Hundrends of aviation professionals convened in Anchorage, Alaska, at the AEEC General Session and AMC Open Forum in May to adopt new ARINC standards and discuss maintenance issues. The 612 aviation professionals included representatives airlines and more than 100 of their suppliers.
The AEEC Executive Committee adopted 14 documents to be published as ARINC standards.
➤ ARINC Specification 620-7: Data Link Ground System Standard and Interface Specification (DGSS/IS). Several weather parameters were added to enhance weather prediction and reporting, including Winds Data. Standard VDL broadcast messages are defined.
➤ ARINC Specification 628 P1-6: Cabin Equipment Interfaces (CEI), Part 1, Cabin Management and Entertainment System-Peripherals. Supplement 6 defines improvements to the digital video camera unit, digital overhead monitors, high-definition displays, high-definition video formats and provisions for remote control centers.
➤ ARINC Specification 653 P2-2: Avionics Application Software Standard Interface, Part 2-Extended Services. This document provides new extensions to the ARINC 653 Real Time Operating System (RTOS), including File System extensions, Health Monitoring extensions and Sampling Port data structure changes.
➤ ARINC Specification 653 P4: Avionics Application Software Standard Interface, Part 4 – Subset Services. This is a subset of ARINC 653 and was developed for tight control loop applications and embedded controllers. Part 4 describes a RTOS interface desired to support remote electronics.
➤ ARINC Characteristic 735B-1: Traffic Computer TCAS and ADS-B Functionality. Supplement 1 adds references to TCAS Change 7.1 per RTCA DO-185B. It adds new data parameters per RTCA DO-260B, defining ADS-B and TIS-B.
➤ ARINC Characteristic 741 P1-14: Aviation Satellite Communication System, Part 1, Aircraft Installation Provisions. Supplement 14 adds references to ARINC Characteristic 781, as well as stand-alone updates, which address equipment configurations and functionality associated with the SwiftBroadband service.
➤ ARINC Characteristic 741 P2-11: Aviation Satellite Communication System, Part 2, System Design and Equipment Functional Description. Supplement 11 describes the common physical interfaces between ARINC 741 systems defined for SwiftBroadband safety services and for systems defined for Classic Aero safety services.
➤ ARINC Characteristic 761-5: Second Generation Aviation Satellite Communication System, Aircraft Installation Provisions. Supplement 5 removes references to the Connexion by Boeing service, as well as references to Globalstar and ICO systems. Supplement 5 removes Ku-band antenna installation details and replaces them with references to ARINC Characteristic 791, Ku-/Ka-band SatCom.
➤ ARINC Characteristic 781-5: Mark 3 Aviation Satellite Communication System. Supplement 5 adds SwiftBroadband safety services, defines a new compact system and adds particulars on Extended L-band spectrum, audio management output characteristics. It removes references to Globalstar and ICO systems.
➤ ARINC Specification 816-2: Embedded Interchange Format for Airport Mapping Data Base. AEEC approved additional work to maintain alignment with RTCA DO-272/EUROCAE 291 and RTCA DO-292/EUROCAE 119. Additional improvements will include preferred taxi routes, airport lighting, enhanced holding position data and extension of the aerodrome surface routing network.
➤ ARINC Specification 828-3: Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Standard Interface. Supplement 3 includes the definition of the interface between the EFB display and processor unit.
➤ ARINC Specification 834-2: Aircraft Data Interface Function. This document will enable EFBs to interface to traditional avionics using standardized protocols.
➤ ARINC Specification 836: Cabin Equipment Enclosures and Mechanical Interfaces. This document defines a modular rack system featuring a family of pre-defined enclosures.
➤ARINC Report 842: Guidance for Usage of Digital Certificates. This document will enable airlines to move ahead with secure aircraft connectivity using Internet Protocols (IP). Supplement 1 is expected to follow in 2013.
The successful adoption of these standards will enable the AEEC Executive Committee to focus considerable attention on the next generation of air traffic management using collaborative decision making. ARINC Project Paper 660B: CNS/ATM Avionics Architectures Supporting NextGen/SESAR Concepts focuses on the upcoming airspace evolutions, specifically the FAA NextGen program and the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) program. The goal is to prepare a document that describes preferred avionics architectures. The architectures described in ARINC Project Paper 660B will include recommendations for standards necessary to satisfy ADS-B, CPDLC, 4-D Trajectory operations and other emerging airspace capabilities. Avionics architectures, data network interfaces and those functions necessary to assure cost-effective support for the life of the aircraft will be included.
The AEEC General Session will be held April 22-25, 2013 in Orlando, Fla. The complete AEEC Event Calendar is located at www.aviation-ia.com/aeec.
Paul Prisaznuk is the AEEC executive secretary and program director.