Cabin Connectors
Deutsch, of East Sussex, U.K., introduced the Deutsch 369 connector series for the aerospace industry and other harsh environment applications.
The Deutsch 369 series has been developed primarily to meet the requirements of civil aerospace cabin system applications including cabin and seat lighting, panel-break interconnection, oxygen and emergency systems, passenger power and seat actuation. The 369 is designed for applications where shielding is not required and fewer contacts are needed. The connectors have been designed so that each mated half can be configured with either male or female contacts, so doubling the number of available keying configurations and ensuring that the contacts on the powered side of the system are electrically protected.
The connectors are fully sealed at both the cable and the mating interface. Rated at IP67 the connectors feature excellent fluid resistance, vibration tolerance and temperature rating (-55 to +175 C). Visit www.deutsch.net.
Software Upgrade
Appareo Systems, of Fargo, N.D., released several updates to its Aircraft Logging and Event Recording for Training and Safety (ALERTS) flight data software products.
ALERTS, a Flight Operations Quality Assurance and FDM system designed for light and legacy aircraft, has an enhanced AS Web Analyzer software component with the addition of the ability to use above ground level elevation as a parameter for event triggers. This addition allows operators to create elevation-based event triggers based on a detailed terrain model, the company said.
AS Flight Analysis Software, Appareo’s 3-D visualization software, has also been given enhanced terrain detail. AS Flight has also been updated with a high-resolution color imagery source.
Visit www.appareo.com.
Digital Media System
Rockwell Collins introduced a digital replacement solution for tape-based in-flight entertainment systems. Rockwell Collins said its Digital Media Reproducer is a form-fit-function, digital head-end replacement for video tape reproducers.
The plug-and-play unit offers a quick solution for modernizing the cabin in-flight entertainment without overhauling the entire system, the company said. It addresses the need for airlines to move to a more reliable, higher-quality digital platform. Visit www.rockwellcollins.com.
UAV Video Transmitter
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Cobham has introduced a dual stream video transmitter, called M2TE (Messenger 2 Transmitter Enhanced), for use on unmanned aerial vehicles.
The M2TE is a miniature video transmitter with AVC/h.264 video encoding for dual input HD or standard definition (SD) video and data programs. The technology supports any combination of HD or SD video using HDSDI, SDI or composite camera inputs from 1080p 60 fps down to 480i/576i (NTSC or Pal). Control is provided via the local panel or remote LAN Web Server or serial interface. It measures 3.6 inches by 3.12 inches by 0.75 inches and weighs 10 ounces. It has a range of 5 or 10 miles on L-Band with a dual or single video feed and simple patch antennas at the receiver. With the addition of a miniature VEPA 2W RF Power Amplifier, the range is increased to 15 or 30 miles with dual or single video feed. Visit www.cobham.com.
VxWorks Support
Objective Interface Systems (OIS), of Herndon, Va., said its ORBexpress product supports Wind River’s VxWorks 6.9 real-time operating system (RTOS) with Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) on multicore platforms.
Wind River’s VxWorks 6.9 platform features multicore support capabilities within the operating system, network stack and development tools. ORBexpress has a multi-threaded communications architecture that scales in a multicore environment. By implementing ORBexpress on VxWorks 6.9 RTOS, developers can move their application to a multicore environment without rewriting their code, according to the company. ORBexpress supports VxWorks 6.9 on a variety of processors including the x86, ARM, PowerPC and other processor families. Visit www.ois.com.
Comm Partnership
Thales announced a customer support partnership with FlyteComm, of Mountain View, Calif., a provider of real-time situational awareness technologies.
The Thales Airline Operations Center (AOC) is a 24/7/365 on-call support facility, with a network infrastructure that tracks and manages aircraft and provides global visibility of an airline’s service operation.
With FlyteComm’s technology, dynamic tracking of aircraft flying with the TopSeries in-flight entertainment and communications system is enhanced through its “real-time remarks” capability.
FlyteComm’s partnership with ARINC provides Thales customers the option of sending ACARS messages from the cockpit directly to the Thales AOC, via a secure FlyteComm service that gives Thales an immediate status of the on-board TopSeries system. This communication technology enables Thales to recognize the aircraft type, system issue and provide efficient service, spares and support at the identified destination airport, according to Thales.
Visit www.thalesgroup.com.
Avionics Consortium
Presagis, based in Richardson, Texas, has joined the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium.
The FACE Consortium, founded in July 2010 by The Open Group, is working towards developing the standards for a common operating environment, allowing a more dynamic extension of capabilities across avionics platforms. The final open architecture and supporting standards created by the group will be adopted by government agencies for future avionics capability procurements.
