Digital Techniques / Electronic Instrument

Systems

5.4 Data Buses

What is a data bus?

A bus is a collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer
to another. You can think of a bus as a highway on which data travels within a computer.
When used in reference to personal computers, the term bus usually refers to internal bus.
This is a bus that connects all the internal computer components to the CPU and main
memory.

However, when used in reference to aircraft, it is the data highway which links one
computer to another within the aircraft, for example, the flight management computer and
the air data computer.

All buses consist of two parts -- an address bus and a data bus. The data bus transfers
actual data whereas the address bus transfers information about where the data should
go.

On an aircraft bus, the two parts are incorporated within a single data ‘word’.

A bus can be either serial or parallel. A serial bus requires less wiring, but is slower. A
parallel bus requires one wire for each bit within the data word, but is much faster.

A bus can enable communication between a single computer to a single LRU only, known
as single source, single sink, or a single computer to multiple LRUs, known as single
source multiple sink, or multiple computers to multiple LRUs known as multiple source,
multiple sink. The latest data bus systems are multiple source, multiple sink (ARINC 629
and MIL-STD-1553B).

A data bus is also classified on whether or not it can transmit in only one direction, both
directions, alternately or at the same time. Where a data bus can transmit in just one
direction it is termed “simplex”. If it can transmit in both directions, but not at the same
time (i.e. takes turns) it is termed “half duplex”. Where a data bus can transmit in both
directions at the same time, it is termed “full duplex” (or just “duplex”).

The size of a bus, known as its width, is important because it determines how much data
can be transmitted at one time. For example, a 16-bit bus can transmit 16 bits of data,
whereas a 32-bit bus can transmit 32 bits of data.

Every bus has a clock speed measured in MHz. A fast bus allows data to be transferred
faster, which makes applications run faster.

The type of language used on an aircraft data bus is known as the protocol. Civil aircraft
data bus protocols are defined and standardized by ARINC. A military version is MIL-STD-
1555.
Various bus cables and connectors

A parallel data bus cable

Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated
Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC) is a major company that develops and
operates systems and services to ensure the efficiency, operation, and performance of the
aviation and travel industries. It was set-up in 1929 by four major airlines to provide a
single licensee and coordinator of radio communications outside the government. Only
airlines and aviation-related companies can be shareholders, although all airlines and
aircraft can use ARINC’s services. It is now a large international company with
headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland and over 50 operating locations worldwide.

The company has two major thrusts:

 Communications and information processing services for the aviation and travel
industry.
 System engineering, development and integration for government and industry.

ARINC has provided leadership in developing specifications and standards for avionics
equipment, and one of these specifications is the focus of this tutorial. Industry-wide
committees prepare the specifications and standards. ARINC Specification 429 was
developed and is maintained by the Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee (AEEC)
comprising members that represent airlines, government, and ARINC.
ARINC standards

400 Series
The 400 Series describes guidelines for installation, wiring, data buses, and databases.

 ARINC 404 defines air transport rack (ATR) form factors for avionics equipment
installed in many types of aircraft. It defines air transport equipment cases and
racking.
 ARINC 424 is an international standard file format for aircraft navigation data.
 ARINC 429 is the most widely used data bus standard for aviation. Electrical and
data format characteristics are defined for a two-wire serial bus with one transmitter
and up to 20 receivers. The bus is capable of operating at a speed of 100 kbit/s.

500 Series
The 500 Series describes older analog avionics equipment used on early jet aircraft such
as the Boeing 727, Douglas DC-9, DC-10, Boeing 737 and 747, and Airbus A300.

 ARINC 573 is a standard format for data parameters recorded by digital flight
data recorder and flight data recorder required by the FAA and ICAO.

600 Series
The 600 Series are reference standards for avionics equipment specified by the ARINC
700 Series

ARINC 600 is the predominant avionics packaging standard introducing the avionics
modular concept unit (MCU)

