Fids3 stays for '3rd generation (F)light (I)nformations (D)isplay (S)ystem'.
Before the personal computer (PC) came up there were a lot of miscellaneous systems mostly developed in assembler
language on different hardware platforms (e.g. Dec VAX, Microvax, PDP11, Honeywell Bull DPS3). Hardware was very heavy
and expensive. There were absolutly no standards. This was the 1st generation of FIDS.
Beginning of the 90ties the personal computer (PC) was developed. The power of this new generation of
computers was improved dramatically and the first portations of the PC-based UNIX V operation system became available. For the
same time the programming language 'C' consolidated as a standard. This was the technical environment the most
of the todays available FIDS are (still) based on (A UNIX based FIDS written in 'C' with DOS-/Windows based clients (PCs)
which are network/serial connected to the FIDS server). This was the 2nd generation of FIDS.
The todays technical environment is dominated by the total networking provided by the Internet. The browser is the standard
client interface (HTML) which nearly everyone is familar in using it today. The todays penetration of mobile devices (Phones, PDAs) is
comparable to the TV penetration. The latest generation of mobile phones will offer comprehensive graphical
features (screen with at least 320x240 pixels) and mini browsers (e.g. opera mini). This enables you to communicate with the
network in a way we haven't seen before. This also will influence the way the airport staff will communicate with the existing
software systems.
This is the reason why it is called Fids3 ('The 3rd generation of FIDS).
What is the 'F3 controller' ?
To display flight information on any common brand LCD monitor
you need a unit which communicates with the Fids3 server system
and drives the display content on the screen due to the
configuration and requirements of the application. This is done
by the 'F3 controller' which is the name for a logical component
which physically is just a PC equipped with an operating system (normally Windows XP), the Firefox Browser and a piece of software provided by fids3.com, the 'F3 controller plug-in'. The F3 controller is
located between the Fids3 server and the LCD monitor (see figure).
What is the 'F3 controller plug-in' ?
Purchasing the Fids3 system to control a certain number of flight
information monitors includes a small software module, the 'F3 controller plug-in'. This program is an extension of the free Firefox browser and enables the browser to communicate with the Fids3 server and forces it to display certain information pages on request. It also switches to 'Full Screen' mode, hides the mouse cursor etc., so that it isn't revealed to the public that a browser is rendering the flight information displayed on the LCD monitors screen behind the scenes.
Does fids3.com supply LCD monitors ?
No, behind fids3.com stays a small team of software engineers. We don't deal
with hardware, so the only hardware prepared and delivered by us are the
Fids3 servers (on Hewlett Packard hardware) and (on request) the disc less
'F3 controller' (more information here).
Does fids3.com supply 'F3 controllers' PCs ?
Hardware isn't our main business, but on request we provide ready-to-run prepared PCs
equipped with Windows XP Embedded, Firefox browser, F3 controller plug-in and Windows
Remote Desktop. You just have to adjust its IP address due to the local
network requirements. The PC has no movable parts (no fan, no hard disc), 1 GB
flash memory and a graphic card which provides up to 1920x1440 resolution and
vertical display orientation as well (more information here).
Can I install the 'F3 controller plug-in' on self-supplied PC hardware ?
The 'F3 controller plug-in' is coming without extra charge together
with the Fids3 system. Due to minimum hardware requirements provided
by us, you can supply your own PCs to install the Firefox browser and the plug-in on. This option gives you freedom and independence.
A step-by-step installation guide for the installation of the
F3 controller plug-in is provided by us as well.
Can I install the F3 controller on the back of the monitor ?
Yes, the controller PC normally connected on the back of the monitor.
The controller supplied from fids3.com is coming with a standard
VESA mounting plate. This can be used to fasten the controller
as piggyback or on the wall behind the monitor. Compared to an embedded
PC this solution has the benefit of
technically independence. If the customer is unsatisfied with the
quality of the LCD monitor brand he can exchange it without
buying a new hard-embedded controller PC as well.
Does fids3.com provide/install network infrastructure ?
No, this normally has preferable to be done by any local, on-site company.
There are no special requirements to the Fids3 system to the network. The Fids3 server can be added to any existing airports Intranet. Also the
'F3 controller' PCs equipped with a network adapter and just to be connected
to the network. All existing PCs in the network can be used to communicate to
the Fids3 server if they are equipped with a browser (Firefox, Internet
Explorer etc.)
Are there special network requirements for Fids3 installation ?
No, the Fids3 server and F3 controller PCs can be added to any existing
airports Ethernet LAN. The communication protocols are TCP/IP and HTTP, so
the standard protocols for todays Intranet/Internet world. If there are
special security requirements the Fids3 network can be isolated, but this is
just a technical detail and influences not the functionality of the Fids3
system itself. Also the choice of network topology with its components
(switches, hubs, WLAN, etc.) is just a technical decision relevant under
reliable/performance aspects but not for the Fids3 communication itself.
In any case fids3.com provides consulting and installation/commissioning
support for it.
Do I need any special client software/hardware to use Fids3 ?
