Project Introduction:
Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS) help improve communications and keep passengers constantly informed of travel information. To manage the heavy and ever increasing passenger traffic, an airport in the Middle-East needed terminal-wide FIDS that broadcasted information from a constantly updated database to numerous multimedia displays placed strategically throughout passenger facilities. These indoor displays needed to supply timely information regarding flight arrivals/departures, gate assignments, waiting hall locations, baggage area assignments, and weather forecasts—as well as entertainment and advertising content. Considering the airport handles millions of passengers per year, a reliable mission-critical solution was needed. Any potential onsite technical problems could cause serious consequences that might disrupt the operation of the airport.
System Requirements:
- Powerful processing for displaying, and controlling digital multimedia in various formats
- High quality graphics, low power consumption and efficient thermal cooling
- An excellent TCP/IP LAN solution through which the FIDS database, input terminals, and display monitors all connect for real-time display
- Simple maintenance and great reliability, stability, and connectivity
- Compact form factor
- Future proof system
Project Implementation:
To provide passengers and visitors with real-time information, the FIDS displays were integrated with AIMB-210 miniITX motherboards inside. The FIDS displays receive data directly from the airport’s central FIDS server regarding flight schedules, luggage claim locations, weather reports, advertising and other public-related information, and the FIDS display information placed in vertical or horizontal orientations. Because of their highly compact design, the AIMB-210 was easily integrated into each display. In the airport application, Advantech developed customized API, and additional display features to support FHD (Full High Definition) resolutions for larger displays. Additionally, Advantech co-developed and provided dedicated applications to deliver entertainment content such as daily news as well as advertising. Featuring real-time displays, the FIDS database, input terminals, and display monitors are all connected via a TCP/IP compliant LAN. The AIMB-210 fanless and energy efficient design ensures utmost reliability, keeping passengers constantly updated with flight information and announcements at a glance.
System Diagram:
Conclusion & Benefits:
AIMB-210 high performance miniITX industrial motherboards proved to be perfect solution for the FIDS display at the airport. Dual independent displays, rich I/O, support for DDR2 up to 2 GB, and of course Advantech’s renowned industrial reliability, made these boards ideally suited to the airports’ current and future requirements. The AIMB-210 also demonstrated its flexibility with the addition of customized APIs and apps, which fitted the airport environment perfectly.
Advantech technology created an intelligent FIDS display that showcases passenger information and entertainment news.
The system has been successful, with several key benefits:
- Improved safety and information for passengers
- Industrial reliability and high quality graphics
- Low power consumption
- FIDS display can be placed in vertical or horizontal orientations for any need and space typology
Source: Advantech
