MapText Software Receives Letter of Compliance for FAA DO-178B Airworthiness Standard

Monmouth Junction, NJ – February 28, 2012 - MapText is proud to announce that it has received an FAA DO-178B Letter of Compliance for its new Dynamic Text Placement software component for real-time aeronautical charting.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates the use of software and hardware systems in commercial aircraft. The DO-178B standard is a central component of this regulatory process. The standard specifies aspects of airworthiness for software systems based on how critical they are to flight safety.

MapText, Inc., a subsidiary of Lufthansa Systems AG, has been developing a dynamic label placement component for aeronautical charts. MapText’s software is capable of continuously re-labeling electronic charts and it provides smooth pan and zoom capabilities. Dynamic labeling also enables the “nose-up” navigation mode for pilots. In this mode, the airplane symbol remains static in the center of the display while the chart moves and turns under it. The advantage of real-time dynamic electronic charts over paper or PDF is that they can retrieve and present the latest available data, such as changes in weather conditions, runway status, etc. 

MapText engaged an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) to guide the development of a compliant software product as defined by the airworthiness standard.  After an extensive review by the DER, the Dynamic Text Placement software received its Letter of Compliance with the FAA airworthiness standard.

The dynamic labeling software component will be initially embedded in the Airport Moving Map (Lido/AMM) application developed by MapText’s parent company, Lufthansa Systems. It will also be used in flight-deck charting applications. The dynamic labeling component is flexible and can also be used in non-certified environments, such as iPad-based aeronautical applications for on-board use by pilots.

MapText, Inc.

MapText is the leading label-placement solutions provider for local, state, and national government mapping agencies worldwide.  Its software places text automatically for virtually any kind of map or chart – to high cartographic standards and at incredible speed. The software is in use worldwide for making city street maps, highway maps, cadastral maps, soil maps, utility maps, as well as nautical and aeronautical charts. MapText is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Systems AG. For more information, visit www.maptext.com and www.LHsystems.com