ARINC

629
• Before starting ARINC 629, it would be wise to revisit the terms TDMA, DTSA and
contention protocol.
• For your convenience, I have provided those slides in the following 3 slides.
• I have also provided the CSMA/CD algorithm flowchart on slide # 7.
• I covered all these topic from 27 Sept to 29 Sept, 2023.
Time – Slot allocation protocol
• The simplest time-slot allocation protocol is time division multiplex allocation
(TDMA). Each terminal is assigned a predetermined time-slot on the bus. The
terminal must wait for its time-slot to take control of the bus.
• The time and duration of each terminal’s transmission slot is predetermined by
the bus designer. The terminal must complete its transactions within its assigned
time-slot.
• When the time-slot expires, bus access is curtailed even if it is unfinished, and the
bus is then assigned to another terminal. Each terminal is assigned a portion of
the total bus bandwidth.
• Dynamic time-slot allocation (DTSA) is an enhancement that allows terminals to
adjust the time of access based on bus activity.
• Under normal conditions one terminal will be in the transmit state, while all other
terminals will be in the receive state. After a transmitter has finished its
transactions, it relinquishes the bus to the next terminal.
• DTSA can exhibit greater throughput and shorter waiting times than baseline
TDMA during periods of high bus loading.
Contention Protocol
• Carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) is the simplest contention protocol. All terminals
listen to the bus. When the bus is quiet, any terminal may make a transmission.
• In its simplest form all terminals have equal priority. Of course, the possibility exists
that more than one user may then initiate a transmission at the same time. This is a
collision, and the data transmission will become corrupted.
• Collision detection (CD) enhances the basic protocol (known as CSMA/CD). All
terminals monitor their transmissions for collisions. If a transmission corruption is
detected then the transmitting terminals must cease to transmit.
• The bus is now quiet again. The transmitting terminals must wait a random period of
time before trying again.
• By nature of this randomness, one of the terminals will gain access to the bus first, thus
ensuring that the retried transmission will not be corrupted.
• Carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) is the simplest contention protocol. All terminals
listen to the bus. When the bus is quiet, any terminal may make a transmission.
ARNIC 629

 ARINC 629 was developed in the late 1980s to provide civil aircraft with a multisource
multisync, linear topology network addressing the physical network issues of ARINC 429.
 It is built upon the experience of MIL-STD-1553, but specifically does not require a
centralised bus controller;
 The civil aerospace community wanted to avoid the single-point failure issue surrounding that
concept, and instead opted for a distributed protocol.
 ARINC 629 uses a 20-bit word encoded in Manchester biphase format operating at 2 Mbps,
twice the bit rate of MIL-STD-1553.
 It also permits 128/ upto 120 terminals to be connected to the bus ( how come 128 whereas
only 31 in 1553)
 Quadruple and triple redundancies are also supported in addition to dual redundancy.
 Synchronization between the terminals is ensured by three timers (the transmit interval, the
synchronization gap and the terminal gap).
CSMA/CD algorithms Multiple source and multiple sink
• BASIC PRINCIPLE

• The VX4469A ARINC 629 Communication Module supports from one to three
ARINC 629 terminals. The standard board has one terminal. One or two
additional terminals are available as options. The VX4469A is designed to
transmit and receive data on ARINC 629 buses through a current (transformer)
coupling device that interfaces to the bus itself. Data to be transmitted is stored in
system memory shared by the terminal IC and an on-board 80186 processor.

• The transmit schedule and system memory data locations are stored in a Transmit
Personality PROM (XPP). Data that is received is stored in the same system
memory. A Receive Personality PROM (RPP) and a Multiple Personality PROM
(MPP) contain information on which data to receive and where to store it in the
shared system memory.
VX4469A CARDS
Each ARINC 629 terminal on the VX4469A Module consists of the following
• The 80186 controller can then read the received data from shared memory
• System memory shared by the VX4469A 80186 controller and each terminal. It is
used to store data to be transmitted and received.
• A personality PROM (RAM) that contains the information on what data to
transmit and receive and the data’s location in shared memory.
• Terminal IC - The terminal IC is a large integrated circuit (ASIC) developed to
function as a terminal controller on an ARINC 629 bus. It interfaces with a
Personality PROM, shared memory, and a SIM or Pseudo Bus Module.
• A terminal protocol IC which interprets the personality PROM (RAM) and
translates data to/from 16-bit shared memory words and Manchester bit serial
encoding.
• Serial Interface Module (SIM): This is a hybrid Integrated circuit that interfaces
between a terminal IC and a current coupler.
• A Serial Interface Module (SIM) that modulates/demodulates the Manchester
• Data to be transmitted is placed in a terminal’s shared memory by the 80186 processor.
• The terminal IC reads the transmit portion of the Personality PROM (RAM) to
determine what labels to transmit and where the data to be transmitted with each label
is located in shared memory.
• Data to be received and where to place it in shared memory is determined by the
terminal IC reading the receive and multiple personality portions of the Personality
PROM (RAM).
Timers
• Sync Gap (SG) is one of three programmable timers within the terminal IC. When the
terminals on a bus are operating in Aperiodic mode it insures that each terminal transmits
at an equal rate. It is equal for all devices on a bus and greater than the terminal gap of any
device on the bus.
• Terminal Gap (TG) is one of three programmable timers within the terminal IC. It is used
to prevent transmit conflicts between terminals. It is different for every terminal on a bus.
• Transmit Interval (TI) is one of three programmable timers within the terminal IC. It is
the same for all terminals on a bus. On a bus that is not fully loaded, each terminal
transmits once during each transmit interval.
Current transformer: Turns Ratio: The turns ratio of a current transformer defines the relationship
between the primary and secondary currents. For example, a CT with a turns ratio of 1000:1 would reduce
a primary current of 1000 amperes to a secondary current of 1 ampere.
Accuracy: Current transformers are designed to provide highly accurate current measurements over a
specified range. They are calibrated to ensure that the secondary current accurately represents the primary
current.
• To help insure optimum ARINC 629 compatibility, each terminal uses the VLSI
Terminal IC and Serial Interface Module (SIM) technology developed by
Boeing.

