SubscribeBarco offers some insight to reduce risk and lower cost of ownership
Many companies today are looking for new ways to extend the life of older simulation visual display systems and eliminate obsolescence, without reinventing the wheel or exceeding budgets to do it. If your simulator has decades old equipment, it may be time to re-evaluate your options and upgrade your visual display system.
By replacing certain system components to your existing simulator, you can operate more efficiently and cost effectively. This article provides some insight on the things you should consider when getting ready to upgrade and shares some real-world case studies.
The upgrade problem
Each year a significant number of visual display systems are sold to the simulation market. A portion of this installation base is comprised of system upgrades. Industry sources indicate the big reason companies replace their visual display system is because they begin to decay in performance -- projection systems produce uneven lighting, poor resolution, low light output, unacceptable contrast, alignment problems, flickering, thermal drift, obsolete components, etc.
If you’re like most companies you want to maximize performance, maximize uptime, improve efficiencies, and minimize cost of ownership. Most important, you want to reduce system downtime, because time is money. Every minute your simulator is down due to operating problems, you lose available training time and revenue.
Upgrade solutions to consider
The good news is that there are many upgrade solutions and services offered to meet your visual display requirements. Let’s take a look at several technologies on the market today.
If you are looking to retrofit an older collimatedflight simulator, there are full-featured CRT projector-based systems available to replace obsolete 25” monitor visual systems used in Wide-Angle Collimated (WAC) window optical systems.
This solution enables the simulator visual display to be upgraded using the original optics, facility, and motion base where upgrades to cross-cockpit visual systems are cost prohibitive and may not fit due to facility constraints and motion-base limitations. Raster systems are capable of FAA Level C-approved simulation operation, while raster/calligraphic systems are capable of FAA Level D-approved operation.
For Cross-Cockpit Collimated systems, high-performance raster/calligraphic CRT projection systems are available to replace obsolete projectors. These projectors offer outstanding performance, such as QXGA resolution, for a broad range of multi-channel, wide field-of-view applications and are capable of FAA Level C- and Level D-approved operation.
There are several upgrade solutions to retrofit CRT-, DLP-, and LCD-powered simulators used in maritime, driving, gunnery, ATC and other flight simulation applications, such as engineering simulators used to evaluate new subsystems of aircraft, automobiles, etc. The following describes each commonly used technology and highlights the advantages and differences.
CRT projection systems provide the ultimate in visual fidelity for the most demanding, realistic applications, especially for display systems where zero transport delay is required, a CRT projection system plays a critical role. The proven visual fidelity of CRT projection systems is equaled by few display technologies. CRT technology provides high resolution with high contrast, allowing truly black nights and objects visible at a distance without the pixelized screen door effect found in DLP™ and LCD projection systems.
CRT projection systems offer a long service life, both in picture tube life and the overall projection system. Some systems offer color matching and uniformity, digital soft-edge matching, and unbeatable video and data image quality. Maintenance of CRT projection systems can be reduced and operational use improved through the use of an auto alignment system. Centralized control systems can also ease operating use.
DLP™ projection systems combine exceptional light output and high resolution with advanced signal processing to deliver outstanding performance with a reduced pixelized screen door effect as found in other fixed matrix displays. DLP™ projection systems can be combined in multi-screen displays using advanced electronic and/or optical blending.
However, for systems requiring a fast throughput, it should be noted that DLP projection systems have an inherent 1-frame of transport delay due to the DLP chip that is added onto whatever processing delay is in your chosen projection system. Some DLP™ projection systems can be color matched for system installation and maintenance can be simplified with projection systems that automatically calibrate for intensity matching. Centralized projection system control can ease operating use.
LCD projection systems offer extremely high light output and high resolution for the most demanding applications. Solution providers can supply these systems with a wide range of features, such as edge blending, color matching, color uniformity, and artifact reduction capabilities to meet a wide range of applications. For systems requiring low transport delay times, an LCD projection system can be a good fit.
Smearing can be a problem on some LCD projection systems, but the effect can be reduced on certain LCD projection system models and is also less noticeable at higher resolutions on all models. Maintenance can be simplified with projection systems that automatically calibrate for intensity matching and centralized projection system control can ease operating use.
Give your new system a powerful brain
You can optimize the overall effectiveness of your daily operations by integrating the right alignment and management tools into your visual display system. Today’s market offers powerful tools for multi-system control and automated alignment. These technologies work hand-in-hand to streamline the setup, control, and alignment process, allowing simulation centers to perform daily operation tasks faster, better, and more cost effectively. Investigate these solutions to realize big savings at your facility.
