AWS and Safran Passenger Innovations bring together a SmartPipe platform for updates between aircraft and the cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Safran Passenger Innovations (SPI) – a global leader for In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity Systems, built an aircraft data connectivity platform called SmartPipe. This scalable, cloud-connected platform provides aircraft operators with the ability to establish connections between an aircraft and the cloud, and communicate with each other to exchange data. Aircraft operators can use this platform to seamlessly interact with a selected fleet of aircraft regardless of their location to perform updates to the passenger entertainment services onboard. Insights from the aircraft can be sent back to the airline to improve the passenger experience.

Advancements in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology is aiming to provide fast affordable coverage across the globe. This technology has transformed virtually every industry, especially those operating in areas without reliable internet connections. Use cases span everything from renewable energy providers managing offshore wind farms, to first responders who need fast and reliable connections during natural disasters, to in-flight connectivity across continents. Organizations of every size are reinventing their operations and business models to serve their customers better. In this blog post, we will discuss the impact of modern connectivity and AWS IoT technology on operations in the aerospace sector.

Over the last hundred years of commercial flight, travelers’ expectations have evolved. Passengers want to be entertained, remain productive, and stay connected with loved ones at every point during their journey. To meet travels’ needs, airlines have to offer the best-in-class service to their passengers, from being able to offer the latest movies to updated meal menus to live gate and transfer information. In order to keep these units updated and functional, airlines need to continuously be able to upload new content and associated software fixes/updates, formally known as User-Modifiable Software (UMS). A UMS component is software within the airborne system that is designed and intended to be changed by the user, whereas a non-modifiable software component is not designed or intended to be changed by the user. Users (such as airlines and operators) may modify UMS within certain modification constraints with approved modification procedures without any further involvement by a certification authority. It is intended that once the system with the UMS has been certified, no further visibility, review, or approval of modifications made to that UMS component is required. Therefore, modification of the UMS by the user should have no effect on the aircraft safety margins, aircraft operational capabilities, flight crew workload, any non-modifiable software components, or any protection mechanisms of the system. To learn more, certification authorities such as FAA have detailed their software approval guidelines.

Operational challenges

Most of the UMS updates to an aircraft are currently performed using SD cards. This hardware-centric process is operationally intensive, involving procurement, storing, uploading authorized software and shipping them to the desired aircraft hub or maintenance location. Like any data storage device, SD cards can experience issues with data integrity. Errors during writing, transferring, or reading data can corrupt the update files – leading to failures during the update process. Human errors during handling, insertion, or removal of the SD card can cause issues. Aircraft systems are highly complex and interconnected, and these UMS updates need to integrate seamlessly across various systems. Even a small discrepancy in the update file or process can cause errors due to the intricacies of the aircraft’s systems. The level of manual effort required to push new content presents a challenge for airlines to make more frequent updates when desired. Additionally, the use of SD cards means that an aircraft has to be at a desired hub or location in order for authorized personnel to perform a task. This can be time-consuming, requires logistical planning, and can add to maintenance timelines.

SmartPipe: the cloud-connected software platform

SmartPipe addresses a distinct operational challenge for airlines and aircraft manufacturers, leveraging modern connectivity and AWS IoT technology to bring together a platform that allows operators to interact with any aircraft to perform authorized operations at any time. The solution offers a streamlined application experience that features fleet-specific selection and secure deployment of content.

“SmartPipe lays a solid foundation for modernizing the way UMS and content is distributed to fleets of aircrafts in a loosely connected environment. It is also the core component enabling SPI to transition to a Managed Services model by establishing an actual compute platform in the cloud. This modernization effort will transform the software development lifecycle (SDLC) for how we build and deploy on-wing solutions,” said Mike Walker, Sr. Director of Software Engineering, Safran Passenger Innovation.

To upload a file onboard an aircraft, an operator can access the fleet management dashboard feature in SmartPipe to select the fleet type, fleet number and the file to be uploaded. This creates a deployment package that contains all the necessary information to perform the task. The package will be deployed using robust CI/CD methodologies. AWS IoT services will continuously manage the state of these deployments as data gets transmitted from the cloud to the aircraft. In an event of unreliable connectivity, data transfers will pause. The application can save the state of the paused transfers and resume when connectivity is restored. This saves bandwidth and costs associated with repeated uploads.

While satellite technology offers its advantages, it can be expensive. Therefore, its usage must be selective. Factors like criticality, size of data, available bandwidth, cost, and time are evaluated, so data transfers can be performed in a cost-effective manner. The platform offers a selection of connection modalities – cellular and/or satellite connectivity – to manage costs.

SmartPipe is bi-directional, which means that the aircraft can continuously send logs, health checks and other data back to the Fleet Management Dashboard for monitoring and prediction.

Reliability of SmartPipe

Security is paramount in designing any solution that goes onboard an aircraft. To meet regulatory and compliance needs, the platform offers a configurable approval workflow for initiation and validation of on-wing deployments by operators and technicians. Proprietary file signature checks are performed to ensure intact deployments. Post deployment, SmartPipe also provides a digital trail of all deployed tasks for auditing purposes. Future iterations of the application will include a scheduling engine, allowing content updates to be staged and scheduled for timely automated deployments. Overall, the SmartPipe platform is designed to be a dynamic, on-wing computing platform with built-in adaptability to change  upload types as use cases evolve. While this blog post presents an innovative solution for aircraft operators to reduce operational burden, the use of existing processes, such as the SD card, remain a secondary option.

Conclusion

This is just the beginning of the innovation in Connected Aircraft as new technologies emerge. With the latest machine Learning and generative AI advancements, data created at the source can be collected, summarized on-the-fly and sent opportunistically by switching between connection modalities. This could significantly drive down data transfer costs, while still making important data available at the right time. Being able to enhance passenger experiences on-demand through a software-defined platform significantly reduces operational overhead, bringing in a new era of travel for all.

View the detailed architecture, and learn more about Safran Passenger Innovations.   If you have a relevant use case in mind, please contact us through the AWS Assistant Bot on the bottom right corner of the page.