AVIONICS Archives | Aerospace Tech Review

Ilari Neitola Appointed New CEO of QOCO Systems 

Mar 18, 2023

The board of directors of QOCO Systems announced that Ilari Neitola, the company’s founder and current chief technology officer, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Neitola has resigned from his role as a chief technology officer and the chairman of the board. Current CFO and long-time Board member Lauri Jämsén has been elected as the new chairman. 

Markku Nyman has decided to step down as CEO of QOCO Systems. Markku has served the company since November 2018 and as CEO since August 2020.  

“QOCO has transformed from a high domain expertise consultancy driven business to a leading aerospace digitalization SaaS provider with a wider international customer base and QOCO is now ready to enter its next growth period. I was trusted the huge responsibility to steer QOCO the position where the company is today and I am proud and humble to say that together, with all the amazing people I have been honored to work side by side, we did it!  QOCO’s journey will continue from here and as hard as it is when you truly love something, it is now beneficial to whole community – every QOCO employee, customer and partner – that I hand the steering wheel to the next person,” said Markku Nyman.

“QOCO is currently entering into the next phase of its growth strategy. Markku has built a solid foundation to continue, and we are forever grateful to him for his contribution to writing the Company’s story thus far. Markku will continue as a shareholder of the Company, by which he remains passionately committed to the success of QOCO. Our growing number of new contracts and customer base serve as a good indicator of the success of the current strategy. Significant investments in sales & marketing, customer success, and product development have accelerated our market entry activities. As one notable outcome of these investments, we will soon launch our newest product to support the aerospace market and the challenges of data exchange internally and with external partners.” said Neitola.

RTI Announces First Transport Services Segment with FACE 3.1 Conformance Certification and DO-178C DAL A Safety Evidence

Mar 14, 2023

Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the software framework company for autonomous systems, announced that RTI Connext TSS has achieved two industry firsts. It is the first Transport Services Segment (TSS) to receive conformance certification to the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard, Edition 3.1, and it is the first TSS available with RTCA DO-178C Design Assurance Level (DAL) A Safety certification evidence. Connext TSS uniquely delivers a standards-compliant software framework that accelerates the development of modular, open and safety-critical avionics systems.

RTI Connext TSS is the first software framework designed to meet the demanding requirements of data-centric, mission-critical and safety-critical systems. These systems require sharing data in real-time across multiple networks and multiple safety levels, as well as with other system components from different suppliers and operational entities. These critical systems have traditionally required custom, proprietary, single platform integration approaches that are not optimized for scalability, evolvability or ease of integration.

“The U.S. Army PEO Aviation congratulates RTI on their successful FACE Conformance Certification for FACE TSS,” said Mark Chess, CIO Office, U.S. Army PEO Aviation and elected chair of the FACE Consortium. “RTI’s commitment to the FACE Consortium and its expertise in a wide range of hardware and software platforms removes both program cost and risk for delivering best-in-class solutions for next-generation military platforms.”

Connext TSS 3.1 FACE conformance and DO-178C certification evidence were created on top of the DDC-I Deos safety RTOS executing on the North Atlantic Industries, Inc. (NAII) 68PPC2T2080 board. All parties have completed the development of DO-178C DAL A certification evidence for this solution stack. Together, this integrated FACE and DO-178C solution stack with DDC-I, NAII, and RTI provides an immediate commercial foundation for building next generation avionics systems, while reducing both program cost and risk.

“Connext TSS is a critical component of any next generation avionics system,” said Chip Downing, senior market director of Aerospace & Defense at RTI. “Connext TSS coupled with our diverse partner ecosystem accelerates integration while delivering proven real-time performance, scalability and robustness using data-centric, standards-based technologies. It is the obvious choice for platforms requiring both FACE conformance and RTCA DO-178C safety certification.”

RTI remains committed to supporting the FACE ecosystem and leading avionics platforms, ensuring the continuation of additional certifications with FACE 3.1 conformant OSS suppliers, processors and/or board environments. RTI has been a member of the FACE Consortium since 2010, providing unwavering support in the Data Model, Transport Services Segment, and Outreach committees. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3eaFWLi.