As a part of the consortium and adhering to the standards, Presagis said it will empower its customers with FACE-compliant software tools.
As a member of FACE, Presagis will be working with the U.S. Navy Air Combat Electronics Program Office, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research and Engineering Center, and defense industry avionics suppliers, including Lockheed Martin, NAVAIR, Rockwell Collins, ATK, Boeing, Elbit Systems of America, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, as well as the U.S. Army AMRDEC, towards a common purpose to create a technologically appropriate, open FACE architecture, standards, and business model.
Visit http://opengroup.org.
Flight Control Computer
Curtiss-Wright Controls Electronic Systems introduced the Versatile Flight Control Computer (VFCC), a high-performance, low-power conduction-cooled embedded processing system optimized for size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) in deployed airborne commercial and military applications, according to the company. It applies to an array of applications including flight controls, vibration management, engine controls, mission computing and actuator control.
It combines a multi-processor architecture and small form factor design. It provides dual 600MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor clusters, dual TMS320C64x+ DSP processors, and three Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGAs with 1GB of data to non-volatile memory. The fully enclosed unit supports a range of configurable off-the-shelf I/O interfaces including ARINC 825, RS-422/485, USB 2.0, ARINC 429 receive, analog inputs with excitation outputs, synchronization discretes, discrete inputs/outputs, dedicated solenoid drivers and 10mA servo valve drivers.
Visit www.cwcelectronicsystems.com.
Charts App
Navtech, of Toronto, launched an Apple iPad app, Navtech iCharts, which will expand support for viewing electronic aeronautical navigation charts from Windows-based EFBs and tablet devices to the popular iPad platform, the company said. The app is free and available via the iTunes App Store.
Navtech iCharts is a fully functional chart-viewing application that enables pilots and airlines subscribing to Navtech Charts to utilize the power of the iPad in their operations. The app allows individual pilots to organize their charts by creating “Favorites” and rearranging the charts in whatever order is convenient for them. Visit www.navtech.aero.
Software TSO, STC
Aspen Avionics, Albuquerque, N.M., received FAA technical standard order (TSO) and supplemental type certification (STC) approval for Version 2.3.1 Evolution Software for its flight display product lines. This latest software release adds many features and refinements to both Evolution Primary and Multi-function Flight Displays, and expands the number of supported third party interfaces with the new ACU2 analog converter option, according to the company.
Version 2.3.1 Evolution Software adds automatic or one-touch airport taxi diagram presentation at system start up and after landing and one-touch access to Terminal Procedures, METARs and TAFs for the Departure, Destination and Nearest airports.
Visit www.aspenavionics.com.
HD Voice
TrueNorth Avionics, of Ottawa, Canada, introduced HD Voice (HDV), an enhancement to its Simphone OpenCabin phone system.
TrueNorth’s digital HD Voice also offers more robust and reliable faxing over Inmarsat Swift Broadband. The Airbus Corporate Jet Centre is the launch customer for HD Voice aboard its series of A319CJ aircraft, followed by a B777 business aircraft installation. HD Voice can also be retrofitted to existing Simphone OpenCabin systems, with no additional hardware units required, according to the company.
Visit www.truenorthavionics.com.
Connector Demo
TE Connectivity introduced The Future Unleashed Demo Box, which offers high-reliability connectivity system for integrated wire cable and advanced connector applications.
The demo box showcases product applications in three main areas:
–– The input/output panel features the latest in nanominiature and microminiature, fiber-optic, RF and high-speed copper connectors.
–– The power distribution area demonstrates a range of high-reliability relays and contactors suitable for the rigors of mission-critical operations. These devices range from signal level to high current.
–– The card cage area features a wide variety of board level interconnects as well as a selection of signal-level relays. The high-speed interconnects include industry standard VPX VITA 46 backplane connectors, VITA 66 fiber optic models and also VITA 67 multi-position RF modules.
Visit www.te.com.
Ethernet Switch Module
North Atlantic Industries (NAI), based in Bohemia, N.Y., introduced a rugged 12-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module. The H2 supports 16 KB jumbo frames, 802.1P QoS or DiffServ/ToS priority queues, 802.1Q VLAN, Port Aggregation, Spanning Tree, Rapid & Multiple Spanning Tree, NAT, Port Forwarding, DNS, DHCP and Firewalling. The module can be mounted on a 3U cPCI or 6U VME rugged board.
The company said the H2 enables system integrators to link Ethernet-based communications, control systems and sensor data across a broad range of application-ready subsystems, including unmanned aircraft systems.
Visit www.naii.com.