 ARINC 604 is a standard and guidance for the purpose of designing and
implementing built-in test equipment. The standard also describes the centralized
fault display system.
 ARINC 610B provides guidance for use of avionics equipment and software in
simulators.
 ARINC 615 is a family of standards covering “data loading”, commonly used for
transferring software and data to or from avionics devices. The ARINC 615
standard covers “data loading” over ARINC 429.
 ARINC 615A is a standard that covers a “data loading” protocol which can be
used over various bus types such as Ethernet, CAN, and ARINC 664.
 ARINC 618 is a standard that covers a data transmission protocol called
“character oriented protocol”.
 ARINC 619 is a standard that covers a data transmission protocol over ARINC
429 called “bit oriented protocol”.
 ARINC 620 is a standard that covers a data transmission protocol called “datalink
ground system”.
 ARINC 624 is a standard for aircraft onboard maintenance system (OMS). It uses
ARINC 429 for data transmission between embedded equipment.
 ARINC 625 is an industry guide for component test development and
management. It provides a standard approach for quality management of test
procedure generation within the commercial air transport industry.
  ARINC 629 is a multi-transmitter data bus protocol where up to 128 units can
share the same bus. It is installed on the Boeing 777.
 ARINC 633 is the air-ground protocol for ACARS and IP networks used for AOC
(Aeronautical Operational Control) data exchanges between aircraft and the ground.
 ARINC 653 is a standard real time operating system (RTOS) interface for
partitioning of computer resources in the time and space domains. The standard
also specifies application program interfaces (APIs) for abstraction of the
application from the underlying hardware and software.
 ARINC 660 defines avionics functional allocation and recommended architectures for
CNS/ATM (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) avionics.
 ARINC 661 defines the data structures used in an interactive cockpit display
system (CDS), and the communication between the CDS and user applications.
The GUI definition is completely defined in binary definition files. The CDS
software consists of a kernel capable of creating a hierarchical GUI specified in
the definition files. The concepts used by ARINC 661 are similar to those used in
user interface markup languages.
 ARINC 664 defines the use of a deterministic Ethernet network as an avionic data
bus in modern aircraft like the Airbus A380, Sukhoi Super Jet 100 and the Boeing
787 Dreamliner.
 ARINC 665 This standard defines standards for loadable software parts and
software transport media.

700 Series
The 700 Series describes the form, fit, and function of avionics equipment installed
predominately on transport category aircraft.

 ARINC 702A defines the flight management systems (FMS).

 ARINC 704 defines the inertial reference system (IRS).
 ARINC 708 is the standard for airborne weather radar. It defines the airborne
weather radar characteristics for civil and military aircraft.
 ARINC 709 defines distance measuring equipment (DME).
 ARINC 717 defines the acquisition of flight data for recording.
 ARINC 718 describes an air traffic control transponder (ATCRBS/MODE S).
 ARINC 724B defines the aircraft communications addressing and reporting system
(ACARS).
 ARINC 738 defines an integrated air data inertial reference unit (ADIRU).
 ARINC 739 is the standard for a multi-purpose control and display unit (MCDU) and
interfaces.
 ARINC 740 defines airborne printers.
 ARINC 741 is the standard for a first-generation L-band satellite data unit.
 ARINC 743A defines a GNSS receiver.
 ARINC 744A defines a full-format airborne printer.
 ARINC 746 is the standard for a cabin telecommunications unit, based on Q.931
and CEPT-E1.
 ARINC 747 defines a flight data recoder (FDR).
 ARINC 750 defines a VHF digital radio.
 ARINC 755 defines a multi-mode receiver (MMR) for approach and landing.
 ARINC 756 defines a GNSS navigation and landing unit.
  ARINC 760 defines a GNSS navigator.
 ARINC 757 defines a cockpit voice recorder (CVR).
 ARINC 761 is the standard for a second-generation L-band satellite data unit, also
called Swift64 by operator Inmarsat.
 ARINC 763 is the standard for a generic avionics file server and wireless access
points.
 ARINC 767 defines a combined recorder unit capable of data and voice.
 ARINC 781 is the standard for a third-generation L-band satellite data unit, also
called SwiftBroadband (SBB) by operator Inmarsat.
 ARINC 791 defines Ku and Ka band satellite data airborne terminal equipment.

800 Series
The 800 Series comprises a set of aviation standards for aircraft, including fiber optics
used in high-speed data buses.

