Honeywell's Big Picture aviation systems business is growing in depth and scope as the Phoenix-based firm adds more functionality to its Primus Epic integrated avionics system. The Primus Epic or Epic CDS, short for control display system, has now found a home in 10 new aircraft from Agusta-Bell, Cessna, Embraer, Fairchild Dornier and Raytheon Aircraft.

"These wins bolster our confidence," said John Uczekaj, Honeywell's VP for business, regional and helicopter OEMs. He went on to say that Primus Epic isn't just an avionics system, it's a complete platform for controlling aircraft systems and displaying systems status.

"It's technology that's blurring the lines between avionics and airframe systems," Uczekaj said.

Combining avionics, systems display and control functions on specific aircraft has required Honeywell to develop partnerships with airframe systems manufacturers such as Parker Aerospace and Hamilton Sundstrand. The system will be linked with control electrical, environmental, flight control, fuel and/or hydraulic systems on the Embraer ERJ 170/190, Fairchild Dornier 728/928JET and Raytheon Hawker Horizon aircraft.

Avionics and systems integration saves power, weight, volume and cost, while boosting reliability and increasing maintenance diagnostics capability, Uczekaj said.

Primus Epic's open architecture makes this possible, Uczekaj said, adding that "open architecture is an interesting word because everybody uses it." But, in the case of Primus Epic, it's truly applicable, he claimed.

There are four ways that other manufacturers' systems can be linked to Primus Epic: (1) stand-alone boxes that use an Arinc 429 interface, (2) stand-alone boxes having an ASCB-D interface, (3) hardware cards that plug into expansion slots in the system's modular avionics unit (MAU), and (4) application software from outside firms running on a Honeywell card inside the MAU.

The fourth generation "D" version of Honeywell's avionics standard communication bus, essentially a high-speed, aviation-grade local area network not unlike MIL 1553 systems, is a "fully open network interface," Uczekaj said.
Honeywell's patented Digital Engine Operating System (DEOS), used by Primus Epic, also makes possible an open architecture design. Not unlike the programmable operating systems used by PCs, the system enables Honeywell to upgrade CPUs, operating system software and application software with minimum changes to the basic system architecture.

"This is the golden nugget of technology," Uczekaj said.