CABIN Electronics.qxp_Finance 23/11/2021 10:00 Page 1
CABIN ELECTRONICS
Can you Enhance Your Cabin Electronics? Irrespective of the aircraft you fly, the cabin electronics options available to you are likely to be significantly improved compared to a few short years ago. Dave Higdon reflects on the market, highlighting a couple of interesting developments…
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nce-upon-a-time, managing what few systems served the main cabin was largely the responsibility of the flight or cabin crew. There were no movies to watch, no Wi-Fi to use, no phone access, and not much more than a coffee cart and pre-packaged meals and snacks to enjoy on the flight. With the dawn of the digital age, operators began to embrace options for in-flight connectivity (IFC) and inflight entertainment (IFE) systems. And with those systems came visions of one-day being able to do virtually everything it was possible to do back at the office on the ground. Gradually the hardware and software needed to manage these new-to-the-cabin options arrived on the market; systems designed to simplify the job of controlling access to, and use of, both IFC and IFE systems. And as the passengers embraced ever more electronic devices, the job of managing access became more complex. Indeed, passengers demonstrated a desire to access the devices they brought aboard, including their cell phones, tablet computers, and notebooks. With so much technology to manage, it’s no wonder engineers today seem to constantly be working on newer, faster and simpler systems to control the access and use of all those devices. Throw in the variety of
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providers and it’s not difficult to see how challenging these design jobs have become.
Installation in General
The time and effort needed to install any of these systems – be it IFC or IFE – can vary widely, depending on the aircraft, the aircraft size, the size and space needed for antennae connecting the hardware to its data source, and any modifications needed to accommodate all the hardware. Indeed, assuring that the antennae are properly spaced and shielded from other radio-frequency sources can be an issue dependent on what other hardware the aircraft already carries. The smart solution, according to provider sources, is to schedule the installation for the downtime required by an annual inspection, or a C- or D-check. Planning the installation around such downtime should give the maintenance technician ample time to gather the appropriate hardware, cabling, and to map the airframe’s other sources of radio-frequency emissions.
The Current State of IFC and IFE
How do you keep the executives and other passengers happy in the main cabin? By ensuring they have the access they’ve come to expect. Hopefully live television www.AVBUYER.com
