Today saw Astronics Corporation announce the launch of Sierra, its latest portable inflight entertainment (IFE) system, which introduces new features including autonomous operation, open architecture for hosting third-party applications, and comparable performance to fixed IFE architectures. Production deliveries of Sierra will begin in mid-September 2019.
Offered by Astronics Connectivity Systems and Certification (CSC), the battery-operated Sierra system offers 12 hours of operation (as well as dual hot-swappable batteries) and is designed to fit into overhead bins and closets, with minimal installation required.
Key features of Sierra at a glance:
- Low-power Intel AtomTM x86 processor
- Dual band (2.4GHz/5GHz) 802.11ac, Wave 2 Access Point
- Dedicated third 802.11ac radio for wireless networking between multiple units
- Up to 2TB of storage possible with front removable solid-state drive (can also be locked for permanent storage)
- ADS-B in receiver for moving map applications
- Optional PA pause feature (with the addition of a complementary wireless module)
- Automatically disables itself during a cabin decompression event
- Optional power from an external aircraft power outlet (with the appropriate STC)
- 4G/LTE cellular radio – automatically disables radio based on aircraft movement
