Wire Connector
Waytek Inc., Chanhassen, Minn., offers an addition to its 3M Performance Plus line of wire connectors. The 3M T/R+ can replace yellow, tan and red connectors in many field applications. Visit www.waytekwire.com.
Prefeeder and Wire Payout
Eraser Co., Syracuse, N.Y., has released the APF100 Prefeeder and Wire Payout machine, to be used with any wire and tubing cutter or cut-and-strip machine. The tool prevents material overruns when used with intermittent feed machines. Visit www.eraser.com.
Pneumatic Deicer
B/E Aerospace Inc., Wellington, Fla., has introduced Ice Shield 2, an addition to its Ice Shield line of pneumatic deicers. The product is designed for older FAR Part 23 aircraft by Beech, Cessna, Gulfstream and Piper that use sewn-carcass deicers. Visit www.iceshield.com.
Polyester Labels
Tyco Electronics, Harrisburg, Pa., announced white polyester labels for component marking and bar coding. The labels use a white polyester film backed with permanent acrylic adhesive. Visit www.tycoelectronics.com.
Label Printer
The LABELShop 2010-PC printer and MaxiLabel V2 software from K-Sun Corp., Somerset, Wis., allow users to create and print professional labels for safety identification and industrial parts. Visit www.ksun.com.
Interconnection Catalog
Aries Electronics Inc., Frenchtown, N.J., has issued the eighth edition of its short form catalog on interconnection and packaging. Visit www.arieselec.com.
Dual-Wavelength Camera
Sensors Unlimited Inc. (SUI), Princeton, N.J., has introduced what it claims is the world’s smallest camera to simultaneously render images in both the visible and the short-wave infrared spectrum. The Visible-InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) SU320Mvis 1.7RT MiniCamera weighs less than 11 ounces (300 grams) without the lens and features a 320-by-240-pixel array with a 40-micron pitch. The MiniCamera is based on SUI’s proprietary InGaAs focal plane arrays. The sensor has no moving parts and requires no cooling.
The camera simultaneously delivers both a 12-bit digital RS-422 output and an EIA-170 analog video output for display on commercial TV monitors. The dual sensor’s quantum efficiency is greater than 70 percent from 1,000 to 1,600 nanometers, greater than 50 percent at 800 nanometers, and greater than 10 percent at 400 nanometers. It operates on less than 1.6 watts of power and offers non-uniformity correction at eight settings, with 12-bit digital and simultaneous composite video outputs. Currently employed by the U.S. Department of Defense, the camera is suitable for applications such as hyperspectral imaging, laser beam profiling and laser designator imaging. Sensors Unlimited claims that the MiniCamera can replace two-camera configurations in many areas. Visit www.sensorsinc.com.
Dichromatic Switch
The new Vivisun light-emitting diode (LED) dichromatic push-button switch from Aerospace Optics Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, can be programmed with 10 color combinations. The legends can be illuminated in two of any of the five available colors: red, green, blue, yellow or white. This reduces the need to have different colored and coded switches, which simplifies cockpit management. Visit www.vivisun.com.
Test Station
German test specialist Digitaltest GmbH plans to integrate National Instruments software into its In-Circuit Tester MTS30 environment. This allows the MTS30 to be used as a complete in-circuit test station, driven by National Instruments’ LabView or TestStand software. Digitaltest claims the new environment features higher test depth and better debugging. Visit www.digitaltest.com.
Compact PCI Card
A new 6-module, multifunction, single-slot Compact PCI (cPCI) card has been released by North Atlantic Industries, Bohemia, N.Y. The 78CI cPCI card has an interchangeable, modular design that provides extensive diagnostics features and is available in commercial and military temperature ranges. The card can include the functions of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, synchro/resolver, and signal generator, among others. Visit www.naii.com.
Charge Amplifier
The Series 5648 airborne charge amplifier from Columbia Research Laboratories, Woodlyn, Pa., can be used with piezoelectric transducers to form vibration and shock data acquisition systems. The charge amplifiers were designed to be small, require low power and provide biased or unbiased signal outputs. They also are available with a range of low-pass filters for customization. Visit www.columbiaresearchlab.com.
Systems Tester
3M Aerospace has introduced its 900 AST (advanced systems tester). The 900 AST locates and analyzes wiring problems in avionics systems that result from moisture, vibration and age. The tester also features individual tests that group potential problems into different categories and sections. Visit www.3m.com/aerospace.
RF Engine
Securaplane, Tucson, Ariz., has developed a radio frequency (RF) "engine" for sensing, display, control and actuation on commercial aircraft. Equipped with a self-contained rechargeable battery, the RF control and communications system can control many devices and interface with cockpit display systems, Securaplane says. Visit www.securaplane.com.
