Preparing engineering in designing next-gen infotainment systems

Today’s aircraft are more connected than ever before, creating opportunities for airlines to delight passengers with high-clarity, high-speed communications experiences. To improve the passenger experience, engineers are increasingly looking for opportunities to integrate more electronic components — like connectors, relays, fibre optics and especially sensors — into the aircraft. Sensor data is becoming important for improving safety, convenience and overall aircraft performance. But, space is a precious commodity on commercial aircraft. Achieving the connectivity that passengers and engineers desire requires making infotainment systems a component of the larger avionics system.

Like existing avionics systems, next generation infotainment systems must be able to withstand harsh conditions like extreme temperatures and vibrations, exposure to the elements, and electromagnetic interference (EMI). To do this while meeting the demands for higher bandwidth, engineers are using smaller, ruggedised components that can offer higher speeds while maintaining reliable operation.

TE’s new white paper explores the ways that commercial aerospace engineers can meet the demand for faster systems, integrate more electronic components into existing systems, and select the right components for their application. The authors situate commercial aerospace trends within a bigger conversation about next-generation infotainment systems in cars, mass transit systems and smart city infrastructures. Cross-market mega trends like 5G and IoT-thinking are identified as critical enablers of the robust, end-to-end connectivity that will integrate tomorrow’s infotainment systems into larger information technology ecosystems.

Engineers can explore these trends, watch videos and view the components that can help them create next-generation infotainment systems in TE’s ‘Next-Generation Infotainment Technology’.