ITA Airways First Full-Service Airline to Join Inmarsat and ESA’s Iris Program

Mar 9, 2023

The Italian flag carrier will be the first full service airline in Europe to join the ground-breaking program by Inmarsat and European Space Agency (ESA)

Digitally-connected flights to and from Italy will be available from this summer, as ITA Airways rolls out the European Space Agency (ESA) and Inmarsat’s ground-breaking Iris data link technology to the cockpits of its full aircraft fleet, contributing to airspace modernization in Europe.

ITA Airways will be the first full service carrier in Europe to join Iris. The program enables aircraft to fly more fuel-efficient routes by providing digital satellite communications to complement VHF data link, which is nearing a capacity crunch in congested airspace. Without fast and reliable data links between aircraft and the ground, air traffic managers cannot unlock the 8-10% reduction in CO2 emissions identified by EUROCONTROL from improved Air Traffic Management (ATM). Iris will allow ATM players to better anticipate and collaborate to maximize airspace use, reducing the impact of disruptions for passengers while reducing emissions.

The Italian national carrier will equip its full fleet of new Airbus A320neo and A330neo aircraft deliveries with Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband-Safety (SB-S), the award-winning platform flying on more than 230 aircraft globally, which powers Iris. Its aircraft will also play a significant role in Iris demonstration flights, which will take place across European airspace supported by 14 Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) during 2023.

This news comes as five more airlines have now equipped aircraft with Inmarsat SB-S, after Airbus’ Light Cockpit Satcom (LCS) terminal became available to order in December 2022. Current SB-S users include Virgin Atlantic, Jet2, and Transavia Airlines, in addition to ITA Airways and easyJet.

Across the seven European airlines, 72 aircraft deliveries with Airbus LCS installed are anticipated during 2023-2024. Iris-capable Inmarsat terminals across many more of Europe’s commercial airlines will further support the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) masterplan.

“ITA Airways was born to guarantee Italy quality connectivity with a strong focus on the environmental impact through an important investment made in a homogeneous and technologically advanced fleet, which in 2026 will be made up of 80% of new generation aircrafts becoming the greenest fleet in Europe. We are proud to join the Iris programme, which is fully in line with our growth strategy as it reflects two of the core pillars of ITA Airways: sustainability and innovation,” said Alessio Leone, head of Camo operations, at ITA Airways. “ITA Airways is the first full service carrier in Europe with a new fleet fully equipped with this cutting-edge technology by Inmarsat Aviation, delivering operational and environmental benefits.”

Joel Klooster, Inmarsat Aviation’s senior vice president of aircraft operations and Safety, said “We are delighted to welcome ITA Airways as the second airline to join Iris, coming only months after easyJet was announced as the first airline. This shows the impressive momentum that continues to build around the program as it heads towards commercial service introduction in Europe this year, followed by a full global rollout. Iris will mark a transformational step-change in air traffic management, delivering operational and environment benefits for airlines and the aviation industry as a whole, while also enhancing the flight experience for passengers.”

Javier Benedicto, acting director of telecommunications and integrated applications at ESA, added: “We are proud to support the space-enabled digitalisation of Europe’s skies, which will help to make aviation greener. ESA developed the Iris system in partnership with Inmarsat and we welcome ITA Airways as the first full service carrier and the second airline to sign up to use it. Investing in space improves life on Earth.”

Rolls-Royce Begins Testing F130 Engines for the USAF B-52 Fleet

Mar 8, 2023

Rolls-Royce has launched F130 engine testing at the company’s outdoor test facility at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, U.S. Rolls-Royce F130 engines were selected by the United States Air Force to replace the existing powerplants in the B-52 fleet, with over 600 new engine deliveries expected. This milestone test program is the first time F130 engines have been tested in the dual-pod engine configuration of the B-52 aircraft. Each B-52 aircraft has eight engines in four pods.

The engine testing will focus on crosswind aerodynamic flow as well as confirming the successful operation of the engine’s digital controls system. Early results from the testing have been very positive with additional test data to be analyzed over the next several months.