Intelligent VXI Carriers
Acqiris, Monroe, N.Y., has introduced two new intelligent VXI carriers, the IX200 and the IX202. The single-width, C-size carriers create an interface between Acqiris’ PXI/CompactPCI digitizers and VXIbus through the use of an onboard PowerPC processor with firmware. The VXI carrier allows the company’s PXI and CompactPCI modules to be inserted directly into VXI systems. Visit www.acqiris.com.
Incident Management
Systems Improvement Inc., Knoxville, Tenn., has announced its new TapRooT investigation management system software. It provides a single suite that allows users to report incidents, analyze root causes, develop corrective actions, write and approve reports, and track and validate fixes. Alaska Airlines, among other carriers, is using the software. Visit www.taproot.com.
Pilot Bookshelf
Aviation Supplies & Academics, Newcastle, Wash., has released Checklist For Success, by Cheryl Cage. The book details the airline pilot selection process and takes potential pilots through application and resume preparation to the actual interview. Visit www.asa2fly.com.
Digital Oscilloscope
New from Protek Test and Measurement, Allendale, N.J., come two new digital storage oscilloscopes. Both models have 100 MHz of analog bandwidth, a 250-MS/s (million samples per second) sampling rate, 50-GS/s (billions of samples per second) equivalent time sampling, and a built-in USB port. Model 6810CN has a high-resolution, 256-color video graphic adapter (VGA) liquid crystal display (LCD), while model 6810MN has a monochrome LCD. Visit www.protektest.com.
Custom Fiber
Stratos Lightwave LLC, Chicago, has announced new services and technologies to support users of specialty fiber assemblies. The company will offer specialized fiber lensing, fiber cleaving, fiber metallization, connectorization, device alignment and packaging, which can be used for opto-electronic modules, high-speed sensors and head-up displays. Visit www.stratoslightwave.com.
Thick Film
Perllo Technologies LLC, St. Charles, Ill., has announced a partnership with Extec Integrated Systems Ltd. of Hampshire, UK, to bring Extec’s steel-inked and 3D thick-film hybrid technology to the U.S. market. Extec can deposit thick-film inks onto steel for use in pressure sensors, Peltier coolers and 3D structure applications. Visit www.perllo.com.
Flight Recorders
Heim Data Systems Inc., Belmar, N.J., has announced that its D200f digital flight recorders support the IRIG106, Chapter 10, interface standard (developed by the Range Commanders Council as the new standard for flight recorders). It supports requirements for intervendor playback of data for software-based de-commutation systems and hardware-based telemetry systems. Visit www.heimdata.com.
Flight Ops Software
Media Online Ltd., Prague, Czech Republic, has released Flight Operation System 3.0. The standard edition, for private aircraft owners and flying groups, includes pilot registration, aircraft reservation, maintenance control and reports. The enterprise edition–for flight companies, flight schools and clubs–provides additional services and functions related to training and flight operations. Visit www.mediaonlineglobal.com.
Navigational Charts
Joining the quest to make cockpits paperless, Frankfurt-based Lufthansa Systems has developed the Lido RouteManual for generating en-route navigation and terminal charts, and its Lido eRouteManual, which combines data from onboard avionics with chart data to present map information on an electronic flight bag (EFB). Since September 2004, Lufthansa German Airlines has been using the electronically generated charts produced by Lido RouteManual. Hapag Lloyd has since signed up for the service, and Lufthansa Systems says it is talking to interested airlines in North America and Asia, as well as in Europe.
With information from a worldwide geographic database, notices to airmen, Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs) and other sources, Lido RouteManual can create both paper and electronic charts that include color for text and to show terrain contours. Rather than using computer-aided design (CAD) tools, which can make chart production time-consuming, Lido RouteManual employs geographic information systems (GIS) software, which allows charts to incorporate flight policy information, minima data, tables and other operator-generated information.
Anticipating rules and standards that allow the use of EFBs throughout flight, Lufthansa Systems also has introduced Lido eRouteManual, which can be used on all three classes of electronic flight bag. With Lido eRouteManual software, in addition to presenting static, precomposed charts, the EFB can incorporate Lufthansa Systems’ worldwide database to generate dynamic charts. So, instead of carrying on board a satchel full of paper charts, pilots now can compile just the electronic chart material they need. Through a "listening" function, the system recognizes the flight plan in the flight management system (FMS) and then automatically makes available all necessary approach charts for departure and arrival airports, diversion airports, etc. for the planned route. Linked via an ARINC 429 bus to the FMS, Lido eRouteManual also will access the aircraft’s position to produce an overlay onto a chart. Weather data, too, can be superimposed on the chart. A split-screen feature allows the pilot to see the chart at the top of the EFB display and text information at the bottom. Visit www.lhsystems.com.