Avionics News March 2021 - 43

With so many IFE options, an install configuration made sense of the final selection of components.

carry-on HDMI sources to the existing cabin system.
" The Gogo equipment is kinda sandbox; it doesn't easily
play well with other things, so it could not be the cornerstone
of this project, " Ford said. " Literally, for two years at NBAA,
we walked the floor with the customer asking, what's the
solution here? " During their perambulations, they talked with
the people at Innovative Advantage of Kirkland, Washington.
Established in 2005, IA manufactures high-bandwidth cabin
network systems. " They are in all the new Gulfstreams, " said
Ford, providing high-definition audio and video to every seat
or cabin monitor in the aircraft over a gigabit Ethernet on a
fault-tolerant fiber optic loop. Given their success in equipping
new aircraft, they said it would be an excellent backbone for an
aftermarket install, Ford added, " and they were really excited
when we presented the Challenger 604 project to them. "
The timeline for this project was five weeks. " The airplane
was in for some small maintenance, but the IFE mod really
drove the schedule, " Ford said. " We didn't have to gut the
cabin or run new wires or fiber, but with the avionics, Gogo,
and monitors, it was a big install for the time, especially for
the inaugural effort. "
Working with IA, ACI was able to create a road map for
integrating the desired technology in the cabin in a minimally
invasive way, Ford explained. This avoided extensive cabin
reconfiguration, thereby minimizing the need for expensive
woodwork. Referring to it as the cornerstone, backbone

and bridge, what made this project possible was Innovative
Advantages' AVDS (Audio Video Distribution System) Node
box that connects to and distributes the Gogo L5 input as well
as the other AV sources.
" This IFE backbone unlocks something totally unique in
that it offers an incremental approach to upgrading a cabin, "
Ford said. " The system is capable of anything as small as a
single device upgrade for high-definition video up through a
multidevice, multihub cabin management system, and anything
and everything in between. " Except for a one-way connection
that provides 3D position and velocity data for the cabin
displays, the network is separate from the cockpit network.
The node does all the switching between the HD sources,
connecting them to the HD monitors. Working with the
existing wiring, it takes inputs from the existing cabin switch
panels, including analog sources such as standard-definition
Direct TV. " It can be an addition that brings more to the
existing cabin system, " said Ford, and it will help operators
deal with obsolescence because they can remove inoperative
and unrepairable components so the only component that
remains is the AVDS.
Each AVDS node holds eight cards that handle specific
input and output tasks, and the network accommodates as
many nodes as it takes to meet the airplane's needs, Ford
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Avionics News March 2021

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