Narrative:

Maintenance control calls line/maintenance to right&right the cmu on aircraft for maintenance convenience. Maintenance control calls out for a service req of X to use on aircraft. I received the service req and immediately opened the parts list program on the screen to verify the effectivity of the service req and receive the part from hangar stores. The aircraft arrived and I greeted the crew and informed them of my intentions. The ACARS had no faults before I replaced the cmu. I replaced the cmu and after the self test and 'ping-pong' message test was verified, I signed off the logbook. 2 hours later, maintenance control called to inform me that the aircraft was in maintenance, having the ACARS placed on MEL due to conflicting prompts on the CDU. I was then informed that honeywell (the manufacturer) had installed their own software in the cmu and air carrier had their own. The parts list I used gave me no notification that this unit was software sensitive. The parts tag on the unit itself had no software sensitive information printed. Other units like the dfcd (FMC), deu's, etc, have software sensitive alerts in the parts list, and are printed on the parts tag. Those same units also usually come with 'toe tags' to list the software loaded inside. After researching deeper in the parts list, I used the generic air traffic area 46 and found the information on page #1 and page #4 about cmu software.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE ACARS MGMNT UNIT REPLACED BUT WAS NOT PROGRAMMED WITH THE CARRIER'S SOFTWARE.

Narrative: MAINT CTL CALLS LINE/MAINT TO R&R THE CMU ON ACFT FOR MAINT CONVENIENCE. MAINT CTL CALLS OUT FOR A SVC REQ OF X TO USE ON ACFT. I RECEIVED THE SVC REQ AND IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE PARTS LIST PROGRAM ON THE SCREEN TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVITY OF THE SVC REQ AND RECEIVE THE PART FROM HANGAR STORES. THE ACFT ARRIVED AND I GREETED THE CREW AND INFORMED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS. THE ACARS HAD NO FAULTS BEFORE I REPLACED THE CMU. I REPLACED THE CMU AND AFTER THE SELF TEST AND 'PING-PONG' MESSAGE TEST WAS VERIFIED, I SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK. 2 HRS LATER, MAINT CTL CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT THE ACFT WAS IN MAINT, HAVING THE ACARS PLACED ON MEL DUE TO CONFLICTING PROMPTS ON THE CDU. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT HONEYWELL (THE MANUFACTURER) HAD INSTALLED THEIR OWN SOFTWARE IN THE CMU AND ACR HAD THEIR OWN. THE PARTS LIST I USED GAVE ME NO NOTIFICATION THAT THIS UNIT WAS SOFTWARE SENSITIVE. THE PARTS TAG ON THE UNIT ITSELF HAD NO SOFTWARE SENSITIVE INFO PRINTED. OTHER UNITS LIKE THE DFCD (FMC), DEU'S, ETC, HAVE SOFTWARE SENSITIVE ALERTS IN THE PARTS LIST, AND ARE PRINTED ON THE PARTS TAG. THOSE SAME UNITS ALSO USUALLY COME WITH 'TOE TAGS' TO LIST THE SOFTWARE LOADED INSIDE. AFTER RESEARCHING DEEPER IN THE PARTS LIST, I USED THE GENERIC ATA 46 AND FOUND THE INFO ON PAGE #1 AND PAGE #4 ABOUT CMU SOFTWARE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.