Aviation metrology Training

AviMet®  Maintenance training

Training content

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Introduction Common tools

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System tools

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AviM Av iMet et® ® Us User er gr grou oups ps Sensor data from aerodrome AviMet®  CDU Servers (Duplicated)

There are 4 different user groups in AviMet system •Observer (OWS) •Forecaster (FWS)

•Weather viewer (VW) •Maintenance •Maintenance (RCM) LAN / Ethernet

Observer workstation (OWS)

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Forecaster workstation (FWS)

ATC Displays (WV)

Maintenance workstation (RCM)

User privileges 

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User groups have different privileges. E.g. forecaster cannot open the METAR/MET REPORT Manager for METAR. Privileges are configurable. Implemented with active directory of Windows operating system.

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METAR Manager

Observer workstation (OWS)

Forecaster workstation (FWS)

Data flow in AviMet®  

Sensor / Weather Station

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Sensor I/O 

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CDU

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Applications

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Unit conversions and data formatting

Calculations

Application

Short term averaging (up to 1 minute) and other high-frequency tasks Basic data validation For serial data generated by sensor, weather station acts only as gateway Low-frequency sampling and long term averaging Meteorological calculations

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Application

Sensor or weather station

Training content 

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Introduction Common tools System tools

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Application Toolbar 

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Provides access to other AviMet applications Some buttons may be disabled depending on the workstation role Note field can be used to broadcast messages to other AviMet workstations Displays a small color icon in lower right corner of the screen 

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green: OK (server A or B) red: problem (server A or B) METAR / SPECI

SYNOP

METREP / SPECIAL

TAF

METAR / MET REP Manager

SIGMET

Weather View

GAMET

Actuals

AIRMET

ASCII Log View

AFTN Monitor

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Training content

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Introduction Common tools

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System tools

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SensorIO Monitor 

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RCM application Page 9 / date / name / ©Vaisala

SensorIO Monitor is used to view the status of sensors. Sensor communication can be logged on screen or into a file.

Sensor Terminal (1/2)

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RCM application Page 10 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Sensor Terminal is a low level tool for listening selected I/O port. Shows all data received by port. Cuts normal data flow from port to rest of the AviMet system when port is opened. Used also for maintenance connections to sensors.

Sensor Terminal (2/2) 

Listen port

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Select port from list Open port (cuts of data flow into rest of AviMet system.) Close port when ready

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Open maintenance connection

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Select port from list Open port Type appropriate commands to sensor (Open sensor maintenance mode, give commands and close the maintenance mode.) Close port

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Port selection

Incoming data

Open / close port

Log to file

Diagnostic Monitor (1/4) 

RCM application Page 12 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Diagnostic Monitor is used to view system status, applications connected to servers and data in the system.

Diagnostic Monitor (2/4) 

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AviMet system status is indicated with “traffic lights”. If everything is ok, all colors are green. If there is malfunction in the system it is indicated with red color. In duplicated systems user can also activate another server by force.

Heartbeat blinking

CDU selection

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Switchover mode selection

Diagnostic Monitor (3/4) 

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All data produced by services is stored into objects. An object is basically a list of data values with labels, types and statuses. E.g. 1_WIND_SENSOR object contains all relevant data received from wind sensor 1 (SensorIO service).

Objects

1_WIND_SENSOR object

Instant wind speed

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Instant wind direction

Diagnostic Monitor (4/4) 

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All system users (applications and services) are listed in user list. At this point a user is any software module that is connected to core ROA system.

System users

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Event Monitor

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Alarms in AviMet are viewed with Event Monitor. Alarms can be acknowledged in occurrence order. Alarms are logged into file. Application is mainly a tool for maintenance personnel.

OWS, FWS, RCM application Page 16 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Event Monitor: Alarm types 

TECH (Technical) 

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OPER (Operational) 

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Information on sent weather reports or reason for triggering a SPECI/SPECIAL report.

NONE (Internal) 

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There is a predefined change in weather.

MESG (Message Notifications) 

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There is a communication problem between the CDU and a sensor, or another unusual technical problem.

There is an unusual serious internal problem, for example, within the CDU.

Event Monitor: Technical alarms 

Communication problems 

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sensor powered off or defective sensor indicating internal error status

Cross-checker alarms 

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noise, signaling problems, cable problems

Sensor problems 

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bad message noise, signaling problems message missing

inconsistent sensor values value out of bounds

Event Monitor: Operational alarms 

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Changing weather conditions Limit alarm 

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Rate of change alarm 

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wind speed e.g. wind > 20 KT, RVR < 800 m too rapid change of a parameter

Event Monitor: Message notifications 

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Sent standard messages Standard observation time 

METAR

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MET REPORT

Special conditions 

SPECI

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SPECIAL

Event Monitor: Internal alarms 

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Software self-diagnostics Conflicting object information 

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Conflicting user information 

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the system could not determine which CDU was the primary server

Database error 

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there are unlicensed applications in the system i.e. if there are multiple instances of ACTUALS application

Conflicting duplication information 

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problem in the system configuration

AviMet tried to read or write data to the database but did not succeed

Event Monitor: Statuses 1/2 

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The Event Monitor Status icon is located on the taskbar of the Windows®  operating system, next to the System Status icon. The color of the icon shows if there are events in Event Monitor and whether the events have been acknowledged or not. Event Monitor Status Icon Colors Red = There are unacknowledged events. 