Keep those tubes burning
If you use CRT projectors in your visual display system, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to replace them. Replacing your CRTs should not be underestimated, nor should it be entrusted to just any provider. There are many organizations selling non-factory authorized replacement CRTs. Replacing your CRTs with cheap components can cause serious problems with your display system and may void your projection system warranty and/or maintenance contract. Do you want to take this risk? Make sure you buy the proper CRT from an authorized source and that it meets your unique system requirements.
A few upgrade case studies
Upgrade at South Tyneside Maritime Training College
South Tyneside College is among the world’s premier institutions for marine and offshore training, and is designated the UK’s National Nautical Center of Excellence. Many students and international companies use its simulation center for maritime-related training. This facility used an older non-Barco projection system that produced poor color balance and varying brightness across all channels. Concerned with the display quality, South Tyneside consulted Kongsberg, which recommended Barco.
Following a demonstration and technology presentation at the Barco factory in Kuurne, Belgium, South Tyneside chose to upgrade its system with an 8-channel, BarcoReality SIM 4 single-chip DLPTM projection solution. Equipped with Constant Light Output (CLO) and Linked DynaColorTM options, the Barco solution provided the high contrast, color uniformity, and brightness uniformity needed to meet the training center’s visualization requirements.
Upgrade at Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base operates two F-16 flight simulators with dodecahedron domes, using 11 facets on each dome. Aligning the visual systems on these multi-faceted displays is a complicated and time-consuming process. Luke Air Force Base wanted to streamline this process. Officials chose the Barco AutoAlignTM system. The AutoAlign system now quickly and easily aligns 10 of the 11 out-of-window displays on each dome (mixture of Barco 808 and 908 CRT projectors) in a fraction of the time that it used to take to perform the same tasks manually.
The facility operates the Barco AutoAlign to control geometry, convergence, facet-to-facet edge co-alignment, focus, brightness, and contrast settings. AutoAlign works with the mixture of projection systems for easy upgrades and spares configuration, reducing maintenance costs and minimizing spares inventory.
Upgrade of French Tiger and Rafale Simulators at Centre d’Essais en Vol (CEV)
CEV’s Tiger helicopter and Rafale aircraft simulators provide the French army with the ability to study and assess Tiger and Rafale upgraded configurations for a wide variety of operational missions. The full-mission simulator configuration includes a dual dome for individual pilots and gunners. CEV has three domes: one 10m and two 8m with BarcoGraphics 801 and 808 projection systems. CEV wanted to upgrade its existing aircraft simulation domes to increase visual and training performance.
CEV chose Barco to refurbish its existing aircraft simulation domes. The upgrade solution consists of Barco SIM 6 Ultra II and BarcoGraphics 908 projection systems. It will provide the extremely high resolution and contrast ratio in order to support the demanding visualization requirements of the Tiger and Rafale to display all-weather conditions, during day, dusk, or night. The upgrade solution also includes the Barco LDAT (Laser Diode Array Tool), a permanent maintenance tool to effectively align display channels, and the Barco Polaris, a pattern-generating software tool to match the geometry of the simulation domes.
Words of experience
Before you select a resource or technology provider to upgrade your visual display system, be sure the organization has the knowledge and experience to perform the upgrade. Ask the following questions:
- Does the organization have the in-house capabilities, facilities, and resources to design, build, implement, and support a complete visualization solution to meet your unique application needs?
- Does the organization have an implementation process from initial concept to final installation? Ask to see documentation on methodology.
- Does the organization have a proven track record of delivering an upgrade solution on time, on budget, and to specification?
- Does the organization stand on a firm financial footing? Ask to see financial documents or annual reports to ensure the contractor will be able to sustain your long-term support needs.
- Does the organization support system-level demos; or better yet, side-by-side demos against competing display systems? Anyone can make one projector look good, but can they make a group of projectors look as close to one as possible and sustain it? The best way to judge a display system is to see it with your own eyes.
- Does the organization have installation references so you can see what a system looks like after aging?
Effective planning, coordination, management, and consistency of delivery are critical to the success of an installation. It’s a good idea to take that extra measure to learn everything you need to know about an organization before you make the upgrade investment. It’s all about reducing risk.
A note on system support and financing
Many companies offer excellent warranties and after-sales support services, such as maintenance contracts, product and application training, and technical documentation, to name a few. Explore these services with the organization. Also, ask if they offer financing options, such as leasing or other payment plans. This will help leverage your buying power so you get the best visual system for your simulation center.
