Optical solutions for aircrafts have been under study for several years. The aim is to reach higher performance in data-rate above 100 Mbps and higher quality with very robust and affordable connectors for harsh environments.

The working Group LOADNET (Low-cost Optical Avionics Data Network) was created in this respect. It was a european funded program involving different industrial partners (SOURIAU for connectors; NEXANS for cables) along with equipment manufacturers (THALES) and aircraft manufacturers (AIRBUS).

This working group led to the development of a new cable-terminus-connector solution which has been optimized in performance and cost.

SOURIAU's optical terminus ELIO was born.

After three years of work, the strong involvment of all partners led to a new high performance interconnection system - 0.3 dB instead of 1 dB for existing solutions - easy to use withtout any toolings, easy to clean and fully answering aeronautical needs.

After a Request for Proposal issued by AIRBUS end of 2003, ELIO was selected for teh optical network of the IFE system of the A-380. In addition to this IFE network, SOURIAU was awarded all the video and display systems, all using the ELIO technology.

SOURIAU is worldwide knwow as the leader in civil airborne optical systems. The selection of this new technology paves the way for the use of fiber optics in the civil aerospace world.

Fiber optics has some assets to replace copper solutions for hugh-data rates up-to several Gbps. it is immune to electromagnetic interferences such as radio waves, as well as to lightning electromagnetic pulse that can be generated on composite structures.

Moreover, the mass balance sheet is in favor of fiber optics at equal data-rate.

The increasing use of composite structure for aircrafts to reduce weight leads to the increase of use of fiber optics.

The A-400M and 7E7 programs already confirm this trend.