Airborne Servers
Kontron launched the next-generation of its ACE Flight 600 general purpose airborne servers product line.
The company said the ACE Flight 600 is specifically designed to meet advanced communication application requirements for Ethernet-based network installations on both linefit and retrofit aircraft. Qualified to D0-160F and optimized for a full range of flight information systems, the enhanced Kontron ACE Flight 600 line is an ideal platform to build applications that include: crew and passenger web servers, flight maintenance or manifest servers, connectivity server, wireless content server and in-flight entertainment servers, Kontron said. The Kontron ACE Flight 600 integrates the dual core 1.5 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR3 memory and up to 1.8 terabytes of combined SATA SSD storage. Visit http://us.kontron.com/
Upgraded Test Bench
Duncan Aviation, based in Lincoln, Neb., is adding an upgraded hydraulic Skydrol test bench to provide additional capacity and capabilities for large-body aircraft and to move work previously outsourced in-house, which improves customer service and decreases project turntimes.
Visit www.DuncanAviation.aero.
HGS App Language
Rockwell Collins’ Head-up Guidance System (HGS) Flight app for the iPad, first unveiled in 2012, is now available with a Mandarin language option.
The HGS Flight app demonstrates the benefits HGS brings to flight operations by letting users simulate flights using real-life advanced features that enable more precise flying. The app also features synthetic vision to allow users to see a virtual view of terrain despite any weather condition, according to the company. Visit www.rockwellcollins.com.
Weather Connectivity
Panasonic Avionics expanded its product and service offering and its global communication network with the addition of AirDat’s real-time weather data and superior forecasting technology.
AirDat’s core technology is its Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) sensor, which collects weather data from the atmosphere during the flight. The data will be transmitted over Panasonic’s Ku-band network and via the Iridium satellite network in real time to the AirDat operations center for analysis, distribution and assimilation into high-resolution models optimized for the real time data stream, the companies said.
Visit www.panasonic.aero.
Onboard Payments
Thales signed a 10-year agreement with GuestLogix, a provider of onboard retail payment technology systems for the travel industry. The partnership allows for the integration of a Transaction Processing Engine (TPE) to the Thales TopSeries in-seat system for secure capture and payment processing.
The GuestLogix system encrypts credit card numbers and offloads all sales transactions to an airline’s selected payment gateway on the ground. Configurable business logic enables payments in real-time when a satellite connection is available, and in offline mode with ceiling limit and hot-list verification. The onboard payment application can also be integrated with loyalty programs, and gift card systems.
The integration is expected to be complete in 2013 at which time the Thales system platforms will be compliant with the PCI and Data Security Standard.
Visit www.thalesgroup.com