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Yellow = All events have been acknowledged by the user. Green = There are no events. Blue = There are only unacknowledged events of the type Message Notification.

CAUTION: The Event Monitor icon shows only the status of the events that have been selected for viewing from the View menu. For example, if you have selected only View - Technical Events, and the Event Monitor icon is green, there can be unacknowledged events of another type.

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Event Monitor: Statuses 2/2 

On the left in the Event Monitor window, there is an icon in front of each event message. When an event message first appears, the icon is red. When the event has been acknowledged, the icon turns yellow.

Icon Color Explanation Red = Unacknowledged event Yellow = Acknowledged event Blue = Unacknowledged event of the type Message Notification 

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Event Monitor: Bottom Line mode 

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Event Monitor can also be used in the Bottom Line mode: instead of the entire Event Monitor window, a single line that shows one event at a time at the bottom of the screen can be displayed. Application can again be viewed in full by double-clicking the event area

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Event Viewer (1/2) 

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OWS, FWS, RCM application Page 25 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Operating system tool. Opened with Start /  Settings / Control Panel /  Administrative Tools /  Event Viewer. Shows events of AviMet system. available on main servers and with administrator user rights

Event Viewer (2/2) 

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Application log shows AviMet events (among other events). Three type of events: Errors 

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malfunction in system require actions

Warnings 

system may work inadequately

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may require actions

Information 

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informative only no actions required

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Errors Warnings Information

Data Source Manager (1/2)

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Data Source Manager is used to select the source data for pressure calculations. If Data Source Manager is used the pressure page in Actuals is not used.

OWS, (RCM) application Page 27 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Data Source Manager (2/2)

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Source for prevailing visibility is also selected with Data Source Manager. Prevailing visibility is new ICAO Annex 3 Amendment 73 requirement.

OWS, (RCM) application Page 28 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Actuals (1/7) 

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OWS application Page 29 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Actuals application is used to view real time data and to set it manually if necessary. MANUAL\BACKUP setting is recommended only in case of a sensor malfunction. Select Actuals program by pressing A-icon in the application toolbar.

Actuals (2/7) 

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Actuals allows the user to enter data values manually and set the backup data source. Data content varies depending on installed instruments. Units can be KT or MPS, ft or m.

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Supported entries include: Wind Cloud RVR and visibility Temperature Manual observations Background luminance

Actuals: wind data (3/7) 

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INS - Instant wind direction and speed in kt 2AVG - 2 minute mean average wind direction and speed in kt 2MNM - 2 minute minimum wind direction and speed in kt 2MAX - 2 minute maximum wind direction and speed in kt 2XAVG - Tail\head and Cross wind in kt 10AVG - 10 minute mean average wind direction and speed in kt 10MNM - 10 minute minimum wind direction and speed in kt 10MAX - 10 minute maximum wind direction and speed in kt Page 31 / date / name / ©Vaisala

Page selection

Mode selection

Actuals: cloud data (4/7) 

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CH1 INS - Instant lowest cloud height in feet CH2 INS - Instant second cloud height in feet CH3 INS - Instant third cloud height in feet BASE - Calculated lowest cloudbase based on CH1ins VER VIS - Vertical visibility in case VV conditions are detected

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Actuals: RVR and visibility data (5/7) 

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RVR 1A - Runway visual range, one minute average RVR 10A - Runway visual range, 10 minute average RVR 10M - Runway visual range, minimum of 10 minute RVR 10X - Runway visual range, maximum of 10 minute VIS 1A - Visibility, one minute average VIS 10A - Visibility, 10 minute average VIS 10M - Visibility, minimum of 10 minute VIS 10X - Visibility, maximum of 10 minute

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Actuals: temperature and humidity data (6/7) 

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TAINS - Instant air temperature TA10M - Temperature minimum of 10 minute TA10X - Temperature maximum of 10 minute TDINS - Dew point RHINS - Relative humidity %

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Actuals: manual observation data (7/7) 

METAR\SPECI template can use the manually entered values for 

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Present weather codes Recent weather codes Runway State Cloud amounts and types. exception: first cloudbase Remark

Note: remember to define measurement site “present weather” and select location “ManObs” in METAR/MET REPORT Manager program so that the manual values affect the next triggered report

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