Rolls-Royce says it is collaborating very closely with the Air Force and Boeing, which is managing the overall engine integration and B-52 aircraft modernization program. The new engines will extend the life of the B-52 aircraft for 30 years. F130 engines are so durable they are expected to remain on wing for the remainder of the aircraft life.

“We are excited to begin this milestone testing program, the first step for what will be decades of successful engine operation for the United States Air Force B-52 fleet,” said Candice Bineyard, director, programs – defence. “Rolls-Royce continues to work very closely with the Air Force and Boeing to ensure the engine testing and integration process run smoothly. This will result in higher fuel efficiency, reduced air refueling requirements, and significantly lower maintenance costs for the B-52 fleet. We look forward to sharing test results with the Air Force and Boeing as the test plan progresses at the NASA Stennis Space Center.”

F130 engines will be manufactured, assembled and tested at Rolls-Royce facilities in Indianapolis, the company’s largest production facility in the U.S. Rolls-Royce has invested $1 Billion in recent years to completely modernize manufacturing and testing facilities in Indiana, as well as for advanced technology.

F130 engines were selected for the B-52 by the Air Force in September 2021 following a competitive selection process. The F130 is derived from the Rolls-Royce BR family of commercial engines, with over 30 million hours of operation and a high reliability rate. It’s a proven, dependable engine with a fuel-efficient design.

SITA’S Datalink Services Aim to Improve Airspace Efficiency in Serbia and Montenegro

Mar 8, 2023

Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services, SMATSA LLC, has selected SITA as its primary datalink service provider to comply with a key European Union (EU) mandate that will modernize its air traffic control communications.

SITA is only one of two providers that can provide compliant datalink services in the EU. Uniquely, SITAcan also offer its services via the new pan-European network service (NewPENS), an upgraded telecommunications network used by many Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) today. SITA is the primary provider of datalink services to 24 EU Member States and a shared provider for a further EU country.

Under the Single European Sky regulatory framework, ANSPs in the EU must deploy Controller–Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) on a modern Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN). SITA was an active participant in the strategic initiatives supporting this move to the CPDLC mandate in Europe. CPDLC is a more reliable digital-based form of communication to complement conventional voice communications.

SITA’s ATN, combined with its multi-frequency VHF Digital Link Mode 2 (VDLm2) solution, will enable SMATSA to deploy CPDLC for all routine air traffic control communications, such as clearances, in the upper airspace. The shift to more text-based messages will help the ANSP increase the efficiency, capacity, and performance of air traffic management as air traffic demand grows.

The digital capability allows for messages to be sent concurrently, and a pre-defined message featurefor receiving/requesting clearances and reporting information. It will enable SMATSA’s air traffic controllers to handle multiple requests and reduce errors caused by misunderstandings between pilots and controllers with voice communications. With improved, increased, and near real-time communication, controllers will have more time to identify aircraft conflicts and offer more optimal routings for aircraft.

Solid Sands Partners with Rapita Systems

Mar 2, 2023

Solid Sands and Rapita Systems have entered into a strategic partnership to develop ways to improve code coverage analysis on parts of the C++ standard library code that are traditionally invisible to coverage analysis tools.

Due to a joint customer that required large-scale coverage analysis for the C++ standard library implementation, the companies were introduced. Now they are seeing possibilities to deepen their offerings to the market of safety-critical applications.

“To the best of our knowledge, we were the first to attempt large-scale coverage analysis for the C++ standard library,” said Marcel Beemster, CTO of Solid Sands. “During this analysis, we found that significant parts of the C++ standard library implementation are implemented by code that is evaluated at compile time. This is an essential feature for C++, which aims to exchange run-time overhead for safety and speed of compile-time evaluation. However, this makes it hard to do code coverage analysis because such analysis is based on recording run-time execution effects.”

Solid Sands, the world-leading provider of testing and qualification technology for compilers and libraries, reached out to many companies that offer coverage analysis solutions and found that, at this time, only some are enthusiastic about tackling coverage analysis for compile-time executed code. Solid Sands believes this is a safety-critical feature.

“As the safety-critical industry evolves to use more modern programing features, it is crucial that verification tools keep up with the pace and support these features,” said Antoine Colin, CTO of Rapita Systems. “We are delighted to work with Solid Sands to achieve this aim by exploring how RapiCover can collect coverage of compile-time code to support the development of Solid Sands’ solutions and our customers’ verification needs.”

