TTTech Computertechnik switch controller.

TTTech Computertechnik switch controller.

TTTech provides cutting-edge data communication systems for Europe's Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket. TTTech supported Airbus and ArianeGroup on integrating a scalable technology for Ariane 6’s data transmission infrastructure using open standards like Time-Triggered Ethernet.

Your home internet sends information on a best-effort basis, each data packet is queued and arrives when it arrives, and this works quite well, until everybody in your household starts streaming their favourite shows at the same time and congestion causes data delays. For a rocket and spacecraft this is unacceptable, so time-triggered communication is used for critical data. Each system is given an allotted time to communicate, and the system works like clockwork.

TTTech’s TTEthernet Controller Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are dotted around the Ariane 6 rocket each controlling the flow of information for the many sub-systems. Over 50 of these chips have both ‘switch’ and ‘input/output’ functions, allowing the fuel levels, temperature and all the other control data to be transmitted at the right time to the right place. This technology enables safe and efficient data handling and control.