Avionics certification and avionics design by ATL 01202 581900

Design, production, and operation of civil aircraft are subject to regulation by governments. Certification is a critical element in the safety-conscious culture on which civil aviation is based. Legally, avionics certification is to document a regulatory judgment that a device meets all requirements and can be manufactured properly. New equipment proposed for certification has no service history. Certification tries to provide credible predictions of future service experience for new devices. Certification has statistically proved successful at this.

Technical Standard Orders TSOs and Supplemental Type Certificates STCs.

Worldwide agreement is that regulations should be standardised.
The Technical Standard Order system for equipment approval and The Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) system for aircraft modification are universal.

There are several different forms of approval for civil aircraft electronics. Technical Standard Orders (TSOs), approvals under Supplemental Type Certificate (STCs), or approvals as part of Type Certificates, Amended Type Certificates, or Service Bulletins are the major ones.

Technical Standard Orders

TSOs contain product specifications, required data submissions, marking requirements, and various instructions and limitations. They are applied to flight-deck instruments, communications radios, ILS receivers, navigation equipment, collision avoidance systems, and flight data recorders.

Cockpit display systems are used for various purposes, displaying attitude, airspeed, altitude, navigation, approach guidance, engine data, aircraft status, maintenance alerts, passenger entertainment, endless. TSO-C 113 lists requirements for environmental testing, software design assurance, parts manufacture, installation procedures, equipment calibration, and maintenance.
TSOs are not approvals.

Supplemental Type Certificates

Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) are granted to someone other than the aircraft manufacturer, for modifications, retrofits and upgrades. They are often the subject of negotiation with the regulatory authorities.
Extensive analysis and testing are frequently required to demonstrate compliance. Parts conformity inspections by Designated Airworthiness Representatives (DARs), compliance inspections, and Type Inspection Authorizations (TIAs) are all part of the process. Designated Alteration Stations (DAS) can act as an intermediary between an avionics designer and the regulatory authorities.

Avionics design by ATL 01202 581900

In the developing passenger aircraft, avionics design covers an ever growing spectrum of aspects beyond the traditional aircraft interiors and seating upgrades... the spectrum includes things like:
emergency safety equipment, Flight Deck Door Monitoring Systems (Skycam), VHF Comms upgrades, GPWS installations, In Flight Entertainment IFE, TAWS/EGPWS installations, ACAS/TCAS installations, CVR Installations, FDR upgrades, MODE S upgrades
ELT installations, BRNAV compliant GPS, PRNAV compliant flight management systems, complex aircraft wiring looms, antenna modifications, product testing for approval, instrument panel design, Flight Management Systems Design.