FR2480540A1 - MINIATURE DIGITAL LINK CONTROLLER - Google Patents

Abstract

DIGITAL, MINIATURE, AUTONOMOUS LIAISON CONTROLLER FOR VERIFYING 32-BIT SERIES TRANSMISSIONS IN THE FORM OF A BOX, CHARACTERIZED ON THE ONE HAND, IN THAT IT INCLUDES A DISPLAY, NON-CATHODIC, MOUNTED VIEWING DEVICE IN COMBINATION WITH MEANS OF SELECTING THE INFORMATION TRANSMITTED, SUITABLE FOR CHECKING THE TRANSMISSIONS IN CONFORMITY WITH THE ARINC 429 STANDARD. FIELDS OF APPLICATION: ALL CHECKS AS WELL ON AIRCRAFT AS IN LABORATORY.

Description

The present invention relates to a link controller

digital, miniature, intended to verify transmissions of

  digital training and more particularly a controller

tative, light and compact, constituting an autonomous device for veri

Fication contained in a shoemaker whose front panel includes a display device as well as all the control and selection means suitable for checking serial transmissions

  32-bit, in accordance with ARINC 429 standard.

  Are known digital link controllers comprising

  both the control and display means necessary for verifying the information transmitted in accordance with a

pre-established agreement.

  Generally, these known controllers come in two

parts: a display device, and an analysis device

  lysis and synthesis of information circulating on the line

  transmission with highlighting of morpholo-

time and time.

  If they have the advantage of allowing the control of a multitude of standards, these controllers are most often heavy, bulky, not autonomous, and not portable in one hand;

making the team control operation difficult and expensive-

  elements, in particular aircraft, sensors with digital outputs and

of sensor-digital instrument connections.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate all of the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a new controller.

  generation, miniature, portable and autonomous, suitable for verification

  cation of a transmission made according to a particular standard

previously defined material.

  An advantageous embodiment of the invention consists of a small box which displays the information on its front panel.

  traveling on a digital bus in a format directly. intel-

readable by means of a 7-segment digital display system,

and that, whatever its nature or its mode.

The entry into service in the coming years of aircraft

  equipped with sensors with digital outputs and sensor links-

  digital instruments requires a real change in the

  control and verification of information links-

  the. The miniature, portable and autonomous control device,

  object of the invention, meets this need.

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Compact, can be held in one hand, it allows the display in clear, in a fully

decoded, of all the morphological and temporal characteristics

  information flowing on a digital transmission line. The purpose of the controller according to the invention is to verify 32-bit serial transmissions transmitted in accordance with the ARINC standard.

  429 - MARK 33 Digital Information Transfer System (DITS).

Another aim is to display the information in clear fully decoded, in an easily legible manner, on a display.

Large 8-digit LCD *.

In addition, to offer in a miniaturized form a simple and practical tool usable for all controls as well on

plane than in laboratory.

  In fact, the device allows the user to choose a display mode from the following displays by simply rotating a rotary switch: information fully decoded in the unit provided by ARINC with automatic positioning of the decimal point, the data is expressed in binary or in BCD. For example, a heading will be displayed in degrees in the form: - 115.66

  - a message in hexadecimal form, without decoding the information

  tion. The above is then displayed: H F5B800 - plain reading of MC * and SDI * - period for refreshing a message (in milliseconds and

tenth of ms).

  The parity of a message can be checked.

  The present invention which is provisionally limited to the

recognition of information circulating on a digital link

  ARINC 429 type allows to adapt to later developments

  codification format and speed that could occur. * The terminology of the LCD, BCD, MC and SDI signs is given

page 7.

  The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises - a means of selecting information by designation of its ARINC 429 LABEL, in accordance with specification 429-3 of December 15, 1979. The LABEL is designated by 3 coding wheels with 8 positions numbered from O to 7 allowing an octal display of 256 different positions,

  - a button for selecting the display mode allowing you to choose

if, between four positions, the information you want to display, - a two-position frequency selector allows you to choose the desired transmission frequency of the information,

  - an 8-element display device allowing the representation

  Conventional digital or alphanumeric data

  on the state of reception of the information.

  The control device according to the invention, although small and light, makes it possible to present in a clear, concise manner and in a

large format, all the information characterizing the information

  tions circulating on an ARINC 429 digital bus. The presentation of the information and the various means of mode selection described above, are inserted in a case whose main dimensions given for information, and in no way limitative are, in the case of MICRO- DITS M 56 considered

x 80 x 50 (mm).