 ARINC 801 through 807 define the application of fiber optics on the aircraft.
 ARINC 810 is a standard for the integration of aircraft galley inserts and associated
interfaces Title: Definition of Standard Interfaces for Galley Insert (GAIN)
Equipment, Physical Interfaces.
 ARINC 811 provides a common understanding of information security concepts as
they relate to airborne networks, and provides a framework for evaluating the
security of airborne networked systems.
 ARINC 812 is a standard for the integration of aircraft galley inserts and associated
interfaces.
 ARINC 816 defines a database for airport moving maps.
 ARINC 817 defines a low-speed digital video interface.
 ARINC 818 defines a high-speed digital video interface standard developed for high
bandwidth, low latency, uncompressed digital video transmission.
 ARINC 821 is a top-level networking definition describing aircraft domains, file
servers and other infrastructure.
 ARINC 822 is the standard for Gatelink.
 ARINC 823 is a standard for end-to-end datalink encryption.
 ARINC 825 is a standard for controller area network bus protocol for airborne use.
 ARINC 826 is a protocol for avionic data loading over a controller area network bus.
 ARINC 827 specifies a crate format for electronic distribution of software parts for
aircraft.
 ARINC 828 defines aircraft wiring provisions and electrical interface standards for
electronic flight bag (EFB).
 ARINC 834 defines an aircraft data interface that sources data to electronic flight
bags, airborne file servers and the like.
 ARINC 838 provides a standardized XML description for loadable software parts.
 ARINC 840 defines the application control interface (ACI) used with an electronic
flight bag (EFB).
 ARINC 841 defines media independent aircraft messaging.
 ARINC 842 provides guidance for usage of digital certificates on airplane avionics
and cabin equipment.
Binary encoding formats
There are several ways in which binary 1 and 0 can be represented by voltage levels on a
pair of wires. The few which are used on aircraft data bus types will be shown here.

Bipolar return to zero (BPRZ)

In bipolar return to zero encoding, a HI level (logic 1) is given by a positive voltage on one
wire followed by a return to NULL (zero). A LO level (logic 0) is given by a negative voltage
on the other wire followed by a return to NULL.

BPRZ requires a clock to maintain the bit cell period.

Harvard Bi-Phase
Harvard Bi-Phase uses a two phase voltage level to represent a high (logic 1) and a single
phase voltage to represent a low (logic 0). If two lows occur sequentially, the voltage level
will toggle from high to low or low to high, but remain in that state for the time period of the
bit cell.

Harvard Bi-Phase requires a clock to maintain the bit cell period.

 Bipolar return to zero format

Harvard Bi-Phase format

Manchester II non return to zero (NRZ)

Manchester II NRZ uses the change from a high-to-low voltage to represent a high (logic
1) and a change from low-to-high to represent a low (logic 0).

Manchester II NRZ requires a clock to maintain the bit cell period.

Manchester II non return to zero format

ARINC 429
Introduction
ARINC 429 is the most commonly used data bus for commercial and transport aircraft.

ARINC 429 employs unidirectional transmission of 32 bit words over two wire
(twisted pairs) using bipolar RZ format. The protocol has five fields in each word which
enables it to transmit the data and the address information within the same bus
transmission. Messages are repeated at specified intervals with typical applications
sending groups or frames of messages. The commonly used word formats such as BNR
(binary), BCD (binary coded decimal), discrete data, and other formats.

ARINC 429 is a specification which defines how avionics equipment and systems should
communicate with each other. They are interconnected by wires in twisted pairs. The
specification defines the electrical and data characteristics and protocols used.

ARINC 429 employs a unidirectional (simplex) data bus standard, sometimes known as
Mark 33 Digital Information Transfer System (DITS). Messages are transmitted at a bit rate
of either 12.5 or 100 kilobits per second to other system elements, which are monitoring
the bus messages. Transmission and reception is on separate ports so that many wires
may be needed on aircraft, which use a large number of avionics systems.

The figure shows an example of a 429 communication system.

Introduction to ARINC 429

https://youtu.be/99hthXOFFWc
Usage

ARINC 429 has been installed on most commercial transport aircraft including; Airbus
A310/A320 and A330/A340; Bell Helicopters; Boeing 727, 737, 747, 757, and 767; and
McDonnell Douglas MD-11.

Boeing has installed a newer system specified as ARINC 629 on the 777, and some
aircraft are using alternate systems in an attempt to reduce the weight of wire needed and
to exchange data at a higher rate than is possible with ARINC 429.

The growing use of avionics in light aircraft has seen ARINC 429 used on this category of
aircraft also.

The unidirectional ARINC 429 system provides high reliability at the cost of wire weight
and limited data rates.

Military aircraft generally use a high-speed, bi-directional protocol specified in Military

Specifications MIL-STD-1553.

ARINC 429 network architecture

ARINC 429 architecture

An ARINC 429 data bus uses two signal wires to transmit 32-bit words.

Transmission of sequential words is separated by at least 4-bit times of NULL (zero

voltage). This eliminates the need for a separate clock signal wire. That’s why this signal is
known as a self-clocking signal.

The computers and LRUs (transceivers) are directly coupled to the data bus. A
transformer is used for impedance matching. It also isolates the transceiver from other
computers which may overload and would otherwise cause damage.

ARINC 429 architecture

Transceiver connection to the data bus
Protocol

ARINC 429 is a very simple, point-to-point protocol. There can be only one transmitter
on a wire pair. The transmitter is always transmitting either 32-bit data words or the
NULL state. There is at least one receiver on a wire pair; but there may be up to 20.

