Aviation Communications & Surveillance Systems (ACSS) said its recently certified Change 7.1 software update for the company’s TCAS 2000 and TCAS II traffic alert and collision avoidance systems will be available in the fourth quarter of this year. Phoenix-based ACSS became the first TCAS maker to certify Change 7.1 software, developed to correct two potentially serious problems in the way TCAS warns pilots of traffic threats. The new software adds so-called “reversal logic” to the TCAS, as well as a new aural alert in place of “adjust vertical speed” resolution advisories.
Reversal logic allows the TCAS to amend a resolution advisory if it sees the threat aircraft taking the same corrective action–for example, both aircraft climbing to avoid a collision. The software corrects the second problem by replacing the “adjust vertical speed” command with a “level off” resolution advisory. The ACSS Change 7.1 software update will be priced at around $8,500 per unit, the company said.