W DOC AIRBUS | AMM A320F

CONTROL INPUTS INTERFACE AND POWER SUPPLY - DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION

** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
1. General
To accomplish the computations of laws and control loops, the flight controls computers use data from following components:
  • 2 side stick controllers used for pitch and roll manual control (ELAC and SEC)
  • 1 speedbrake control transducer unit used for SPD-BRK function and GND-SPLR function preselection (SEC).
  • 6 transducer units used:
    . one for yaw damper jacks position monitoring (FAC)
    . one for rudder position detection for surface position indication on ECAM CRT
    . two for rudder pedal position indication to deliver this information to ELACs
    . two for elevator control
  • 6 pressure switches used for monitoring the pressure in the three hydraulic systems (Ref. ATA 29) (ELAC and SEC).
  • 3 pressure transducers used for monitoring of the hydraulic system pressure (ELAC).
  • 2 throttle control units. Then components-delivered signals to the FADECs for engine control and to the SECs for ground spoiler function.
** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
2. Component Location
F Component Location - New-Generation Side-Stick Unit ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location - New-Generation Side-Stick Unit ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location - New-Generation Side-Stick Unit ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
F Component Location ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
FIN FUNCTIONAL
DESIGNATION		 PANEL ZONE ACCESS
DOOR		 ATA REF
** ON A/C ALL
10CE1 PRESS SW-B HYD, FLT CTL 195 27-92-17
10CE1 PRESS SW-B HYD, FLT CTL 195 27-92-17
10CE2 PRESS SW-G HYD, FLT CTL 145 27-92-17
10CE3 PRESS SW-Y HYD, FLT CTL 196 27-92-17
** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
100CE1 SSU-CAPT 193 VU 211 27-92-41
100CE2 SSU-F/O 193 VU 211 27-92-41
** ON A/C ALL
12CE1 ACCLRM-1 131 27-92-16
12CE2 ACCLRM-2 132 27-92-16
12CE3 ACCLRM-3 131 27-92-16
12CE4 ACCLRM-4 132 27-92-16
** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
14CE1 PRESS XDCR-L Y LAF ACCU 575EB 500 27-92-19
14CE2 PRESS XDCR-R Y LAF ACCU 675EB 600 27-92-19
14CE3 PRESS XDCR-L G LAF ACCU 575GB 500 27-92-19
14CE4 PRESS XDCR-R G LAF ACCU 675GB 600 27-92-19
** ON A/C ALL
23CE1 ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, CAPT 131VU 211 27-14-00
23CE1 ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, CAPT 131VU 211 27-14-00
23CE2 ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, F/O 130VU 212 27-14-00
25CE1 XDCR UNIT-PEDAL POS, L 121 27-92-15
25CE2 XDCR UNIT-PEDAL POS, R 122 27-92-15
2CC XDCR UNIT-YAW DAMPER POS 325BL 325 27-26-17
42WV XDCR UNIT-RUDDER POS 325BL 325 27-25-17
49CE1 XDCR UNIT-ELEV POS, L 344DB 345 27-92-13
49CE2 XDCR UNIT-ELEV POS, R 334DB 335 27-92-13
** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
4CE1 SSTU-ROLL CTL, CAPT 193VU 211 27-92-41
4CE2 SSTU-ROLL CTL, F/O 182VU 212 27-92-41
4CE3 SSTU-PITCH CTL, CAPT 193VU 211 27-92-41
4CE4 SSTU-PITCH CTL, F/O 182VU 212 27-92-41
** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
74CE FTU-RUDDER PEDAL 121 27-92-27
74CE FTU-RUDDER PEDAL 121 27-92-27
** ON A/C ALL
7CE XDCR UNIT-SPD BRK CTL 11VU 210 27-92-14
8KS1 CTL UNIT-THROTTLE, ENG 1 11VU 210 76-11-19
8KS2 CTL UNIT-THROTTLE, ENG 2 11VU 210 76-11-19
** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
3. Operation
A. Side Stick Controller
F Side Stick Controller
F Side Stick Transducer Unit Internal Wiring
F Side Stick Immobilized In A/P Mode (Principle)
F Side Stick Assembly
F Side Stick Transducer Unit
Two side stick controllers are used for pitch and roll manual control one on the captain lateral console, another one on the first officer lateral console.
The two side sticks are electrically coupled.
The arm rest is fixed on the seat.
General concept is a fail safe concept i.e. mainly that a single failure provides:
  • Neither total loss of artificial feel
  • Nor undetected uncontrolled pilot order.
The hand grip includes 2 switches:
  • A/P disconnect pushbutton is used for:
    A/P disconnection in A/P mode
    Priority logic between sticks in manual mode
  • Push-to-talk button.
