INTERFACE BETWEEN NETWORK DATA BUS APPLICATION AND AVIONICS DATA BUS

• US 20070127521A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lee, Stephen, Sandell, Gordon, Curtin, Charles
• Application Number:
  US11/554,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127521A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/05 Electric or magnetic storage of signals before transmitting or retransmitting for changing the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9078 using an external memory or storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method for transmitting data between a first device and second device is disclosed. The method includes receiving a block of data; dividing the block of data into at least a first packet having a first size and a second packet having a second packet size; transmitting the first packet to a converter, the converter being configured to convert a packet from a first communication protocol to a second communication protocol; and transmitting the second packet to the converter after waiting a predetermined time. The first packet size, the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent overflow of a memory of the converter. The second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent expiration of a timer at the second data bus. The time is associated with data transferred in the first and second packets.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data between a first device connected to a first data bus having a first communication protocol and a second device connected to a second data bus having a second communication protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a block of data;

dividing the block of data into at least a first packet having a first packet size and a second packet having a second packet size;

transmitting the first packet to a converter, the converter being configured to convert a packet from the first communication protocol to the second communication protocol; and

transmitting the second packet to the converter after waiting a predetermined time,

wherein the first packet size, the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent overflow of a memory of the converter, and

wherein the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent expiration of a timer at the second data bus, the time being associated with data transferred in the first and second packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data bus is an Ethernet network and the second data bus is an ARINC 429 bus, and

wherein the Ethernet network and ARINC 429 bus operate asynchronously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet size is different than the second packet size.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first packet size is larger than the second packet size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the converter comprises an Ethernet to ARINC 429 data converter, and

wherein the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent the buffer or memory of the Ethernet to ARINC 429 data converter from becoming empty while the block of data is being transferred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is variable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the converter comprises an Ethernet to ARINC 429 data converter, and

wherein the predetermined time is fixed for the Ethernet to ARINC 429 data converter

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the received block of data to the converter, if a size of the block of data is smaller than a predetermined size.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent the buffer or memory of the data converter from becoming empty while the block of data is being transferred.

9. A device for transmitting data between a first device connected to a first data bus having a first communication protocol and a second device connected to a second data bus having a second communication protocol, the device comprising:

a receiver means for receiving a block of data;

a dividing means for dividing the block of data into at least a first packet and a second packet, the first packet having a first packet size and the second packet having a second packet size;

a transmitting means for transmitting the first packet to a converter, the converter being configured to convert a packet from the first communication protocol to the second communication protocol; and

a transmitting means for transmitting the second packet to the converter after waiting a predetermined time,

wherein the first packet size, the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent buffer or memory overflow at the data converter,

wherein the second packet size, and the predetermined time are selected to prevent expiration of a timer at the second device, and

wherein the timer is associated with data transferred in the first and second packets.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first data bus is an Ethernet network and the second data bus is an ARINC 429 bus, and

wherein the Ethernet and ARINC 429 buses operate asynchronously.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the first packet size is different than the second packet size.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first packet size is larger than the second packet size.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is variable.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is fixed for the data converter

16. A method for transmitting data between a first device connected to a first data bus having a first communication protocol and second and third devices connected to a second data bus having a second communication protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a first block of data addressed to the second device;

receiving a second block of data addressed to the third device;

dividing the first block of data into packets, the packets comprising at least a first packet and a second packet, the first packet having a first packet size and the second packet having a second packet size;

dividing the second block of data into packets, the packets comprising at least a third packet and a fourth packet, the third packet having a third packet size and the fourth packet having a fourth packet size;

transmitting the first packet addressed to the second device to a first converter, the first converter being configured to convert packets from the first communication protocol to the second communication protocol;

transmitting the third packet addressed to the third device to a second converter, the second converter being configured to convert packets from the first communication protocol to the second communication protocol;

transmitting the second packet addressed to the second device to the first converter after waiting a first predetermined time, and

transmitting the fourth packet addressed to the third device to the second converter after waiting a second predetermined time,

wherein the first packet size, the second packet size, and the first predetermined time are selected to prevent buffer or memory overflow at the first converter,

wherein the second packet size, and the first predetermined time are selected to prevent expiration of a first timer at the second device,

wherein the first timer is associated with data transferred in the first and second packets,

wherein the third packet size, the fourth packet size, and the second predetermined time are selected to prevent buffer or memory overflow at the second converter,

wherein the fourth packet size, and the second predetermined time are selected to prevent expiration of a second timer and the third device, and

wherein the second time is associated with data transferred in the third and fourth packets.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second predetermined times are different.

18. The of claim 17, wherein the first predetermined time is fixed for the first converter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second predetermined time is fixed for the second converter.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the first predetermined time is variable for the first converter.