Product Spotlight: Handheld Multipurpose Interface

An Integral Tool for MRO Operators

FDS’s Hand-Held Multi-Purpose Interface (HHMPI) is a sleek handheld device that streamlines vital data from flight data recorders for quick aircraft monitoring and analysis. For small to large scale operations, the HHMPI delivers a variety of powerful and advanced data transfer capabilities to enable swift analysis of data to assist ground support in proactive fleet management.

Scott Hall has been in the industry for 30-years and is FDS’ Business Development Manager for the Americas. Hall says the HHMPI is easy to use and provides an industry-standard offloading tool for the on-wing Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) downloads.

“It is its own ambassador to the FDS brand,” mentioned Hall. “It’s been likened to being kin to a Swiss Army Knife of GSE downloading tools, as it can download most of the recorders that are in service today.”

It also supports connective abilities to multiple memory devices from downloading flight data onto SD card CF card and USB memory drive, with a PCMCIA II card option to store flight data or cockpit audio files. Rapid data delivery can also be provided through various offloading options, including wireless (Wi-Fi) for different levels of data additional streaming capabilities.

Hall mentioned that the HHMPI is ideal for operations with different aircraft types with various FDR’s in a fleet. Fundamentally, it is designed to provide the most efficient and versatile data capturing system to assist fleet monitoring for all aviation levels.

Microscopic data analysis capabilities

Hall provides service to hundreds of operators and said that it is always a pleasure to see how the HHMPI can make a real difference for operations that need to monitor their fleet closely. He explained that this system is intuitive and provides immediate insights into the health of an aircraft. He sees a tool in the hands of ground crews that really makes a difference in delivering direct insights on an aircraft.

“They’ll see everything from where the aircraft is located, its speed and altitude, to engine trend monitoring and it supports a variety of FDM programs. The HHMPI can download many different OEM recorders. It eliminates the need for a specific download tool for each recorder manufacturer. It consolidates a variety of download abilities, as a multi-service downloading kit.”

Hall explained that the HHMPI easily integrates into an FDM system, as it allows for the capture of multitude of data interfaces across many different functionalities. It ultimately supports a reduction in unique downloading devices required, which produces cost-saving opportunities for operations.

Real-time data access

Data can also be streamed through an ethernet connection connected through a local area network (LAN). Its wireless USB dongle enables it to access Wi-Fi networks for file transfer to a selected FTP server.

“The data streaming monitor delivers live data in real-time,” explained Hall. “It’s really exceptional for fleets that need to access their maintenance reports really quickly and easily. The HHMPI is designed for operations that cannot afford downtime.”

Meeting industry certifications

The HHMPI is CE and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certified and provides the ability to swiftly capture and verify essential data during maintenance services mandated by international regulatory agencies, including mandatory International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements.

As for convenient charging options, the HHMPI’s docking cradle can also be used to recharge the internal battery while transferring data files.

Aside from its Wi-Fi capabilities – flight data files can be transferred onto downloadable storage devices, including a USB key, compact flash, SD card. The HHMPI can be used as a mass storage device to directly transfer flight data files via USB cable to a PC hard drive.

The versatility of the HHMPI is immense, and operators can optimize its abilities by customizing their systems to serve their operations better. The HHMPI provides a massive range of flight data recorder functions, including engineering unit replay, which the avionics technician may be used at the aircraft or in the office. It also allows administrator security access control to set passwords for HHMPI menus or functions, which provides more security options for larger operations.

For more information on the HHMPI, contact sales@flightdata.aero.