Digital Techniques

Electrical Instrument
Systems
5.4 DATA BUS
Data Bus

 Data bus is a system within a computer or device, consisting of a

connector or set of wires, that provides transportation for data.
 A bus can be either serial or parallel.
 Communication between components:
Single source-single sink
Single source-multiple sink
Multiple source-multiple sink
 A databus is also classified on the directional communication, simplex, half
duplex, and full duplex.
Bus System in Aircraft
Other Bus Characteristics

 Width: how many bits can be transmitted at the same time.

 Clock speed (MHz): how often the bus can transmit data. Faster clock
speed means faster bus.
ARINC

 Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC), established in 1929, is a major

provider of transport communications and system engineering solutions for
eight industries: aviation, airports, defense, government, healthcare,
networks, security, and transportation.
Data Encoding: Parity Checking

 Parity checking used to check data has been transmitted accurately.

 A parity bit is appended to the original data bits to create an even or odd
bit number; the number of bits with value one.
Binary Encoding Format

1. Bipolar Return to Zero (BPRZ)

2. Harvard Bi-Phase
3. Manchester II Non Return to Zero (NRZ)
Bipolar Return to Zero
Harvard Bi-Phase
Manchester II Non Return to Zero
ARINC 429 [1/18]

 ARINC 429 is the most common data bus for commercial aircraft.
 ARINC 429 employs a unidirectional (simplex) transmission of 32 bit words
over twisted pairs using bipolar RZ format.
 The commonly used word formats such as BNR, BCD, discrete data, etc.
 ARINC 429 is specification, which defines how avionic equipments and
systems should communicate with each other.
 The specification defines the electrical and data characteristics and
protocols, which are used.
 ARINC 429 has been installed on most commercial transport aircraft
ARINC 429 [2/18]

 Architecture: uses two signal wires to transmit 32 bit words.

ARINC 429 [3/18]

 Protocol: uses point to point protocol.

 There can be only one transmitter on a wire pair
ARINC 429 [4/18]

 Binary Encoding:
ARINC 429 [5/18]

 Transmission Rate: uses two bit rates, 100

Kbps and 12.5 K-14.5 Kbps
ARINC 429 [6/18]

 Slew Rate: refers to the rise and fall time of the ARINC waveform
ARINC 429 [7/18]

 Word format: uses 32 bits which includes five primary fields, Parity, SSM,
Data, SDI, and Label.
ARINC 429 [8/18]

 Bit 32 is parity bit, and is used to verify that the word was not damaged or
garbled during transmission.
 Every ARINC 429 channel typically uses "odd" parity.
ARINC 429 [9/18]

 Bit 30 to 31 are the Sign/ Status Matrix (SSM).

 This field contains hardware equipment condition, operational mode, or
validity of data content.
ARINC 429 [10/18]

 Bit 28 through 11 contain the data in binary word format (BNR).

 Bit 29 through 11 contain the data in BCD format.
ARINC 429 [11/18]

 BNR Data Word: If bit 29 is a ‘1’ then the number is negative (or South,
West, left, from, or below). If bit 29 is a ‘0’ then the number is positive (or
North, East, right, to, or above).
ARINC 429 [12/18]

 BCD Data Word:

ARINC 429 [13/18]

 Bits 10 and 9 provide a Source/Destination Identifier (SDI).

ARINC 429 [14/18]

 Bits 1 to 8 contain a label (label words).

ARINC 429 [15/18]
ARINC 429 [16/18]

 Transmision order: the LSB of each byte except the label is trasmitted first.
ARINC 429 [17/18]

 Williamsburg/Buckhorn is a bit-oriented protocol used to transmit files

across an ARINC bus.
 When initializing a file transfer with the bit-oriented protocol, source and
sink units need to first establish a handshake to determine a common
protocol both can use.
 The source initiates communication with predefined codes to determine
compatibility with receiving units.
ARINC 429 [18/18]

 ALO: if a bit-oriented transfer is desired by any system that support the protocol.
 ALR: if any sink is capable of receiving bit-oriented data.
 Request to Send word (RTS) is transmitted containing a destination code and word
count.
 Clear to Send word (CTS), is a respond from receiver which is retransmitting back
the destination and word count information to insure accuracy
 Files are transferred in Link Data Units – LDUs – which are blocks of words from 3 to
255 words in length
 File transfers begin with a Start of Transmission word (SOT) which includes a file
sequence number, a General Format Identifier (GFI) and a LDU Sequence Number.
 After the SOT, the data words are sent, followed by and End of Transmission word
(EOT).
 The receiving unit verifies the EOT word and responds with an Acknowledgement
word (ACK)
ARINC 629 [1/7]

 The ARINC 629 computer bus was introduced in May 1995 and is used on
the Boeing 777, and Airbus aircraft.
 Characteristic:
Half duplex
Up to 120 LRU can be connected
Clock speed: 100 MHz
ARINC 629 [2/7]

 Architecture: many LRU connect to an ARINC 629 data bus with current
mode couplers.
ARINC 629 [3/7]

 Topology:
ARINC 629 [4/7]

 Data are transmitted to the bus in groups called messages:

Each messages consists of up to 31 word strings.
Each word strings consists of up to 256 data words.
Each data word is 20 bits.
 Only one LRU is allowed to transmit data through the bus each time
 One or more LRUs can receive data
ARINC 629 [5/7]

 Terminal Interval:
A time period common to all transmitters.
 Every transmitter can make only one transition per terminal Interval.
 Terminal Gap:
A time period different to each transmitter. (Priority assignment).
 Any transmitter is inactive until the terminal gap for that transmitter has ended.
 Synchronization Gap:
A time period common to all transmitters, longer than the terminal interval.
 Will occur when all transmitters have had the chance to transmit.
 Eachtransmitter can make only one transmission. Then, it must wait until the
synchronization gap has occurred, before it can make a new transmission.
 When an LRU is not willing to send data, the synchronization gap decreases.
ARINC 629 [6/7]

 Modes of operation:
 Periodic data: each terminal regularly sends some periodic data at every
bus cycle. For a given terminal, the length of the periodic data is
generally fixed.
 Aperiodic data: occasionally, after a particular event, a terminal may also
insert some aperiodic data in its message.
ARINC 629 [7/7]
Other Specification ARINC Bus Data

 ARINC 573
 Used in Flight Data Recorder.
 Harvard Bi-Phase encoding.
 12 bit words of data.
 Data are a snapshot of may avionics subsystems on the aircraft.
 Each frame contains the same data at a different snapshot in time.
 ARINC 717 is an alternative and extended protocol to ARINC 573.
 ARINC 575
 Older specification of 429, now obsolete.
 ARINC 708
 Used in airborne weather radar systems.
 Simplex bus with 2 wires.
 Manchester encoding.
 1 Mbps clock speed.
 Data words 1600 bits long (64bit status word + 3x512 bits data).
THE END

 Thanks for your attention