Airborne Telecom
TrueNorth Avionics, Ottawa, Canada, said its "Simphone Chorus" airborne telecommunications system won FAA supplemental type certification (STC) for initial installation on a Global Express business jet.
TrueNorth said the system has two digital channels of Iridium Satcom with office-style PBX functionality, an open architecture, built-in Wi-Fi and high-speed data ports for Inmarsat and other networks. The handset has a full-color display, drop-down menus, noise-canceling technology and a backlit keypad. The company said the STC allows Savannah Air Center in Georgia to also install Simphone on the Global Express XRS and the Global 5000. Visit www.truenorthavionics.com.
General Accelerometer
Jewell Instruments released its LCM 100 Accelerometer, a general purpose accelerometer for industrial, commercial and aerospace applications.
Engineered with micro-machined components, the LCM 100 device is ideal for uses requiring 500G shock resistance and up to 500 Hz bandwidth. Applications include automotive performance testing, seismic monitoring, and machine tool control and flight-testing applications. Visit www.jewellinstruments.com.
Collision Avoidance
L-3 Communications Avionics Systems added Verbal Intruder Positioning (VIP) to its "SkyWatch HP" Collision Avoidance System.
VIP has extended alerts of range, bearing and relative altitude when a Traffic Advisory (TA) is issued for an aircraft. Users hear warnings such as "Traffic — 12 O’Clock High — 3 Miles," in addition to the normal visual display.
SkyWatch HP is an active surveillance traffic advisory system that operates as an air-to-air or ground-to-air interrogation device. After receiving replies to its Mode C type interrogations, the SkyWatch system computes the responding aircraft’s range, bearing, relative altitude and closure rate, predicting potential traffic conflicts within a 35 nm range. Alerts are annunciated through the aircraft’s audio system. Visit www.as.l-3com.com.
Flight Software
Seattle Avionics Software released its "Voyager" Flight Software System version 4.0, which features a re-written charting engine based on the same DirectX technology that Google Earth and Microsoft Flight Simulator use.
The company said the charting engine is effectively real-time, capable of updating the screen more than 50 times a second, depending on hardware. Voyager 4.0 can also display any combination of digital vector data and geo-referenced scanned Sectional and IFR charts. Pilots can plan and fly using geo-referenced Sectionals or IFR enroute charts with overlaid weather, TFRs and aircraft position. Voyager 4.0 merges all Sectional and IFR charts so pilots need not select particular charts to display; they simply pick the type of chart and Voyager does the rest. Visit www.seattleavionics.com.
Engine Monitor
Shadin Avionics, St. Louis Park, Minn., is updating its Engine Trend Monitoring (ETM) system to contain aircraft position through GPS interface, pressure altitude, indicated airspeed, heading, N1, N2, ITT, torque and fuel flow.
In addition, the system will have new features such as USB thumb drive downloading, frequency recording that meets the Pratt & Whitney TBO Extension Service Bulletin for PT6 engines, memory capability for recording engine trending data and minimal installation time.
The "ETM XL" system has FAA supplemental type certification for the engine type instead of the airframe. This will allow for numerous installation opportunities whether the aircraft is fixed-wing, rotorcraft, turbo prop or turbine jet powered.
The ETM XL is in phase one of a three-phase project. Phase one will supply the Engine Mounted data processor with no flight deck display. Phase two will offer the same processor along with a modern, flat-screen display. Phase three will include a primary means engine instrument replacement display that includes engine trend monitoring. Visit www.shadin.com.
Vibration Monitor
PCB Piezotronics, Depew, N.Y., released its Series 660 low-cost, embeddable accelerometers, ideal for continuous shock and vibration monitoring in high volume and commercial OEM applications.
The accelerometers offer high shock survivability, high resolution and large dynamic range. The units employ solid-state piezoelectric sensing elements for durability and broad bandwidth performance. Visit www.pcb.com.
iPod Dock
Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, unveiled two iPod integration systems, allowing business jet passengers to use their iPods and iPhones for entertainment purposes while airborne.
The iPod Solo Station is a docking system for near-seat, side ledge installation. The system allows an iPod or iPhone device to be connected to the cabin management system for charging, remote menu control and sharing of audio and video. The iPod Solo Station consists of a small enclosure in which the iPod can be connected to the cabin system audio/visual system and stowed. The Dassault Falcon will be the launch aircraft for the iPod Solo Station, to be introduced on the Dassault 7X, 900 and 2000 family by the end of 2008. The iPod Quad Station provides an integrated way to dock multiple iPods to the audio visual system. The Quad Station can host up to four iPods within a series of adjoining docking slots, with each iPod capable of routing its audio and video to a different destination, while being independently controlled, Rockwell Collins said. Visit www.rockwellcollins.com.
PCI Mezzanine Card
Quantum3D, San Jose, Calif., released two new models of its Sentiris 4110 PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC) family.
Originally announced in 2001, the Sentiris family provides 2D/3D graphics video capture and display capabilities for embedded visual computing applications deployed in both extended and extreme environments.
The company said the Sentiris card is deployed in ground vehicle, fixed wing, rotorary wing, unmanned vehicle and naval applications, including C2, C4ISR, UAV operator control unit, video surveillance, sensor processing and embedded training. The CD13 (conduction cooled) and CV10 (convection cooled) models are based on an updated implementation that addresses component obsolescence issues, enabling Quantum3D to provide sustained product availability and support for current and new Sentiris customers. Visit www.quantum3d.com.
GPS Simulator
CAST Navigation, Billerica, Mass., is making its GPS simulators, which are being used in government and military labs around the world, available to commercial markets.
The "VIP" line of GPS simulators will share the same quality and flexibility as CAST’s more capable systems. They are based on the same digital architecture, enabling full control of the GPS signal spectrum. The simulators are capable of producing modernized GPS civilian signals such as L2C, L5-I, L5-Q, SBAS and M-noise as well as the recently published civilian signals, L1C-I and L1C-Q.
CAST said the simulators may be used for testing a broad range of applications such as GPS integrated with cell phones, automobiles, ships, commercial aviation, spacecraft and surveying and agricultural tools. The VIP simulator is a PC-based system that is controlled via Ethernet from a Windows PC. It utilizes CAST Windows interface software for remotely controlling simulations. Visit www.castnav.com.
DVD Player
Avionics Innovations, Ramona, Calif., said its remote-mounted, multiregion Integrated Cabin Entertainment (ICE) DVD/CD/mp3 player met DO-160E vibration testing standards when vertically mounted, which the company called a breakthrough for use in helicopter environments. A vertical mounting places more stress on the playback unit’s tracking ability, but the rugged ICE system player passed all test procedures.
Installed with a passenger control unit, the vibration-resistant playback unit is a modular package that can include components such as Sirius satellite radio, video amplifier and an LCD screen. Visit www.avionicsinnovations.com.
Helmet Display
BAE Systems has developed helmet-mounted display (HMD) technology as part of its "Q-Sight" family of helmet displays and tracking products.
The product line were unveiled at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Symposium and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., in October. The HMD system features a lightweight, ergonomic design and increased visibility, flexibility and reliability. Weighing less than 4 ounces, the miniature display clips to any helmet, allowing "plug-and-play" ease of use. BAE said the Q-Sight system features brighter displays, a larger "exit pupil" for pilot viewing and seamless transition between day and night to increase pilot situational awareness and mission capability. Visit www.baesystems.com.