The red light of the ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, CAPT (23CE1) or ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, F/O (23CE2) comes on in front of the pilot who has lost the priority.
The green light of the ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, CAPT (23CE1) or ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, F/O (23CE2) comes on in front of the pilot who has priority as long as the side stick which has not priority is not a zero.
In case of simultaneous action on CAPT and F/O side sticks, the green lights of ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, CAPT (23CE1) and ANN-SIDE STICK PRIORITY, F/O (23CE2) flash at the same time.
Space provision is provided for mounting of a datum-adjust button (used in A/P mode).
The side stick includes:
F Side Stick Controller
  • a hand grip
  • a protection boot
  • two axes
  • two spring rods for pitch artificial feel
  • two springs for roll artificial feel.
  • two transducer units ; one for roll, the other one for pitch
  • one solenoid to introduce ; in AP mode, a higher threshold to move the side stick out of the zero position.
(1) Transducer units associated to side stick controllers
F Side Stick Transducer Unit
  • Two identical transducer units are associated to each controller one for roll control, another one for pitch control.
  • Four sets of 3 plastic track potentiometers are fitted in each unit.
    The design is fail safe from the mechanical inputs (two input levers) to the input drive of each potentiometer set. The purpose of this design is to avoid the loss of the mechanical drive of more than one potentiometer set subsequent to a single mechanical failure.
  • The gear ratio between unit input and potentiometer sets is 3.
    The unit mid stroke position is accurately determined by a rigging pin between input levers and the body. The potentiometers are rigged to mid stroke for this input lever position in the unit manufacturer facilities.
    Then no electrical rigging is needed when a transducer unit is replaced. The hand grip being maintained to zero by artificial feel threshold and the unit input being fixed to mid stroke by the pin, the length of the two input rods is adjusted to connect each of them to the corresponding input lever.
    The rigging pin is removed after mechanical connection is achieved.
    Ten potentiometers are used in each transducer unit used for roll control, one potentiometer being associated to each COM and each MON unit of the 2 ELACs and 3 SECs. The COM and MON units of each computer do not use potentiometers of the same group.
    Only 8 potentiometers, 2 in each group, are used in each transducer unit used for pitch control.
    They are associated to the two ELACs and to SEC 1 and 2. The COM and MON units of each computer use potentiometers of the same group.
    Each potentiometer track power supply is achieved by the associated computer unit.
    The position signal is delivered between the sliding contact and the mid point of the track.
    F Side Stick Transducer Unit Internal Wiring
    For the internal wiring of the SSTU.
B. New-generation Side-Stick Unit (100CE1, 100CE2)
F New-Generation Side-Stick Unit
A new-generation side-stick unit can be installed on the aircraft.
This new-generation side-stick unit is fully interchangeable with the previous ones.
Two side stick units are used for pitch and roll manual control.
One on the captain lateral console, another one on the first officer lateral console.
The two side sticks are electrically coupled.
The arm rest is fixed on the seat.
General concept is a fail safe concept i.e. mainly that a single failure provides:
  • Neither total loss of artificial feel
  • Not undetected uncontrolled pilot order.
The Captain and First Officer side-stick units are similar, their ergonomic characteristics (hand grip geometry and lateral control law) are adapted for use with the left hand at the Captain station's and with the right hand at the First Officer's station.
The hand grip is equipped with:
  • a push-to-talk switch
  • a takeover and priority pushbutton switch (priority logic between sticks in manual mode)
  • a protection bellows.
C. Speedbrake Control Transducer Unit
F Speedbrake Control Transducer Unit
F Transducer Unit Internal Wiring
The speedbrake control is achieved through a specific unit located on the aft left part of the center pedestal.
This unit is also used for ground spoiler function pre-selection.
The control lever zero position is locked in maximum forward position and the lever is moved in aft direction to extend speedbrakes. It is necessary to push the handle to move the lever out of the zero position.
  • Ground spoiler preselection is achieved from zero position by pulling the handle (a slight lever forward position is then induced due to the special mechanical design).
  • The input lever drives one end of a fail safe axis which has a friction brake at the other end to provide an artificial feel and to freeze the lever position when it is out of the zero selection.
  • A duplicate system is used to drive two sets of 3 plastic track potentiometers with a gear ratio of 3.
    The mechanical design is such that a single mechanical failure is not able to cause simultaneous loss of the two potentiometer drives or to disconnect input lever and to forbid in the same time the brake to freeze the position.
NOTE: - The COM unit of each SEC computer is connected to one potentiometer of one set, the MON unit being connected to a potentiometer of the other set.
- Electrical characteristics of the potentiometers are the same as for potentiometers fitted in the side stick control unit.
- Potentiometers are rigged to mid stroke position for selector lever in zero position.