Rapita Systems is an international company that develops on-target embedded verification software solutions for customers in the avionics and automotive electronics industries. Their tool RapiCover is now used to jointly look for ways to perform large-scale coverage analysis for the complete C++ standard library.

Solid Sands says this collaboration comes just in time as they are working on launching SuperGuard for C++ at the end of 2023.

RTI and Ansys Partner to Drive Innovation in the Design, Simulation and Deployment of Mission-Critical Distributed Systems

Mar 2, 2023

Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the largest software framework company for autonomous systems, has partnered with simulation software maker, Ansys. This collaboration accelerates the development, testing and deployment of high-performance and high-reliability distributed systems by allowing them to be simulated without their underlying hardware, which may have limited availability or be cost prohibitive.

RTI and Ansys say their customers are designing the most complex products, from autonomous vehicles to advanced medical robots to sophisticated defense systems. The integration of RTI Connext with Ansys SCADE and SCADE Display enables engineers to design and test their systems against real-world scenarios in secure, highly-scalable digital environments, before moving to production stages.

The partnership between RTI and Ansys builds on past collaborative work in avionics and automotive, including the first phase of the Indy Autonomous Challenger, in which university teams created and raced fully autonomous vehicles in a simulated environment. For this challenge, RTI Connext was tightly integrated with the Ansys simulation platform and Ansys SCADE model-based development environment, allowing every team to quickly design, test, rebuild and race their virtual cars on the digital track.

In avionics, RTI and Ansys have teamed to optimize simulation and design of deterministic AI systems, sending streams of high-speed, reliable intelligence to control systems. RTI Connext TSS works seamlessly with the Ansys SCADE Display ARINC 661 Cockpit Display System (CDS) in a Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) conformant environment that uses the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for rapid, lower-cost development. In automotive, the combination of RTI Connext Drive and Ansys SCADE Automotive provides an integrated platform across DDS, ROS 2, AUTOSAR Classic and AUTOSAR Adaptive, enabling software teams to work with the standard(s) that best meets their needs at different points in the innovation cycle.

“Ansys and RTI have a strong strategic alignment in all major industries ranging from aerospace, defense and automotive as well as answering the specific needs for the implementation of autonomous systems,” says Vincent Rossignol, senior manager, product management at Ansys. “RTI provides a certified DDS-based embedded platform which enables users to easily run Ansys SCADE for developing safe, reliable, interoperable and secure embedded systems, which provides our customers with the most efficient environment for their development processes.”

“Our customers are building some of the world’s most critical and complex systems. Using a proven, realistic simulation environment is a critical first step in creating products that perform as designed,” says David Barnett, VP of products and markets at RTI. “Through our work with Ansys, engineers have access to an integrated technology approach to functional application design using real-world, real-time data. This technical alliance is an important milestone to build on our work together in automotive, avionics and other challenging applications.”

Aspen Receives FAA Approval for New Software Release

Mar 2, 2023

Aspen Avionics announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved new software enabling integration of Garmin’s GFC600 digital autopilot with Aspen’s EFD1000 Pro MAX Primary Flight Display (PFD), selected altitude support for Trio and the Bendix/King AeroCruze 100 autopilots and extended runway centerlines on the MFD500/1000 MAX multi-function displays. Additionally, with the new software release the Evolution E5 Dual Electronic Flight Instrument (EFI) is now a TSO’d Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS).

The software unlock package for the Garmin GFC600 digital autopilot upgrade is now available for $1,995 through any Aspen Avionics authorized dealer.

Free features of the new software release (v2.12) also include extended runway centerlines on the Evolution MFD500/1000 MAX multi-function display(s) and is also available through any Aspen authorized dealer. Dealers may charge a fee to cover their labor for the software update.

