A Hands-on Project for Avionics Systems Course in Aviation Engineering Technology Program

There are electrical and electronic systems courses that are compulsory for students majoring in Aeronautical Engineering Technology (AET), an undergraduate program accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET (ABET-ETAC). In order to prepare students for the FAA Airframe and Powerplant Certification exams, and future success in their careers, students in the AET program are expected to develop an integrated ability of understanding theoretical knowledge and proficient hands-on skills. This paper introduces a hands-on project for an upper level electrical and electronic systems course to better develop project-oriented, problem-solving experiences. This hands-on project requires assembling an Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) flight tracking system that is a realworld aeronautical system. ADS-B is one of the major components of the Next Generation air transportation system. In this project, students are asked to apply relevant electrical and electronic knowledge and skills to build a light-weight ADS-B receiver, and deploy the receiving system to collect and decode flight data broadcast by aircraft. This project is expected to help students develop the ability of integrating skills from different electrical and electronics courses to solve real aviation problems. This course project, based on current avionic technology, allows students to have better understanding of their theoretical knowledge, as well as a good practice of hands-on skills.