In most cases, an ARINC message consists of a single data word. The label field of the
word defines the type of data that is contained in the rest of the word.

ARINC 429 uses bipolar return to zero encoding (BPRZ). The nominal transmission
voltage is 10 ±1 volts between wires (differential), with either a positive or negative
polarity. Therefore, each signal leg ranges between +5V and -5V. If one leg is +5V, the
other is -5V and vice versa. One wire is called the “A” (or “+” or “HI”) side and the other is
the “B” (or “-” or “LO”) side. The composite signal state may be one of three levels:

 HI which should measure +10 volts between the two wires (A to B).
 NULL which should 0 volts (A to B).
 LO which should be -10 volts (A to B).

The received voltage depends on line length and the number of receivers connected to the
bus. No more than 20 receivers should be connected to a single bus. This is limited by the
parallel impedance of the system. Since each bus is unidirectional, a system needs to
have its own transmit bus if it is required to respond or to send messages.

Bipolar return to zero format

Transmission rates

The transmitting and receiving circuits must be designed for reliably sending and detecting
the NULL transition between high and low states. The parameters vary between systems.

ARINC 429 uses two bit rates, 100K bits/second and 12.5K-14.5K bits/second. Figure
shows an example of the different rates, used by the computers which supply
information to an aircraft’s flight management system (FMS).
Bit timing and slew rate
The slew rate refers to the rise and fall time of the ARINC waveform. Specifically, it refers
to the amount of time it takes the ARINC signal to rise from the 10% to the 90% voltage
amplitude points on the leading and trailing edges of the pulse.

ARINC bit

Slew rates and bit timing

Word format
ARINC data words are always 32 bits and typically use the format shown (next page)
which includes five primary fields, namely Parity, SSM (sign/status matrix), Data, SDI
(source/destination identifier), and Label. ARINC convention numbers the bits from 1
(LSB) to 32 (MSB). There are two variations on the word format, depending whether
the data word is binary or BCD.

Generalized ARINC word format (binary and BCD)

Parity checking
In communications, parity checking refers to the use of parity bits to check that data has
been transmitted accurately. The parity bit is added to every data unit (typically seven or
eight bits) that are transmitted. The parity bit for each unit is set so that all bytes have
either an odd number or an even number of set bits.

Assume, for example, that two devices are communicating with even parity (the most
common form of parity checking). As the transmitting device sends data, it counts the
number of set bits in each group of seven bits. If the number of set bits is even, it sets the
parity bit to 0; if the number of set bits is odd, it sets the parity bit to 1. In this way, every
byte has an even number of set bits. On the receiving side, the device checks each byte to
make sure that it has an even number of set bits. If it finds an odd number of set bits, the
receiver knows there was an error during transmission.

The sender and receiver must both agree to use parity checking and to agree on whether
parity is to be odd or even. If the two sides are not configured with the same parity sense,
communication will be impossible.

Parity checking is the most basic form of error detection in communications. Although it
detects many errors, it is not fool-proof, because it cannot detect situations in which an
even number of bits in the same data unit are changed due to electrical noise.

Parity checking is used not only in communications but also to test memory storage
devices. Many PCs, for example, perform a parity check on memory every time a byte of
data is read.

Parity
The MSB is always the parity bit for ARINC 429. Parity is normally set to odd except for
certain tests. Odd parity means that there must be an odd number of “1” bits in the 32-bit
word that is insured by either setting or clearing the parity bit. For example if bits 1-31
contain an even number of “1” bits, bit 32 must be set to create odd parity. On the other
hand, if bits 1-31 contain an odd number of “1” bits, the parity bit must be clear.
Electrical characteristics
ARINC 429 uses the bipolar return to zero (RZ) modulation method. The information on an
ARINC 429 bus can be in one of three states:

 HI
 NULL
 LO
The digital data word consists of a 32-bit word in bipolar form. Each bit is either in the logic
1 or logic 0 state. The NULL is used to separate the different bits and the different words.

The ARINC 429 bus operates at either of two speeds. The high speed ARINC 429 bus
operates at 100 k bits/sec. The low speed bus operates at 12.0 kilobits/sec.

The speeds cannot be intermixed on the same bus. The ARINC 429 bus is:
 Self-clocking: the receiver senses the NULL between bits to generate its internal
clocking.
 Self-synchronising: the receiver senses the four bit NULL between words to
generate word synchronisation.