Software Support
The AceXtreme MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 hardware and software packages from Data Device Corp. (DDC), of Bohemia, N.Y., now support all popular versions of Windows, including 32/64 bit Windows Vista and 32/64 bit Windows 7.
DDC is offering three licensing options for customers –– USB Dongle for ultimate mobility; Node Locked; and Network License, which offers distributed networking flexibility across multiple lab. The options are available for all DDC Data Bus Analysis Software Packages, including dataSIMS, BusTrACEr, Commercial Avionics Utilities and LabVIEW.
Visit www.ddc-web.com.
Display STC
Pro Star Aviation, of Londonberry, N.H., received FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the installation of the Garmin GMX-200 Multi-Function Display and optional GDL-69 XM Satellite Weather Receiver for the Cessna 560 Excel and 560XLS platforms.
The Garmin GMX-200 provides situational awareness information using moving maps, advisory terrain awareness, obstructions and VFR/IFR charting functions. Garmin SafeTaxi airport diagrams will provide MAP, IFR, VFR, FIS and the SPLIT functions. The optional GDL-69 will provide NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, TFRs, precipitation type at the surface, lightning strikes, storm-cell data, EchoTops, Sigmet, Airmet and other information, depending on the selected subscription.
Visit www.prostaraviation.com.
AIP Partnership
Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen and Germany-based Avitech formed a partnership to offer ICAO-contracting states a means of managing electronic Aeronautical Information Publications (AIP).
The companies said the partnership will make it easier and faster for states to produce ICAO-mandated AIPs and will enable their transition from traditional product-centric provision of Aeronautical Information Service to more data-centric and systems-oriented aeronautical information management solutions by combining Jeppesen’s aviation data expertise and Avitech’s aviation systems experience. Visit www.jeppesen.com.
Processor
GE Intelligent Platforms, of Charlottesville, Va., introduced the IPS511 Rugged Situational Awareness Processor. It is designed to provide ground vehicles, aircraft, remote unmanned platforms and security and surveillance systems previously-unattainable at levels of 360° situational awareness. It is a single board solution housed in a rugged chassis and is characterized by its small size, weight and power attributes, according to GE.
The IPS511 merges video signals from multiple sensors into an interactive panoramic image which can be displayed on one or more monitors.
The IPS511 can process up to 12 video signals selected from up to 16 analog video inputs, and supports two independent operator displays. Other features include static and dynamic picture-in-picture overlays for simultaneous scene overview and detail; a symbolic overlay that can be used to display direction information, navigational and vehicle data; video snapshot recording for a permanent record of events; and remote calibration. Visit www.ge-ip.com.
Airport Lighting
New Bedford Panoramex Corp. (NBP), of Claremont, Calif., received a contract to develop a lighting system to replace legacy Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) systems with up to 400 systems powered by LEDs.
NBP said it anticipates the first wave of PAPIs will be deployed at airports in spring 2012. In addition, the company said it plans to introduce the Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System in the near future to provide a wider range of green, energy saving options for airports. Visit www.nbpcorp.com.
Systems Integration
SkyTrac Systems, of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, integrated its ISAT system with EuroAvionics and the Rescue Track monitoring and dispatch software produced by Convexis GmbH of Germany. This system is being used by German air rescue DRF Luftrettung, in its fleet of about 50 helicopters that operate in Europe, and has most recently been implemented for the Polish Medical Air Rescue.
The SkyTrac ISAT system is installed on the aircraft in conjunction with the EuroAvionics EuroNav Situational Awareness system. The EuroNav system is integrated with the onboard radar altimeter and the ISAT, which then sends GPS position data via the Iridium satellite network to be viewed in the Rescue Track software. The dispatch centers monitor the real-time position and mission status of the aircraft on a secure website. Dispatchers can see where the helicopters are located at all times and are able to plan missions accordingly, the company said.
Visit www.skytrac.ca.
Autopilot Interfaces
Garmin, of Olathe, Kan., introduced autopilot interfaces for the G600 and G500 flight displays, providing compatibility with the S-TEC DFCS autopilot and gyro emulation for the Century autopilot. This upgrade for the S-TEC DFCS 2100/1500 autopilot allows the G600 and G500 to provide AHRS/ADC inputs, perform heading bug coupling, NAV/GPSS coupling and full approach capability, including ILS and LPV precision approaches. This allows for the removal of older attitude sources for the DFCS 2100/1500 with the installation of dual G600 or G500 systems, the company said.
In addition, Garmin’s GAD 43 adapter unit for the G600 and G500 has been upgraded to add support for attitude emulation for the Century 21, 31, 41 and 2000 autopilots, allowing for the removal of the older Century mechanical gyros.
Visit www.garmin.com.