If you have the TCAS 2000 system or its predecessor, the Honeywell TCAS II TCZ-910, there is an AD coming. It is in the NPRM phase now and expect an AD this year. An ACSS service bulletin that is available now will be required to improve tracking of nearby Mode-S intruders in high traffic areas. Operators will have a number of years to comply with the AD either through the service bulletin for this fix only or stepping up to the more extensive TCAS 7.1 upgrade which will be required for operation in Europe in 2014-15 time frame.
Today, the TCAS 2000 is a TCAS II system offered by ACSS. But did you know that it was originally developed by Honeywell? The TCAS 2000 was developed and marketed by Honeywell prior to their merger with AlliedSignal in 1999. At the time of the merger both companies had a TCAS II system, but as a condition of the merger, one had to go. The decision was made to maintain the Honeywell name and keep AlliedSignal’s TCAS II system called CAS-67A.
TCAS 2000 was spun off and sold to ACSS where it continued to sell well as a retrofit product and in new production aircraft in the early 2000s.