Avionics News January 2012 - 64

industry

MIL-STD-1553B to ARINC 429 Data Conversion with Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Equipment
D A V I D L . G A R C I A O F A G I L Y N X I N C .

R E P O R T
B Y

ABSTRACT

EDITOR’S NOTE: This report is published by Avionics News with clearance from the Department of Defense and is for training purposes only. Its sole intent is to improve the maintenance technician’s knowledge and understanding of the content provided. Refer to a manufacturer’s most current technical data, maintenance and/ or installation manuals whenever performing maintenance on aircraft or aircraft components.

The feasibility of converting MIL-STD-1553B databus traffic to ARINC 429 databus transmissions in real time with an airborne quality commercial-off-the-shelf data converter has been demonstrated in a number of applications, including those on C-130, CN-235, H-60, A319 and AT-63 aircraft. In these cases, the built-in flexibility and pre-programmed features of the PCU-100 Lynx Protocol Converter unit produced by AgiLynx Inc. of Billerica, Mass., have allowed an extremely short time between the specification of the data conversion task and the configuration of a unit for flight testing – sometimes in less than a week. This capability allows COTS avionics products to become fully integrated into existing or future military avionics systems. The Lynx Protocol Converter unit has the ability to monitor all transmissions on a MIL-STD-1553B databus and transfer data to multiple ARINC 429 busses without requiring any programming changes to the existing 1553B system or disturbing existing bus traffic. While not itself a source of data, the Lynx Protocol Converter acts as a “data bridge,” extracting copies of data and retransmitting the data to the output busses. Alternately, the Lynx Protocol Converter unit can also transfer data to a MILSTD-1553B databus by acting as a remote terminal or a bus controller. The Lynx Converter can receive up to 12 ARINC 429 inputs and transmit on a MIL-STD1553B dual-redundant bus (a second dual-redundant 1553B bus is bus monitor only at this time), as well as transmitting on four ARINC 429 outputs. ARINC 429 interfaces can be either 12.5 or 100 Kbps. The Lynx Converter also has six each of open/ground and 28V/open discrete inputs and two each of open/ground and 28V/open discrete outputs. An RS-232 communication port is used to connect to a device, such as a laptop for programming the Lynx Converter unit or using the Lynx Converter for system troubleshooting. The PCU-100 Lynx Protocol Converter unit is designed as a generic device that can be configured for specific applications using the AgiLynx developed LynxComPro software program. The LynxCom-Pro software runs on a personal computer and allows a user, in a point-and-click fashion, to set up the data conversion for a specific application.

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Avionics News January 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News January 2012