Industry rivals DPI Labs and Airshow have joined forces, at least for the time being, to produce a total cabin avionics system for business aviation travelers who need “uninterrupted access to news and amenities worldwide, including satellite-
direct television, inflight entertainment and cabin management functions.”
The partnership came at the prompting of completion and refurbishment specialist Jet Aviation, which turned to DPI (Booth No. 1315) and Airshow (Booth No. 3201) as its choices to create the “next-generation” cabin.
Key to the project is Airshow’s new Tailwind 550 multi-region airborne satellite-
direct television system, interfaced with DPI Lab’s Smart-Link IIIO SL-III cabin management operating system. Tailwind 550, specifically designed for multi-region satellite reception, including the Middle East, uses an antenna with 30 percent greater efficiency than current technology. Satellite reception is over the entire band, from 10.7 GHz to 12.75 GHz, to allow smooth transitions from one geographic service provider to the next by use of multi-region auto-detection technology.
Tailwind 550 interfaces with DPI’s SL-III modular cabin management system. The SL-III orchestrates inflight entertainment (IFE), reading/cabin lighting, air gasper controls and flight attendant call functions in a centrally managed control panel. Scalable architecture makes system upgrades easier.
The SL-III’s IFE system includes near-field multi-channel audio systems for accurate reproduction of high-fidelity source signals. Passengers can independently select from any available entertainment source controlled through the SL-III panel– CD, DVD or satellite feed. The audio system supports up to 32 source inputs, in addition to public address capabilities.
The modular aspect of the SL-III is a feature designed to facilitate maintenance. It also allows DPI technicians the luxury of remote servicing, troubleshooting or upgrading of certain cabin management functions via the Internet whenever and wherever a connection is available.
