The information that the program
uses on how each parameter is stored in the subframes is mostly from
the data frame layout 757UALmap.xls
with notes from D226A101-3G.pdf that
I received from this
and this FOIA
requests to the NTSB respectively. Parts of the data frame layout do
not agree
with the data actually recorded by the FDR. I have used the data frame
layout except where noted below.
In versions prior to 1.4, I did not
work from an official data frame layout, instead I picked out which
parts of
the subframe represent each parameter by looking for correlations
between
the binary data in the subframes and the values of the parameters in
the
NTSB CSV files. Starting from version 1.4 the program I have corrected
the program to use the data frame layout
757UALmap.xls
that I received from the NTSB
except where noted below.
I have only included some parameters in this program. However there are
many more listed in
the
NTSB's United Airlines Flight 93 FDR Report and
in the data frame
layout in
the attachment (
757UALmap.xls).
Let
me know if there are any more which you would
like to see included.
ALTITUDE (1013.25mB)
Raw ALTITUDE (1013.25mB) COARSE
Raw ALTITUDE (1013.25mB) FINE
The conversion used in Note 3C of
D226A101-3G.pdf
gives correct values and is the one I used, whereas the one in 757UALmap.xls
and used in the NTSB CSV files gives incorrect values for negative
values. Bear
in mind that these values are uncorrected pressure altitude values that
presume that the air pressure at sea level is 1013.25mB and will be
different from
the true altitude if the air pressure at sea level was not that value
when the
altitude values were recorded.
I
have included the raw
values as a
parameter in the program to allow you to do your own conversion if you
wish. The equivalent
Microsoft Excel formula my program uses
and
Note 3C of D226A101-3G.pdf
uses
to
convert a pair of Raw Coarse and Fine Values to feet is:
Raw Coarse Value * 128 + MOD( Raw Fine Value,
128 )
The equivalent Microsoft Excel formula
757UALmap.xls
and the NTSB CSV files uses to convert a pair of Raw Coarse and Fine
Values to feet is:
Raw Coarse Value * 128 + Raw Fine Value
BLEED DUCT PRESS - R
This parameter is named BLEED DUCT PRESS - in the NTSB
CSV files.
CONTROL COLUMN POSN-CAPT
CONTROL COLUMN POSN-CAPT Synchro
Angle
Raw CAPT CONT COLUMN POSN
I used the negative of the conversion in Note 4D of
D226A101-3G.pdf
which
produced
the same values as in the NTSB CSV files
with a maximum difference of 3
in the last decimal place.
I have included the raw
and Synchro Angle values as parameters in the program to allow you to
do your own conversion if you
wish. The
formula my program uses to
convert
a raw value
to a Synchro Angle is:
Raw Value * 180.0 / 2048
The
conversion my program uses to
convert
a Synchro Angle
to an output value in degrees is:
-2E-5 * S ^ 3 + 0.0005 * S ^ 2 + 0.4765 * S - 0.001
where S is the Synchro Angle.
The conversion Note 4D of D226A101-3G.pdf
uses
to convert
a Synchro Angle
to an output value in degrees is:
2E-5 * S ^ 3 - 0.0005 * S ^ 2 - 0.4765 * S + 0.001
where S is the Synchro Angle.
CONTROL WHEEL POSN-CAPT
CONTROL WHEEL POSN-CAPT Synchro
Angle
Raw CONTROL WHEEL POSN-CAPT
I used the negative of the conversion in Note 5D of
D226A101-3G.pdf
which
produced
the same values as in the NTSB CSV files
with a maximum difference of 0.044 degrees.
I have included the raw
and Synchro Angle values as parameters in the program to allow you to
do your own conversion if you
wish. The
formula my program uses to
convert
a raw value
to a Synchro Angle is:
Raw Value * 180.0 / 1024
The
conversion my program uses to
convert
a Synchro Angle
to an output value in degrees is:
-1.75 * Synchro Angle.
The conversion Note 5D of D226A101-3G.pdf
uses
to convert
a Synchro Angle
to an output value in degrees is:
1.75 * Synchro Angle.
ENG EPR COMMAND - L
ENG EPR LIMIT - L
ENG EPR LIMIT - R
HYD PRES - C
HYD PRES - L
HYD PRES - R
HYD SYS LO QTY - C
HYD SYS LO QTY - L
HYD SYS LO QTY - R
IDG OIL TEMP - L
REQ'D NAV PERF-(RNP)
STATIC PRESSURE
I used the location for these parameters
indicated in
757UALmap.xls
rather than the ones the NTSB CSV files appeared to use
.
This causes my program to produce different values from the NTSB CSV
files for these parameters.