No, adding a Fids3 server to an existing airports network enables all
existing PCs in the network to communicate with Fids3 just using any HTML browser. This reduces costs and hardware requirements for the airports customer. It is also of strategically interest due to independence aspects. The HMI (Human Machine Interface) of the future will look that way that you can control/use
several application with the browser tool, each from a separate tab (tabbed browsing).
What about security ? Can everyone access the system ?
No, the browser is just the technical requirement to contact the Fids3 server.
Before using/manipulating it you have to authenticate with user ID and password.
Depending on the users authorization roles he has the right to see and/or
change certain data in the system. Fids3 provides admin features/services for creation and manipulation of users and authorization roles.
Can we install the Fids3 server in a 19" Inch rack ?
Yes, due to the individual requirements the Hewlett Packard server, the system
is ready-to-run delivered on, can be supplied in a towser or 19" inch rack version
as well.
What is about installation ?
The installation of the cabling, network components and configuration, monitor
mountings, routers, switches, Internet access configuration etc. has preferable to be
done by a local computer dealer or integrator company.
Installation support/consulting can be provided by us.
What is about commissioning ?
If the network is in place and all monitors mounted and connected (power, network) to it as well the commissioning of a Fids3 system is an easy job. If everything is well prepared it will run immediately after connecting it to the network. This job normally can be done by the company installing and configuring the network. This is the partner we have to communicate to in the process of commissioning on-site and/or from remote. So, commissioning support is provided by us.
What is about training (operator, admin) ?
Training is provided by us. It can be done on-site after successful
installation/commissioning or in advance in Germany as part of a factory
acceptance test using the original server(s) and F3 controllers.
What is about documentation/manuals ?
Documentation is provided as online manuals (PDF format). There are
two manuals available. User's and Administrator's Manual.
Does Fids3 contain a Page Designer Tool ?
No, Fids3 display layouts depends on HTML and uses a template based concept.
The page designer software tools mostly comprehensive, complicated and the results are
mostly poor and not presentable to the public without any post processing. If you additionally have
individual foreign character set requirements, analogously clocks etc. the
existing tools are unable to provide acceptable results.
No existing page designer will be able to create a layout like this one. And this
normally leads to monitor layouts which are looking like a self-designed amateur
web site.
If you are going to change/add your airline logos by yourself you
the only thing you need is any simple, free image software available in
the Internet (e.g. the
Free PaintShop Pro). This software can be used to manipulate airline logos,
aircraft pictures etc., so all the images which can be uploaded and
used/needed by the Fids3 system.
Can I add/change own airline logos ?
Fids3 normally uses airline logos of the size 200x50 and 600x150 pixels. The system provides an upload functionality enabling you to upload new/changed logos from every PC (at runtime) just using the browser.
Does Fids3 support communication links to external systems ?
Fids3 is designed to communicate with any external system (e.g. SITA, CUTE, PA, Web servers etc.). Existing, generically system structures reduce the programming/configuration effort for adding a new communication link to a limited scale which enables us to offer such extensions for a fixed, flat price.
Can Fids3 drive other display devices e.g. Splitflap or LCD/LED boards ?
Fids3 is designed to drive exotically display devices as well. The programming/configuration
effort to add a new handler component is limited and will be offered by us for a fixed, flat price.
Due to our experience we have the know how and skills to control a wide range of
existing devices (e.g. Solari and Conrac split flap, AEG Geavision LCD, DZine Video Controller, Velec Dot-Matrix, Leurocom LED etc.)
Can we add more monitors/displays in a future step ?
Yes, Fids3 can be scaled and isn't limited to any number of monitors. Just resources and power of the server hardware and the operating system are the limits. More monitors means more parallel work for
the Fids3 server. So, the individual situation (system behavior, response times etc.) has
to be analyzed and the server hardware (speed, number/kind of processors, memory) has to be chosen/upgraded if necessary.
Can we configure/install additional monitors by ourself ?
Yes, just a simple configuration change is necessary. The effort is a few minute job.
If the number of monitors exceed the license limit a new license file has to
be applied. It can be easily uploaded to the Fids3 server at runtime from any PC
just using the browser. The functionality (displays and devices) for it is part of the Fids3administrator portal.
Can extend the number of client workstations in a future step ?
Yes. The license limit has to be adjusted. The system counts the clients
the system is used from and compares it with the licensed limit. An extended
license file can easily send by email and uploaded to the Fids3 server at runtime.
How a license upgrade will be handled ?
If a license is upgraded you will receive the license file by email. The Fids3administrator portal provides a functionality you can use to upload the new license file at runtime to the Fids3 server.
Is an Internet connection necessary to run Fids3 ?
Fids3 currently uses the Internet to gather weather data, synchronizes its server time
and transmitting emails and SMS (if the SMS gateway is licensed). Also the remote
supervisor software which is coming with the Hewlett Packard servers, enables us to check/monitor the server and Fids3 system functionality from a remote site accessing it using the Internet.
What happens if the Internet provider/connection temporary fails ?
In this case Fids3 continues its operation normally. Just the services/features
which need Internet access will fail (e.g. Weather Server Connection). Fids3 will detect this failures, logs it to the server log and automatically reconnects if
available again (also the return of communication contact is logged).