“Aspen’s Pro MAX PFD coupled with the Garmin GFC600 autopilot enhances and expands the basic autopilot function and streamlines the controls, reducing workload and removes the need for some external adapters. When combined with all the features and benefits of Aspen’s glass panel technology, flying becomes easier and safer, especially for single pilot IFR missions,” said Mark Ferrari, vice president of sales and customer support. “We have been working diligently to ensure the owners who currently have a digital autopilot or are considering replacing their analog autopilot have a cost-effective, highly robust and easy-to-use glass display at an affordable price point.”

FAA Certifies Garmin GI 275 Electronic Flight Instrument for Airbus AS350 Helicopters

Mar 2, 2023

Garmin gained a Supplemental Type Certification (STC) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the GI 275 electronic flight instrument in Airbus AS350 helicopters. The GI 275 is a scalable approach to an avionics upgrade that is a direct replacement for a variety of legacy primary flight instruments in the cockpit, including the primary attitude indicator, course deviation indicator (CDI), horizontal situation indicator (HSI), or the multi-function display (MFD).

The GI 275 is intentionally designed to take advantage of the common 3.125-inch flight instrument size, which Garmin says helps reduce installation time and preserves the existing instrument panel. Its bright, high-resolution touchscreen display and wide viewing angle offer clear readability in the cockpit. In addition to interfacing with the flight instrument via the touchscreen, a dual concentric knob allows pilots to access a variety of key functions. Suitable as a direct replacement to many aging flight instruments, Garmin says the GI 275 is easy to incorporate into a variety of panels and offers operators a simple and straightforward upgrade path to achieve modern flight instrument features and functions.

When installed as a primary attitude indicator, the GI 275 offers improved reliability, potential weight savings and reduced maintenance compared to less reliable, vacuum-driven attitude indicators. Optional Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology (HSVT) overlays a rich, 3D topographic view of terrain, traffic, obstacles, power lines, airport signposts and more, all within the GI 275 attitude display. Additional features include the display of outside air temperature, groundspeed, as well as true airspeed and wind information on the attitude indicator, and wireless functionality like sharing of GPS position and backup attitude information to the Garmin Pilot mobile application.

When installed as a CDI or HSI, the GI 275 is designed to accept a variety of GPS and navigation inputs, allowing up to two GPS sources and two VHF navigation sources. The GI 275 features an Omni Bearing Resolver that allows the flight instrument to interface to a variety of legacy navigators on the market without the need for an expensive adapter. With an optional magnetometer, it is also capable of providing magnetic-based HSI guidance. The HSI can also provide enhanced features such as map inset and traffic, terrain or weather overlay. Selecting the CDI source is simple and can be accomplished through the touchscreen interface, while course and heading selection is completed using either the touchscreen or dual concentric knob.

When AS350 owners replace an older mechanical CDI or HSI, the GI 275 doubles as a modern digital indicator and adds MFD-like capabilities such as a moving map2, weather2, traffic, obstacles, WireAware power lines, SafeTaxi airport diagrams and five-color terrain shading. For backup navigation information, a built-in VFR GPS enables convenient direct-to navigation guidance, displaying aircraft position information on a moving map. HTAWS (Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System) is available on the GI 2753 and offers forward-looking terrain and obstacle avoidance (FLTA) capability to alert in advance where potential hazards may exist. The GI 275 can also be paired with Garmin’s GRA 55 or GRA 5500 radar altimeters, or other select third-party products, to display altitude Above Ground Level (AGL) while also providing visual and aural annunciations to the pilot.

Rose Joins Universal Avionics as U.S. Southeast Regional Sales Manager

Mar 2, 2023

Universal Avionics (UA) announced the appointment of Paul Rose to the U.S. sales team. Rose is based out of Melbourne, Florida, joining the company as Southeast U.S. regional sales manager supporting its customers and the authorized dealer and integrator network in that region.

Rose is a United States Air Force Veteran with 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. He held various leadership positions with Bombardier, EMS Satcom, Embraer, and Banyan Air Service, where he served corporate and military customers across North and South America. His background includes engineering, STC development, all facets of technical sales and marketing, and a former DER position. He has served on numerous avionics and maintenance advisory boards.

“Paul Rose brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to UA’s U.S. ales team,” said Don Milum, director of North American aftermarket sales. “He is well known in the industry and will make a great addition to our stellar North American sales team,” he added.