Bit transmission verification in an ARINC-based system

• US 8,467,914 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2011
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Crane, Bruce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US13/195,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/221 to test buses, lines or interfaces, e.g. stuck-at or open line faults
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An example data verification method includes communicating a bit from a transmitter module to a receiver module through a bus. The bit forms a portion of an ARINC word. The method verifies the bit at the bus using the transmitter module. An example data communication assembly includes a receiver module, and a data communication bus that communicates a bit to the receiver module. The bit forms a portion of an ARINC word. A transmitter module communicates the bit to the data communication bus. The transmitter module monitors communication of the bit from the data communication bus to the receiver module.

Claims

1. A data verification method, comprising the steps of:

communicating a bit from a transmitter module to at least one receiver module through a bus, the bit forming a portion of an ARINC word; and

verifying the bit at the bus using the transmitter module.

2. The data verification method of claim 1, including communicating another bit of the ARINC word through the bus and verifying the other bit at the bus using the transmitter module.

3. The data verification method of claim 1, wherein the verifying includes transmitting information about the bit from the bus back to the transmitter module.

4. The data verification method of claim 1, including initiating software in the at least one receiver module based on receipt of the bit from the transmitter module.

5. The data verification method of claim 4, wherein the at least one receiver module records time between bits communicated from the transmitter module.

6. The data verification method of claim 4, wherein the at least one receiver module comprises an aircraft cabin pressure controller.

7. The data verification method of claim 1, wherein the transmitter module comprises software that is executed on a microcontroller.

8. The data verification method of claim 1, wherein the verifying is performed while the transmitter module is communicating the bit.

9. The data verification method of claim 1, wherein the communicating and the verifying both take place entirely on board an aircraft.

10. A data verification method, comprising the steps of:

(a) distributing a bit from a transmitter module to a bus using an ARINC standard;

(b) verifying the distributing of said step (a) using the transmitter module; and

(c) distributing the bit from the bus to at least one receiver module.

11. The data verification method of claim 10, wherein the bit forms a portion of a 32-bit ARINC word.

12. The data verification method of claim 10, wherein the at least one receiver module comprises an aircraft cabin pressure controller.

13. The data verification method of claim 10, wherein the verifying comprises determining a voltage of the bus, the voltage established in response to the bit distribution to the bus;

and comparing a value representing of the determined voltage of the bus to the transmitted bit.

14. The data verification method of claim 10, wherein the transmitter module comprises software that is executed on a microcontroller.

15. The data verification method of claim 10, wherein the verifying is performed while the transmitter module is communicating the bit.

16. A data communication assembly, comprising:

a receiver module;

a data communication bus that communicates a bit to the receiver module, the bit forming a portion of an ARINC word; and

a transmitter module that communicates the bit to the data communication bus, and monitors communication of the bit from the data communication bus to the receiver module.

17. The data communication assembly of claim 16, wherein the receiver is a portion of a cabin air pressure controller.

18. The data communication assembly of claim 16, wherein the bit communicates from the transmitter module to the data communication bus along a two-pin connector.

19. The data communication assembly of claim 16, wherein the ARINC word is a 32-bit ARINC word.

20. The data communication assembly of claim 16, wherein the transmitter module includes a microcontroller configured to execute software.

21. The data communication assembly of claim 16, wherein the transmitter module monitors the communication of the bit while the transmitter module is communicating the bit.