Voltage level
The information on an ARINC 429 bus is transmitted in bit form. The first half of each bit
represents the logic state of the bit. A high pulse (+10v) signifies a logic 1. A low pulse (-
10V) signifies a logic 0. The ±10 volts is the differential voltage across the two output
terminals of the shielded pair of twisted wires. The second half of each bit always returns
to the NULL level (zero volts between terminals). The shield is grounded at both ends.
SSM
Bits 31 and 30 contain the sign/status matrix or SSM. This field contains hardware
equipment condition, operational mode, or validity of data content. Applicable codes are
shown in the tables (next page).
Data
Bits 28 through 11 contain the data for the binary word format, and bits 29 through 11
contain the data for the BCD word format. There are also many non-standard formats that
have been implemented by various manufacturers. In some cases, the data field overlaps
down into the SDI bits. In this case, the SDI field is not used. Where a data word does not
need all of the bits allocated, the excess is filled with pad bits.

BNR data word

BNR or “binary” encoding is also a very common ARINC data format. This type of
encoding simply stores the data as a binary number, much in the same format that is used
on virtually every modern computer. The figure (next page) shows the general BNR
format.

Bit 29 is the sign bit and bit 28 is the most significant bit of the data field, which represents
one half of the maximum value of the parameter being defined. Successive bits represent
the increments of a binary fraction series.

Negative numbers are encoded as the two’s complement of positive values. If bit 29 is a ‘1’
then the number is negative (or “South”, “West”, “Left”, “From”, or “Below”). Otherwise, it is
positive (or “North”, “East”, “Right”, “To”, or “Above”).

The particular message uses label 206, which is selected airspeed. By referencing the
ARINC 429 specification, we know that the scale is 512, and 11 bits are used (29 through
19). A zero in bit 29 shows that this is a positive value. The numeric value is obtained by
multiplying the scale factor, determined from data type associated with the label, by the
ratio indicated by each successive bit and adding them together. Bit 28 is ½ of the scale
factor (256 in this case), bit 27 is ¼ of the scale factor, bit 26 is ⅛ of the scale factor, bit 23
is 1⁄64, bit 22 is 1⁄128, etc. Thus, in this example, selected airspeed = 425 knots (256 + 128 +
32 + 8 + 1).

This may appear to be more complex than it really is. The underlying principle is
conventional binary mathematics as performed by any modern day computer. A computer
programmer can shift the BNR data and sign bits into a program variable and manipulate
them directly with any standard mathematical manipulation.
BCD data word
BCD, or binary-coded-decimal, is a common data format found in ARINC 429 and many
other engineering applications. In this format, four bits are allocated to each decimal digit.
A generalized BCD message is shown (next page). Its data fields contain up to five sub-
fields. The most significant sub-field contains only three bits, so that its maximum decimal
value can be 7. If the maximum decimal value is greater than 7, bits 29 through 27 are
padded with zeros and the second sub-field becomes the most significant. The example
message in the figure (next page) conveys the data that the ADIRU (air data inertial
reference unit) speed is 465 knots and has a positive sign. The specific equipment,
numeric scale, and location of the decimal point are a function of the label.

SDI
Bits 10 and 9 provide a source/destination identifier or SDI. This is used for multiple
receivers to identify the receiver for which the data is destined. It can also be used in the
case of multiple systems to identify the source of the transmission. In some cases, these
bits are used for data. ARINC 429 can have only one transmitter on a pair of wires, but up
to 20 receivers (single source, multiple sink).

Label
Bits 8 through 1 contain a label identifying the data type and the parameters associated
with it. The label. It is used to determine the data type of the remainder of the word and,
therefore, the method of data translation to use. Labels are typically represented as octal
numbers and a written with the LSB first (i.e. backwards). The figure (next page) shows
two examples (for the binary word format and the BCD word format) of the label
configuration. The labels represent computed airspeed and true airspeed respectively.
BCD word format

Label formats
Transmission order
The least significant bit of each byte except the label is transmitted first, and the label is
transmitted ahead of the data in each case. The order of the bits transmitted on the ARINC
bus is as follows:

8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 … 32.

Note:
When a 32-bit ARINC word is transmitted on the bus, in the case of the label, the most
significant bit is transmitted first. This reverse order is in contrast to the transmission order
of the other bits in the ARINC word.

Mixed formats
The 32-bit message words can also include discrete information, either mixed with BCD or
BNR data, or as separate messages. Unused bits in a word may be assigned one bit per
variable starting in bit #11 until the data field is reached. If there are no discretes encoded
in the word, the unused positions are filled with zeros.

Discrete data formats

A large number of ARINC 429 words are dedicated entirely to discretes. The Table shows
a word used to transmit engine data.
Dedicated discrete examples