Are foreign character sets (e.g. Arabic, Chinese etc. ) supported ?
Fids3 uses the so-called UTF-8 character set (اللغة العربية, 汉字/漢字, etc.) provided by all common browsers.
This character set is able to display every character of the world (in summary
more than 30.000 characters). In the operating system (e.g. Windows XP) the support of this character set must be activated and you need the right keyboard (can also be a virtual one) to be enabled to type in the appropriate characters and store it in the Fids3 database.
Fids3 uses this UTF-8 character set for airport names, airline names, remark
texts, check-in class and free form texts and some other usages.
Is 2-language page switching (e.g. Arabic/English) supported ?
Yes, the F3 controller plug-in provides it. Up to 16 pages can be switched in a certain
time interval (can be set in the controller).
Does Fids support clustered monitor pages ?
Yes, you can cluster pages on one monitor (logical clustering with page switching) or on different monitors (physical clustering). If more than one monitor is involved Fids3 considers also if one or more F3 controller fail for any reason (out-of-service). In this case generally the most topical information pages are displayed by re-arrangement of the logical pages.
Is foreign language freetext (e.g. Arabic) input supported ?
Yes, e.g. Check-In page layouts can contain foreign language class texts and/or multi-line free text which can be entered/changed by the airline staff. The text (e.g. English and Arabic) will be scrolled in a certain, predefined area of the check-in counter. Due to the customer requirements individual page layout definitions
can be prepared.
Are there individual Check-In page layouts for airlines possible ?
For certain airlines individual counter layouts can be configured and stored. So you can prepare individual layouts with specific classes for Saudi Arabian airlines and
other airlines. A Check-In counter control feature provided by Fids3 automatically detects if e.g. a Saudi Airline Flight has assigned to the counter and offers automatically just the layouts belonging to the appropriate airline and the common ones in a check box for simple One-Click selection by the Airline staff. Another nice option is to prepare foreign language class and free texts attached to the airline layout. e.g. for Chinese people traveling with Chinese airlines you can also prepare Chinese class or free texts text. All common web browsers support UTF-8 and all character sets available in the world, so you can use it to enter different character sets from the same operator PC (e.g. at the counter). The demonstrated scenario is a very good service to the passengers and show the professionalism and customer friendliness of an airport.
Can we advertise on monitors ?
Fids3 contains an integrated advertising feature which enables you to define
your own sequences of images which will be shown (similar to a slide show) in
a predefined portion (rectangle) of predefined flight information monitors at
a predefined time (time frame and frequency). This feature enables the airport
operators to upload self-prepared images and makes it easy to define own
sequences of pictures (hotels, car rentals, restaurants etc.) without comprehensive
costs and effort. So the profit break-even for this kind of advertising for
local, airport incorporated companies is straight and uncomplicated.
Does Fids3 contain its own AODB ?
Yes, Fids3 is primarily designed as a all-in-one flight information
system for small and medium sized airports. The system provides features/functionalities to store time tables for one or more (future) periods at a time with frequency, validity period etc. Also all resources (e.g. Gates,
Belts, Check-In Counters) can be adjusted and parametrized.
Can Fids3 linked to an existing AODB system ?
Yes, it can. The system is designed to get flight data from
external sources as well. The generically structures for it exist and
the developer work for a proprietary software adjustment is quite limited
so that we are able to quote the effort as a flat price.
How many monitors can I connect to Fids3 ?
Fids3 isn't limited by design. Due to the number of
logical displays and physically clients it automatically creates
parallel working tasks (threads) to speed up performance.
Parallel to that the server hardware has to be dimensioned to the
right size (number/kind of processors, memory, speed etc.).
How many client/staff workstations can I connect to Fids3 ?
Fids3 isn't limited by design. Due to the number of
logical displays created by the connected clients (staff/operators)
and the configuration of the system in balance with the hardware
(number of processors etc.) Fids3 creates parallel working tasks (threads)
to speed up performance.
Can Fids3 serve Internet-connected flight information displays ?
Yes, Fids3 is predestined for that. Due to its non-compromising affiliation of
the Internet/Browser/HTML/AJAX technology the airport can provide Hotels, Car Rentals,
Airlines, Service Agents etc. with real-time flight information. The customer
just need a LCD monitor screen and a F3 controller connected to the Internet.
Just try the links below to get an idea how it could look (remember that now it isn't full
screen due to the missing F3 controller plug-in logic which have to be added)
Screens can be also multi-paged, so a thinkable scenario could be a LCD monitor hanging at
a car rental counter showing actual departure flight information switching with any 'special offer' pages.
Is Fids3 available in a Standby Version ?
Yes, it is. A virtual IP address is used. Master and standby have there own
physical IP addresses and only the actual master assigned to it. Fids3 integrates
sophisticated 'heartbeat' high-availability software also used by the German software giant SAP. To prevent fatal, so-called 'Split Brain' situations redundant communication (a network and a serial line) channels parallel used for observation. The standby version of Fids3 is only available under Linux operation system.
What fids3 stays for ?
