Comm and Data System Designed For Business Aircraft
Wingspeed Corporation's XLLink
System was unveiled Tuesday at the AEA Convention in Las Vegas.
Wingspeed officials say their new low-cost, multi-mode voice and
data communications system will provide business and corporate
aircraft access to affordable air-ground communications and to an
open network of flight information services. XLLInk is all part of
Wingspeed's development of the Open Network In The Sky, where
customers can integrate the cockpit and the cabin with their
existing ground-based applications or select the services they want
from the providers they prefer.
"Advanced, low-cost.
air-ground communications will allow the industry to realize the
improvements in safety, efficiency, convenience, and
cost-effectiveness that are so urgently needed in the highly
competitive aviation industry and our increasingly crowded skies."
said Wingspeed President Jim Becker.
Wingspeed's low cost airborne equipment and Open Network In The
Sky complete solution will enable business aircraft operators
to:
- Send and receive text messages between the aircraft anywhere in
the world and any authorized individual with an Internet
connection
- Receive high-resolution NexRad weather radar images and many
other weather and aviation information products in the
cockpit.
- Conduct high quality voice communications from anywhere in the
world.
- Globally track and report real-time aircraft position and
flight data to ground-based operations centers.
- Monitor the status of the aircraft (doors, parking brake.
location etc) anywhere in the world, in flight or on the ground, or
at shutdown with aircraft power off.
- Send and receive textual email from the aircraft using almost
any laptop computer. Monitor stock quotations, sports scores and
other general business information.
- Integrate ground base scheduling and operations software with
forms and date displayed and filled out it the cockpit.
- Add new applications easily that use the XLLink System to
transfer data between the aircraft and ground based computers.
Wingspeed officials claim the XLLink System is a complete
end-to-end solution ranging from the software running on the device
in the cockpit, via the communications link, to the software
running the ground portion of the application. XLLink is comprised
of four major elements:
Avionics Components-The XLLink Aircraft
Communications Unit (ACII) is a multimode box that includes ACARS
and Iridium modems, transceivers and controllers, a GPS receiver,
as well as a seven port Ethernet hub, 12 discreet inputs and 4
discreet outputs allowing for growth and flexibility in the system.
In the cockpit, the XLLink Computer Display Unit (CDII) software
runs on Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) or MFDs turning them into a
data communications terminal.
The ARINC AGARS Network- The AGARS Network
consists of over 350 high-speed, ground-based communication towers
and serves over 7,000 commercial aircraft.
The Iridium Satellite Network - The 66 LEO
Iridium satellite constellation managed by Boeing delivers
continuous communications coverage from anywhere on Earth,
including across the oceans and over the Poles.
Ground-Based Infrastructure - The Wingspeed
ground-based systems maximizes efficiency by enabling heavy
computational processing and data analysis to be completed on the
ground and transmitting the results via the XLLink network to the
aircraft.
Open Network of Service and Information
Providers - Wingspeed is partnering with the premier
vendors of flight information and services. With the Open Network
in the Sky, customers can integrate with their existing
ground-based applications or choose the services they want from the
providers they prefer.
Wingspeed's launch customer will be installing XLLink in 40 of
its commercial jets in Q2, 2004. Voice capability through the
Iridium Satellite Network will be available in Q3, 2004
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