for April 7, 2008
IFExpress is available via the web at:
http://www.airfax.com/airfax/ifexpress/
Hot Topic: Second Fiber Optic IFE System Debuted at AIX
For sometime now IFExpress has predicted the second fiber optic IFE
coming. Sure enough, at the AIX in Hamburg last week, Sicma Aero Seat
unveiled their F.O. product. Sicma has been quietly working for the past
three years on this hot development, the design of which is probably
initially intended for Airbus applications. Working in stealth mode, Sicma
evolved this hybrid offering as a result of seat integration challenges.
The Sicma system has four basic building blocks: 1) A 1 GB/sec fiber
backbone, 2) a Seat Interface Box (shown in the picture) that taps the fiber
optic network and supplies a 1 MB per second copper Ethernet signal to the
display (combined with power), 3) The Seat Power Box (not shown above)
supplies display power via the SIB, 4) A Smart Display Unit. The display
unit is very much like a handheld or portable IFE system; however, it is
embedded in the seat and we were advised it is a first generation unit
manufactured in France. The unit contains a 200 GB hard drive that provides
160 hours of movies, 400 hours of MP3 music, 50 hours of short subject
material with 30% capacity remaining. Presently, we understand that the
system/seat has passed 16G testing and exceeds DO160C compliance. Weighing
at 2.6 kilos per seat, the system is roughly half the weight of a standard
IFE offering. The fiber optic network serves to provide a broadcast update
of programming and real time content delivery to the seat display units –
there is no head end server to speak of, but rather, the network acts as a
method to update the content at each seat.
It is our guess that the Sicma product is designed to fulfill an Airbus
desire to have a third offerable IFE vendor. By essentially taking a
portable-like display and embedding it with a fiber optic network Sicma has
developed a low to mid level IFE offering for Airbus. For more information
contact Loic Bouet, Product Manager (pictured) at:
lbouet@sicma.zodiac.com
IFExpress is sponsored in part
by:br>
AeroMoile Makes Personal
Communications A Reality For Passengers
4/7/2008 10:03:54 PM
Aircell Receives Critical FAA
Approvals to Launch Inflight Mobile Broadband Over Its Nationwide Network in
2008
4/7/2008 10:01:00 PM
TriaGnoSys Satellite
Communications Software Selected By Thales For New Inflight Internet Service
4/7/2008 9:57:51 PM
Air France And OnAir Launch
The First Full Mobile Phone Service On Board A Commercial Aircraft
4/7/2008 9:52:27 PM
Airline Industry Executive
John Happ Joins Aircell
4/7/2008 9:42:39 PM
Thales Brings iPod and the
TopSeries IFE System Together
4/7/2008 9:36:42 PM
Thales launches a new
connectivity solution to the In-flight Entertainment market
4/7/2008 9:35:42 PM
Chelton Flight Systems
Installing Software To Allow ADS-B Integration
4/7/2008 9:31:43 PM
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Receives Order for 1,000th eFX In-Flight Entertainment System
4/7/2008 9:25:27 PM
IFExpress is sponsored in part
by:
Insider
trading at Airbus firm
CNN
China
Commercial Aircraft Eyes Boeing, Airbus Turf
Aviation Week
Airbus leads
Boeing in orders, deliveries
Herald Net
GAO throws
out motions to dismiss Boeing tanker protest
Flight Global
Boeing to
make announcement on 787 progress Wednesday
Chicago Tribune
Astro-Med
Signs Contract to Provide Airborne Printers for In-Flight Entertainment
System
CNN Money
Air France
Debuts Cell Phone Voice Service
InformationWeek
El Al goes
on air with TV
Globes Online
Airlines
sign up for mobile phones after voice calls boost
Flight Global
IFExpress is sponsored in part
by:
WAEA
Week in Dubai
4/21/2008 - 4/24/2008
8th
Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2008)
5/20/2008 - 5/22/2008
WAEA
29th Annual Conference and Exhibition
9/8/2008 - 9/11/2008
Aircraft Interiors Expo - Americas
9/9/2008 - 9/11/2008
Aircraft Interiors Expo - Asia
9/22/2008 - 9/25/2008
IFExpress is sponsored in part
by:
