The Matrx Galaxy System - Scalable Wireless Networking

Background
Founded in 2001, Matrx Broadband Technologies was formed with a single vision: to provide an unsurpassed broadband wireless experience to passengers and crew aboard commercial aircraft.  Matrx designed the Galaxy system from the ground up to address the challenges inherent in single aisle and wide body commercial passenger airliners.

System Description
The Galaxy System is intended to provide core wireless cabin infrastructure.  Passenger connectivity, In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) and off-aircraft communication are all facilitated by the Galaxy System.  Lightweight, modular components, minimal installation constraints, straightforward system expandability and ease of integration are just a few of the advantages of the Matrx Galaxy System.  Figure 1 illustrates the basic components of a Matrx Galaxy System.

Minimally, a Galaxy System must include the following components:
• Galaxy 802.11b/g Module
• Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna
• Galaxy Network Manager

Galaxy 802.11b/g Module
802.11b/g (Wi-Fi) represents the most popular form of consumer wireless data communication in use today.  The Galaxy 802.11b/g Module is designed around a multi-channel intelligent wideband radio chipset which uniquely provides complete spectrum monitoring and management.

The Galaxy 802.11b/g Module supports simultaneous communications on the three non-overlapping 802.11b/g channels in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. The Galaxy 802.11b/g Module is capable of an aggregate raw data-rate of up to 162 megabits per second.  Attainable aggregate throughput is approximately 60 megabits per second.

Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna
The Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna was specifically designed for use in aircraft environments.  It exhibits exceptionally uniform signal propagation characteristics throughout the entire aircraft, effectively reducing system power requirements.   The antenna ensures excellent wireless link quality while operating over the broad frequency range from 400 MHz through 6 GHz.  The Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna supports all international cellular telephony bands, allowing for mobile phone system integration without requiring the installation of additional antennas.

Galaxy Network Manager
The Galaxy Network Manager incorporates sophisticated client and channel management features unattainable with other wireless architectures. These features include: Load Balancing, Dynamic Spectrum Allocation, Dynamic Traffic Shaping, continuous Interference Detection and Mitigation, extensive Quality of Service guarantees and a wealth of Advanced Security options.  Network traffic routing and switching are also managed by the Galaxy Network Manager.  Galaxy Network configuration, monitoring and control is straightforward and intuitive, using the Galaxy Network Manager’s remotely accessible graphical user interface.

Galaxy 802.11a Module
The Galaxy 802.11a Module is a key component for system expandability and scalability.  Up to twenty seven 802.11a channels may be added to the cabin wireless system using this single module.  Channels may be added incrementally to increase system capacity as needed.

The Galaxy 802.11a Module significantly augments system wireless bandwidth by adding the 5 GHz 802.11a band.  Fully populated, the Galaxy 802.11a Module will add an additional 1458 megabits per second of raw throughput, providing approximately 540 megabits per second of additional, useable throughput1.  This system augmentation affords more than enough bandwidth to support the most demanding wireless applications, including wireless in-flight entertainment systems offering literally hundreds of high quality Video on Demand (VOD) and Audio on Demand (AOD) streams, simultaneously distributed throughout the entire cabin.

Unlike systems currently being deployed based on the 802.11n (MIMO) standard which has not yet been ratified, the Galaxy 802.11a Module conforms to the 802.11a standard which was ratified in 1999. The Galaxy 802.11a Module is fully Wi-Fi Alliance certified, ensuring compatibility with all present and future 802.11a products.

1. This additional spectrum has not yet been approved for commercial aviation usage.

Galaxy Radio Frequency Combiner Module
The Galaxy Radio Frequency (RF) Combiner Module provides proprietary combining and splitting functionality for multiplexing Galaxy 802.11b/g Module signals with Galaxy 802.11a Module signals as well as other RF sources including those from an integrated cellular telephony Pico cell or other radios in the extremely broad four hundred megahertz through six gigahertz (400 MHz – 6 GHz) range.  A Galaxy Combiner Module is not required for systems using the Galaxy 802.11b/g Module exclusively.

All of these elements combine to guarantee the optimal utilization of available bandwidth while providing an unsurpassed and secure customer experience.

System Roadmap / Evolution
Technology is changing at a rapid rate, so we designed the Galaxy System to be easily upgradeable and capable of utilizing new wireless protocols, frequencies and bands as they evolve.  Our modular components and broadband antennas preclude system obsolescence.

Figure 1

Applications
The following applications are representative of what the Matrx Galaxy System was designed for.  The open architecture, ease of expansion and ability to integrate with other systems lends the Matrx Galaxy System to numerous passenger centric and airline centric applications.

Internet and Email
A common application for the Galaxy System is to provide passengers and crew members with Internet connectivity for the purpose of web browsing and email access.  A basic Galaxy System integrated with either a satellite or terrestrial data interface will provide this functionality.

In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)
Wireless in-flight entertainment systems have become increasingly popular for a number of reasons including elimination of data wiring, weight savings, and ease of system configuration / re-configuration.  The Matrx Galaxy System provides an ideal infrastructure for wireless IFE.

Airline / Travel Information (Concierge)
Whether accessed through passenger devices (notebooks, PDAs) or through devices made available by the airline (IFE system), a wealth of information can be provided to both passengers and crew members via a local (on the plane) data or content server.  Airline, destination, travel tips, product catalogs or virtually any information could be accessible to passengers and crew, with or without an off-aircraft data link.

Menu Service and Point of Sale
In cabin services including food and drink selection and purchase as well as point of sale transactions for refreshments or duty free can be conducted with a wireless point of sale terminal.

Telephony
The Matrx Galaxy system can support telephony in a number of ways including:

Competitive Advantages of the Matrx Galaxy System

Intelligent Client Management
Because the Matrx Galaxy System is centrally managed, clients may be dynamically configured and grouped to maximize system resources.  Slower 802.11b clients can be allocated to the same channel(s), minimizing their impact on other channels.  Certain types of traffic may be allocated to specific channels to ensure quality of service.  When interference is detected on one or more channels, the clients on those channels can be seamlessly moved to channels where interference is not an issue.
Ubiquity of Bandwidth
With the Matrx Galaxy System, all of the system’s available bandwidth and channels are uniformly available at all locations in the aircraft cabin.  With conventional systems, only a subset of the entire system’s bandwidth and channels are available at any one location within the aircraft, severely limiting system flexibility and efficiency.  On conventional systems, applications such as multicast video are not practical because the same stream would need to be available at all access points, compromising a significant amount of overall system resources.  Using the Matrx Galaxy System, a multicast stream is present everywhere while consuming minimal system resources.
Scalability and Upgradeability
With conventional wireless networks, adding an 802.11 channel for more bandwidth or adding functionality for a new type of wireless protocol or band implies installing an additional access point which may or may not integrate with the existing network.  With the Matrx Galaxy System, additional 802.11a channels can be added to the Matrx 802.11a Module for up to twenty seven total 802.11a channels.  New protocols or new bands are accommodated by adding a new module.  Network, client and traffic management will still be performed by the Matrx Network Manager and the new radios will share the existing Matrx Distributed Aperture Antenna.
Open Application Platform
Conventional wireless networks are not open.  Their providers do not want and perhaps can not conform to third party applications being used with them.  The Matrx Galaxy System encourages the integration of third party applications and is designed using standards compliant interfaces.

Application Usage Scenarios
The following application usage scenarios illustrate various configurations of the Matrx Galaxy System.

Passenger and Flight Crew Internet and Email System
In this configuration, a minimal Galaxy System comprised of a Galaxy 802.11b/g Module, a Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna and a Galaxy Network Manager are integrated with a broadband interface (satellite or terrestrial communication gateway) which provides Internet access for web browsing and email functionality. Figure 2 illustrates the components which could be present in a passenger and flight crew Internet and email system.

An optional content server could be added to provide passengers and or crew members with additional service options such as the concierge, menu or point of sale services described above.

Performance
This Internet and email system configuration is capable of data throughput of approximately 60 megabits per second within the cabin, however, Internet and email traffic will be limited by the characteristics of the integrated broadband interface communicating data to and from the aircraft. 

Figure 2

Basic Wireless IFE
In this configuration, a minimal Galaxy System comprised of a Galaxy 802.11b/g Module, a Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna and a Galaxy Network Manager are integrated with an IFE content server or other content source (DVD Player) and content (movies, news, television, safety instructions) is broadcast to a number of fixed wireless monitors.  This configuration represents the equivalent of multi-monitor IFE systems common in single aisle aircraft.  This system could allow passenger and crew member device connectivity for access to IFE or other local content.  An optional satellite or terrestrial broadband connection integrated with this system would provide Internet and email functionality.  Figure 3 illustrates the components which could be present in a basic wireless IFE system.

Performance
The basic wireless IFE configuration is capable of data throughput of approximately 60 megabits per second.  This bandwidth would support up to forty high quality MPEG-4 Video on Demand (VOD) or multicast / broadcast video streams (encoded at 1 Mbps) in addition to a mix of streaming audio, Internet browsing and email.

Figure 3

Full Service VOD/AOD IFE System
In this configuration, we have a Galaxy System comprised of a Galaxy 802.11b/g Module, a Galaxy 802.11a Module, a Galaxy RF Combiner Module, a Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna and a Galaxy Network Manager.  The Galaxy system is integrated with an IFE content server and content (movies, news, television, safety instructions, gaming) is interactively streamed or selectively broadcast or multicast to a number of wireless seat back IFE consoles and / or other cabin displays.  This configuration represents the state of the art in modern IFE deployments.  This system could also allow passenger and crew member device connectivity for access to IFE or other local content.  An optional satellite or terrestrial broadband connection integrated with this system would provide Internet and email functionality.  Figure 4 illustrates the components which could be present in a full service wireless IFE system.

Performance
The full service wireless IFE configuration is capable of data throughput of between 120 and ??? megabits per second, depending on how the Galaxy 802.11a module is populated.  This bandwidth would support up to ??? high quality MPEG-4 Video on Demand (VOD) or multicast / broadcast video streams (encoded at 1 Mbps) in addition to a mix of streaming audio, Internet browsing and email.

Figure 4

Internet, Email and Cellular Telephony
In this scenario, a Galaxy System comprised of a Galaxy 802.11b/g Module, a Galaxy Distributed Aperture Antenna and a Galaxy Network Manager are integrated with a cellular telephony system (Pico cell) and a satellite communications interface for the purpose of handling passenger and crew cellular phone calls.  Figure 5 illustrates the components which could be present in an Internet, email and cellular telephony system.

Performance
This configuration is capable of data throughput of approximately 60 megabits per second.  The number of simultaneous data and voice calls in addition to a mix of Internet browsing and email traffic would be determined by the available bandwidth of the chosen satellite communication interface.

Figure 5