D. Transducer Unit
F Rudder Mechanical Control
F Transducer Unit
Two types of transducer unit are used:
  • The first type is fitted with 2 Rotary Variable Differential Transducers (RVDT) energized by 26V 400Hz.
  • The second type is fitted with 2 Rotary Variable Differential Transducers (RVDT) energized by 7V 1953Hz.
Two transducer units of the first type are used:
  • One for feedback information for yaw damper actuator position monitoring.
  • One for rudder position detection for surface position indication on ECAM CRT (in this case only one of the two transducers is used).
Four transducer units of the second type are used .
  • Two for rudder pedal position,and two for elevator position for indication, to deliver this information to ELACs.
  • Each unit includes:
    . One input lever with stops to limit the stroke.
    . Two RVDT transducers.
    . A rigging pin to immobilize the lever in the zero position : it is associated to a spring box to disengage it when it is no longer pushed.
    . Two connecting plugs each one dedicated to one transducer.
    . Each transducer is driven by the input lever through a homocinetic joint with a gear ratio of 1.
E. Accelerometer
F Accelerometer
Vertical acceleration values are needed for pitch control laws computation and also for load alleviation function.
Four specific accelerometers are fitted in the fuselage for this purpose.
  • The accelerometer is servo-accelerometer type.
  • Each of them receives + 28VDC and delivers on four separate outputs an analog signal representative of the vertical acceleration referenced to the aircraft body.
  • Each output is connected to a COM or MON unit of an ELAC or SEC.
F. FTU (74CE)
F FTU ** ON A/C NOT FOR ALL
  • The force transducer unit is used to measure pilots forces applied on the pedals. This information is not used in flight control system but transmitted to the FCDC to be recorded by the Digital Flight Data Recorder.

  • The load cell detects the buckling of the rod generated by the pilot-induced loads applied to the rudder pedals. It then sends a corresponding signal to the electronic card for digital conversion and encoding. The resulting signal is sent to the FCDC.
    The rod can be adjusting by means of a micrometric system (see detail A).
G. Hydraulic Pressure Switches (10CE1, 10CE2, 10CE3)
F Hydraulic Pressure Switch
The three identical hydraulic pressure switches feed the ELAC 1, 2 and SEC 1, 2 3 with information about the pressurized or non-pressurized status of the Green, Blue and Yellow hydraulic systems.
The pressure switch is cylindrical with a hydraulic connection at one end and an electrical connector receptable at the other end.
The switch assembly is made of two main sections, the hydraulic part and the electrical part. The hydraulic part contains a hydraulically-operated piston which moves a diaphragm. The diaphragm forms the seal between the hydraulic and electrical parts of the switch.
The movement of the diaphragm is transferred to a piston which moves a pressure plate. The pressure plate touches a disk spring which is connected to the switch actuator. The switch actuator touches the switching element. The switching element itself is a sub-miniature microswitch.
The switch assembly is made so that a click of the disk spring operates the switching element. Thus, the switch always operates at the same pressure and there is no variation because of contact wear or vibration.
The nominal pressure detected is 100 +-5 bar or -+5 bar (1450.3770 +-72.5189 psi or -+72.5189 psi).
H. Throttle Control Unit
F Throttle Control Unit
F Throttle Control Levers
F R Throttle Control Unit - Wiring Diagram
One throttle control unit is associated to each throttle control lever.
These components send electrical signals function of the throttle input lever position to the FADECs for engine control and also to the SECs they give for GND SPLR function:
  • idle position when autothrust system is not engaged.
  • reverse selection.
The throttle control unit includes:
  • an input lever with stops for stroke limitation.
  • two resolvers for engine control, electrically connected to the relevant FADEC.
  • two sets of three plastic track potentiometers electrically connected to the SECs.
  • A duplicate drive system for transducers.
  • Four electrical plugs.
  • The input lever zero position is accurately determined by a rigging pin between input lever and body.
    The potentiometers are rigged to mid stroke and resolvers to zero for this input lever position which corresponds to idle selection.
  • The design is such that no single mechanical failure is able to cause the loss of the two potentiometer sets without loss of resolver drive.
  • Potentiometer sets are the same as those fitted in SPD BRK control transducer unit and in side stick transducer unit.
  • Each SEC control and monitoring unit receives signals from two potentiometers of the same unit, one of each set of potentiometer (to enable detection of a potentiometer drive rupture).
    Electrical characteristics of potentiometers are monitored by SECs as previously described for the other potentiometers.
    F Throttle Control Levers
    This figure shows mechanical liaison between the control unit and throttle levers on the center pedestal.
    F R Throttle Control Unit - Wiring Diagram
[Rev.10 from 2021] 2026.03.31 23:58:27 UTC
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