Customer Needs

• Comprehensive network monitoring • Essential it was non-intrusive • No data / packet loss • Time critical solution

Solution Components

• 10/100 Critical TAPs • Critical Combination TAPs • FdXplorer Bus Analyser • Thales Hardware • Bespoke IMA (Internal Modular Avionics) software

Results

• Zero impact on monitored data • Facilitated “work around” whilst using commercial    Ethernet switches, allowing earlier testing. • Able to complete vital testing under tight timescales • Flexibility to complete multiple test scenarios

“The choice by Airbus in using Critical TAP technology at the centre of their test bed has once again proven to be a vital component for a major corporate client” Alastair Hartrup Managing Director, Network Critical Solutions

About Airbus

• Established: 1970 • Based: Toulouse, France • Employees: 52,000 • Turnover: 20 billion euros • Shareholders: EADS (80%) BAE Systems (20%) • European Operations: France, Germany, Spain, U.K. • Field offices: 130 • In-service Airbus fleet: 3,700

“The use of Critical TAPs across multiple rigs has enabled us to complete all our first flight test objectives on schedule” Graham Phelps System Test Lead Engineer, Airbus

Customer Experience: Airbus

Aircraft giant meets all testing deadlines for the Airbus A380, supported by the use of Network Critical TAPs

Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer that consistently captures around half of all orders for airliners with more than 100 seats. Their product line-up, which covers a full spectrum of 12 aircraft models, from a 100-seat single-aisle to the largest civil airliner ever, the double-deck A380, defines the scope of their core business.

The company's mission is to provide the aircraft best suited to the market's needs and to support these aircraft with the highest quality of service.

In 2004, Airbus achieved a turnover of some 20 billion Euros and provided support for the highly reliable operation of the more than 3,300 Airbus aircraft in use with more than 250 operators around the globe. To date, Airbus has received more than 5,200 orders from some 204 customers.

As part of the comprehensive testing process for the Landing Gear, Fuel, Braking, Steering and Avionics Network systems for the acclaimed A380 aircraft, Airbus selected a range of Critical TAPs to aid the deployment, capture and subsequent monitoring of this vital data, via the specialist avionics bus analyser FDXplorer.

Rationale

The rationale behind the use of the high quality Critical TAPs across the numerous test rigs was to ensure a simple yet secure, non-intrusive method of capturing the data generated by these "mission critical" sections of the aircraft. Due to the capabilities of the Critical TAPs, Airbus were also able to use them to resolve a number of limitations they were experiencing with the in-house COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) switches, in looping back data to the transmitter, as required by the aircraft implementation.

Additional Capability

With the world's media watching closely, it is vital to Airbus that the A380 aircraft's design, test and build schedule runs smoothly. With this in mind Graham Phelps, System Test Lead Engineer for the aircraft giant, commented "I'm delighted to say the use of Critical TAPs across multiple rigs has helped us to complete all our first flight test objectives on schedule, whilst at the same time offering us the additional capability to resolve some of the inherent limitations of layer-2 switches."

Ongoing Commitment

Following on from the A380 test rigs, Airbus is now working closely with Network Critical on the tapping technologies required for the testing processes associated with the new A400M military aircraft.