Airbus has selected the Ultra-Rugged Airborne CR-6228 28-Port GbE/10GbE Switch and Router from OnTime Networks for its A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.

The CR-6228F0-AER will be part of the A330 MRTT mission management system architecture, providing core capabilities for its secure and highly interoperable digital network system.

Øyvind Holmeide, OnTime Networks' CEO says, “The selection by Airbus is a significant milestone for OnTime Networks and came after extensive testing of our offered solution. The CR-6228 will provide new capability to the A330 MRTT platform to improve situational awareness and network-centric operations for demanding applications in Command, Control, Communications Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. Achieving high-speed 10GbE copper connectivity onboard mission aircraft can dramatically enhance vehicle communication, networking, and sensor integration for mission capability and critical decision-making.”

The high-performance CR-6228 Series is designed to provide a 28-port intelligent switch and software router system for airborne tactical networks in a fully rugged, conduction-cooled, IP68 sealed system, operating from -40°C to +71°C.

The CR-6228 router and gateway supports copper and optical interfaces. With its modular and highly configurable architecture the unit can be tailored to specific client needs, to provide highly secure data, voice, and video communications to stationary and mobile network nodes across wired and wireless links.

The integrated GbE/10GbE switch provides a total of 28 Ethernet ports, of which 24 ports are 10/100/1000 BASE-T ports and 4 ports are 10/100/1000 BASE-T or SR. The CR-6228 Series enables secure managed network routing and GbE switching capabilities for onboard communications and computing subsystems. The unit is specifically designed to provide reliable, high-performance connectivity for extremely demanding size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints in harsh demanding environments (e.g. high altitude, extreme shock and vibration, extended temperatures, humidity, dust and water exposure, noisy EMI, and dirty power).

Its modular, rugged design, enclosed in a completely sealed housing against dust and water ingress (IP68), requires no active cooling and provides MIL-DTL-38999 connectors. The unit features a military-grade power supply for aircraft (MIL-STD-704F) use, as well as MIL-STD-461F EMI/EMC filtering.