A TYPICAL ARNIC 629 TERMINAL

EXAMPLE
A TYPICAL ARNIC 629 DATA WORD
Message format
• Data is transmitted in groups called Messages.
• ARINC 629 messages are 31 word string long (maximum). Word strings is a 20-bit long label
word followed by 0 to 256 16-bit long data words.
• Messsages can have different lengths. After each message, there is a unique Terminal Gap
(TG).
• Messages are composed of a maximum of 31 word strings that can also have variable lengths.
• Between each word string, there is a 4 bit time gap.
• Word strings are a label word followed by 0 to 256 data words.
• Words (label words and data words) are 20 bit long. Before the first label word of a message
comes a one half bit time pulse called pre sync sync pulse (PSSP).

Label word format Data word format

ARNIC 629 Protocol
 ARINC 629 uses a carrier sense multiple access/collision detection (CSMA/CD) protocol but with a form of dynamic time-slot
allocation (DTSA) that resolves contention and assign priority by the judicious adjustment of three timers within each
terminal.

 A synchronisation gap (SG) timer begins when terminals sense the bus is quiet. This timer is the same for all terminals.
 A terminal gap (TG) timer starts when the synchronisation gap has elapsed. The terminal gap timer is different for each
terminal. The highest priority terminal has the shortest terminal gap timer followed by the next shortest timer for the terminal
with the next priority.
 A terminal interval (TI) timer sets the time that must elapse from the current transmission before the terminal can transmit
again.
 The timer arrangement ensures there are normally no collisions. The TG timer sequences terminal access to the bus on the
basis of the shorter timer (higher priority terminal) first. The TI timer assures all terminals have an opportunity to access the
• To protect against corrupted data, each transmitter monitors its own transmission
and checks each packet as it is transmitted to verify its data is correct with the
correct channel information and the correct number of data words.
• Any errors inhibit the transmitter for the rest of that message.
• The protocol guarantees periodic access to the bus for each terminal and prevents
any terminal from obtaining access before all the others have had chance to
transmit.
• Periodic data are transmitted on a regular basis once every bus cycle. Aperiodic
data may be transmitted occasionally.
• If the bus overloads it switches to aperiodic mode with no data loss.
Message format
• Data is transmitted in groups called Messages.
• ARINC 629 messages are 31 word string long (maximum). Word strings is a 20-bit long label
word followed by 0 to 256 16-bit long data words.
• Messsages can have different lengths. After each message, there is a unique Terminal Gap
(TG).
• Messages are composed of a maximum of 31 word strings that can also have variable lengths.
• Between each word string, there is a 4 bit time gap.
• Word strings are a label word followed by 0 to 256 data words.
• Words (label words and data words) are 20 bit long. Before the first label word of a message
comes a one half bit time pulse called pre sync sync pulse (PSSP).

Label word format Data word format

• Channel Identifier (CID) - When several identical LRUs have the same part numbers and use
the same label, the CID helps make the differentiation between them.
• The CID is a four bit identification that can accommodate up to sixteen LRUs with the same
part number. The CID is sent in the label word on the label extension bits (label bits 16 to 19).

ARINC 629 Bus Coupler

• Each terminal connects to the ARINC 629 bus by a serial interface module (SIM) and a
stanchion connector to a bus coupler. There are separate channels for transmit and receive (full
duplex).
• Current mode transformer coupling is preferred. This means that the bus does not have to be
broken to insert a terminal.
• The bus coupler, arguably the greatest asset of ARINC 629, was perhaps also its downfall. The
bus coupler together with the SIM is very expensive.