FL CH MODE OPER FCCL
FL CH MODE OPER FCCR
FL CH MODE OPER MCPA
FL CH MODE OPER FCCC
I have used the values "ENGA NOT" and "FL CH ENGA" as in
757UALmap.xls
rather than "NOT ENG" and "ENG" as in the NTSB CSV files.
FLAP HANDLE POSN
FLAP HANDLE POSN Voltage
Raw FLAP HANDLE POSN
I used the conversion in Note 12D of
D226A101-3G.pdf
rather than the one the NTSB
CSV files appears to use.
I have
included the raw
and voltage values as parameters in the program to allow you to do your
own conversion if you
wish. The
formula my program uses to
convert
a raw value
to a voltage is:
Raw
Value * 5.0 / 1024
The conversion my program uses and
Note 12D of D226A101-3G.pdf
uses
to convert
a voltage
to a value in degrees is:
F = -4.292969 + 9.640625 * V - 7.429688 * V ^ 2 +
2.080078 * V ^ 3. If F > 15 then F = -8.527527 + 7.703903 * V where
F is the value in degrees and V is the voltage.
The conversion that the NTSB CSV files appear to use to convert a raw
value to degrees is:
F = Raw Value * 15.0 / 512. If F > 15 then F = 0
The parameter in the NTSB CSV
file uses 6 significant figures whereas 2
decimal places would seem more appropriate.
GPS HOURS
GPS MINUTES
GPS SECONDS
I couldn't produce sensible values for these parameters
so
I removed them from the program.
MAG HEADING CAPT
WIND DIRECTION TRUE
I used a conversion from raw values to degrees that
produced the same values for these parameters as in the NTSB CSV files
with
a maximum difference of 1
in the last decimal place and with
a range of 0 to
360 degrees rather than the conversions from raw values to
degrees
from
757UALmap.xls
which produce values from -180 to 180
degrees.
MANUFACTURER
CODE
The NTSB CSV Files give the single value of Honeywell for this
parameter. The program gives the single value of ALLIEDSIGNAL for this
parameter using Note 1F of
D226A101-3G.pdf.
The NTSB's
United Airlines Flight 93 FDR Report says that the FDR was an
Allied Signal SSFDR and that the memory board of the FDR was sent to
Honeywell facilities in Redmond, Washington for evaluation and
downloading.
MIN SPEED TMCL
I have used the values "INOPER" and "MIN SPEED" as in
757UALmap.xls
rather than "ENGA NOT" and "MIN SPD EN" as in the NTSB CSV files.
PRES POSN
PRES POSN Data
Raw PRES POSN Data
The Most Significant (MS) data is only recorded once every 64
subframes, whereas the Least Significant (LS) Data is recorded in every
subframe. I have combined these values to produce the PRES POSN LAT
(DEG) and PRES POSN LONG (DEG) parameters, however since the MS and LS
data are recorded at different frequencies, I have provided the option
to include the uncombined MS and LS data fields. If you choose to
include all subframes in the output, the first values in the PRES POSN
LAT (DEG) and PRES POSN LONG (DEG) parameters will be incorrect because
of
these different frequencies.
I have included the raw
values as a
parameter in the program to allow you to do your own conversion if you
wish.
The formulas my program uses are:
PRES
POSN LAT-LSData = Raw
PRES POSN LAT-LSData * 90.0 / 131072
PRES POSN LAT-MSData = Raw
PRES POSN LAT-MSData * 90.0 / 32
PRES POSN LONG-LSData = Raw
PRES POSN LONG-LSData * 180.0 / 131072
PRES POSN LONG-MSData = Raw
PRES POSN LONG-MSData * 180.0 / 32
PRES
POSN LAT = PRES
POSN LAT-MSData + PRES
POSN LAT-LSData
PRES
POSN LONG = PRES
POSN LONG-MSData + PRES
POSN LONG-LSData
R ENG BLEED OVHT
The program gives the single value of NORMAL for this
parameter using
757UALmap.xls
whereas the NTSB CSV Files give the single value of OVHT for this parameter. .
RUDDER PEDAL POSN
The maximum difference between the output of the program
and
the NTSB CSV files is 0.002 degrees.
SYNC
WORD
I used a location that
produced the same values as in the NTSB CSV files with a range of 0 to
3 where a value of 0 indicates subframe 1 through to a value of 3 which
indicates subframe 4 rather than the location in
757UALmap.xls
which produces the whole sync words.
VENDOR
DATABASE CODE
The program outputs the single value of 0 for this parameter in
agreement with the NTSB CSV files. However, Note 5F of
D226A101-3G.pdf
notes that this value should be 4.
Go back to the
UAL93 FDR Decoder page.