Avionics News February 2021 - 41

ground. We do it all on the aircraft. " The inline
cybersecurity monitoring and protection hardware is
small, lightweight, with a simple interface with the
aircraft networks, satcom terminals, and routers. The
AP-250 serves the cabin, and the AP-550 guards the
flight deck.
" Protecting the network is not a once-and-done
activity, " Bartlett said. CCX's new product line
perpetually monitors and defends the aircraft's
onboard network. The three offerings, Secure,
Route, and Connect, configure AP-250 as aviation's
first cybersecurity-focused router, or as an inline
appliance.
" No company that we know of is monitoring the
avionics data buses, " he said. " We created our own
environment and proprietary software, including
custom rule sets that monitor, say, an ARINC 429 data
bus. " Working behind an advanced firewall, CCX's
solutions match the sophistication of the aircraft
network and the data they are collecting.
With or without an active connection with CCX's
secure ground server through automatic encryption
protocols, it contains the security event database and
vulnerability network scanner that provides active
data monitoring and advanced intrusion detection
and prevention. Finally, SystemX supports thirdparty securing information and event management
systems with enhanced ability to achieve FAA/EASA
cybersecurity guidelines.
To achieve this, CCX monitors the parameters
communicated on the 429 network and determines
which ones need alerts if they exceed the rules's
parameters. " Climb rate is an example. If it's over
or under, you generate an alert, " Bartlett explained.
" Or, all of the sudden, your GPS coordinates change
500 miles in half a second. That's way beyond the
aircraft's capabilities, so you want to know what's
going on. We don't get into what caused it, but we
generate alerts when the network systems exceed their
designated parameters. "
In addition to writing the rules and alerts, CCX's
Evaluation Lab offers a number of plans tailored to
an operator's needs, including penetration testing,
cybersecurity audits, and software vulnerability
assessments. The comprehensive penetration and
vulnerability reports include potential fixes for the
risks revealed. The cybersecurity audit discovers
vulnerabilities in the software (both the current version
and new releases) driving an operator's equipment.

Testing Tablet
The T-RX Avionics Tester, pronounced " T-Rex, " is
anything but a dinosaur. " Given what we're doing on the
cybersecurity side, test equipment may seem out in left field, "
Bartlett said. But it was a natural next step. In creating the
cybersecurity solution for the networks or avionics common
to all aircraft, " we realized that innovation has been lacking
on the testing side ... and there is a better way of doing this. "
CCX introduced the self-contained tablet tester with
integrated antennas and a large, sunlight-readable color
touchscreen two years ago at the AEA Convention in Palm
Springs, he said, noting that they are for sale through
the e-commerce page on the company website. " We just
emailed a software update this week that added new
features, including ARINC 429 tests in raw and decoded
formats, in minutes. People are surprised at this, but in our
smartphone world, we're shocked that they are shocked. "
Expecting the battery life question, Bartlett said it averages
10 hours, but it depends on screen brightness and the number
and type of tests run. The transponder test, for example, takes
7 seconds. " At AEA and other shows, we power up in the
morning, and it lasts all day when we demo it. "
With a full range of radio and pulse tests in the tablet's
memory, avionics shops unlock the tests they need with
the purchase of the appropriate license key. The intuitive
interface is not that much different from a smartphone. T-RX
stores test data by aircraft tail number, work order, and
technician. Advanced data collection allows shops to retrieve
stored data with an application-programming interface and
integrate it directly into the shop's electronic work order
system, saving time and improving reporting accuracy.
The T-RX Radio tester unlocks its VOR, ILS, VHF
comm tests, and the T-RX Pulse tester unlocks the Mode
A/C, S transponder, and ADS-B 1090 tests. Most shops opt
for the T-RX RP+, which enables its full range of testing
capabilities, including DME, ELT, TCAS, and ADS-B UAT,
with many adding the optional GPS signal generator.
Like all avionics test equipment, the T-RX must be
calibrated annually. Providing this service " in three days (from
the time we receive it) or it's free, " said Bartlett, is one of the
reasons behind CCX's newly opened U.S. office at George
Walker Field at Bedminster, New Jersey, which eliminates
pandemic shipping delays at the U.S./Canadian border.
" We want to make it as easy as possible for our
customers to get the support they need, whether it's
for our cybersecurity solutions or T-Rex testers, "
Bartlett said. In addition to T-RX calibration, the
office features an advanced technology lab for
product development, testing and troubleshooting. q

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Avionics News February 2021

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