well spotted on the WT/BALANCE.

So it used to have a screen blanking delay but when the NGFMC came along I changed it to remove the blanking.  I wonder if that was the right decision or not.

Any real world experience or suggestions on the right answer?

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

There are/were two reasons for blanking after a keypress.
1. The older MCDUs and FMCs simply took a while to repaint a screen. To avoid seeing this happen, a controlled display blank was introduced to mask out the slow update process.
2. It gives a clear and yet unobtrusive confirmation that your keypress was honoured.

However also in real life, it is an artificial, programmed effect. So it can be dropped. Unfortunately I don't have access to, or memory of, a real LCD MCDU at this moment so I cannot verify. I would not be surprised if not all equipment connected to the MCDU has this style of interface response.

[Mariano]

I believe that the (Aerowinx) NG FMC manual states that the NG MCDUs do not blank.

I cannot access the manual at this time, but it should be in the first few pages.

Regards,

Mariano

[macroflight]

I believe that the (Aerowinx) NG FMC manual states that the NG MCDUs do not blank.

The NG FMC does not blank the CDUs. It doesn't matter which CDU type (CRT or LCD) you use. The old FMC blanks both types of CDU.

Since you really need the NG FMC to make full use of BACARS (wind corridor loading) I think it's a bad idea to bring back blanking to BACARS unless it's made configurable (or controlled by which FMC type you have selected).

[Gary Oliver]

The splitting problem on long messages has been fixed.  Card is now version 1.1

See change log here https://planning.simfest.co.uk/cardchangelog

[Gary Oliver]

BACARS V8.0.8 Update available from https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1i4i4ni66tvh09ntsg4vm/BACARS_V8.0.8_Update.zip?rlkey=zmsnmdvoq00bqzpgaeg727th2&dl=1

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V8.0.8
======
-Validates ICAO code for WXR requests to stop continual printouts
-Malfunctions now set and clear correctly from planning portal (will not pull CB's yet)
-WT/BALANCE REQ send prompt is now small text sent> after sending
-Bit more error checking on landing score