  The four display modes developed by the control device according to the invention are MODE 1 - (FIGS. 2a and 2b) In this mode the display device gives the clear value of the information, ie ie expressed in decimal code up to 7 digits plus a sign in the expression unit provided

by ARINC 429 depending on the LABEL chosen, among the 256

possible pairings, using the 3 octal coding wheels,

  i.e. 8 positions, as described.

This first mode will be better understood on reading the

  description of the following particular case, given as an example

not limiting.

  Suppose we want to check the value of the in-

  course formation, transmitted in ARINC 429 format on a line of

two-wire transmission.

Suppose on the other hand, that the information transmitted is representative of an angle of 11205. Figures 2a and 2b give in a synoptic and temporal manner, the way in which is represented

  information: in ARINC 429 form, states 1, 0, -1, corres-

  respond to voltage values given by the ARINC standard

(Figure 2a).

We extract by the means described below the data

in binary form at two times as illustrated on the slide

gram of Figure 2b.

This binary information is coded in a retrieval mode.

  fractional presentation in which the presence of binary moments is representative of a fraction of the maximum displayable

  for a given information. So for the angular information-

  res, the maximum displayable is 180 in positive or ne-

  gative and each binary moment, starting from the left, represents

feels fractions of 1800. The final value is obtained by addi-

tion of all the fractions of 1800. The plain text display mode

  performs all the transformations described above and gives

do in decimal representation the value of the data. In this example, the device will display 11205. Note that in this mode, the information is automatically expressed in

  the unit corresponding to the LABEL chosen.

The control device, object of the invention, transcodes the information and carries out the necessary encodings as soon as the information label whose status is to be known has been indicated on the 3 coding wheels. . This transcoding is made possible by the one-to-one relationship that exists between the

  LABEL octal and the unit of representation. This relationship is esta-

  blie by the ARINC committee for more than 200 LABELS.

The device has an internal memory capable of retaining these relationships and easily adapting to new uses

  that may be established in the future.

MODE 2 -

  In the second display mode, the information is not transcoded as in the previous mode, but expressed,

whatever the octal LABEL chosen, in a representation mode

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  hexadecimal feeling on 6 alphanumeric characters including

16 possible states are given in figure 3.

  To avoid misinterpretations between MODES

  1 and 2, MODE 2 is recalled on the display by a letter H ap-

  appearing permanently on the leftmost character

  che, as soon as MODE 2 is selected.

  In the particular case of working in MODE 1, a posi-

  automatic display operation is in MODE 2 when

  the input information is not recognized due to a non

assignment of the LABEL chosen.

MODE 3 -

  In MODE 3, the display shows the information available

  state crests associated with the LABEL considered. This status information is essentially discrete in nature and consists of two groups of 2 bits surrounding the main data as

shown in Figure 4.

  The data on the left consists of a 4-moment code whose meaning, in English, is as follows Binary moment 00 F / W Failure warning or Alarm (failure) 01 NCD No computed data or Value not calculated TEST Test or Test

  "" 11 NO Normal operation or Normal operation.

  The group on the right expresses, in the current state of challenge

nition, the number of the sensor transmitting the data with the signifi-

  next cation Binary moment 00 Sensor O

01 - "1

"2

i l, 3 One of the non-obvious features of this

  invention is to provide a device clearly displaying the information

state of the sensors.

  This is why the display is divided into two parts

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independent of 4 informational characters each.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the front face of the housing carries, engraved for short, in its left part, the 4 states corresponding to the left group described above which are placed so as to be read in combination with the first 4 digits of the display; the states of the right group, also described above, using the right part

of the display.

  The device clearly indicates the states corresponding to the positions of the left and right groups by the appearance on the display of two dashes, one per group, next to the engravings

corresponding as shown in figure 4.

  For the three previous modes, are also provided

  two other types of displays which consist of the following writing

  before the graphics, given in figure 5, of the words: LABEL - BUS.

  The word "LABEL" is used when the LABEL chosen by the

  encoder wheels is not received by the device.

  The word "BUS" is used when no message is received by the device, especially when the transmission line is

cut, and / or the broadcast is interrupted.

  MODE 4 - (Figure 5) In this mode, the device, object of the invention, marks the validity of the information chosen by the 3 coding wheels in

  octal and its temporal characteristics of renewal.

  It allows on the one hand, the writing of the time interval separating two pieces of information of the same LABEL, expressed in ms (millisecond) and tenth of ms, and on the other hand, the writing of the letter P to the left of display device when the number

  of binary moments of the word of the LABEL chosen, received by the dispo-

sitive is even.

When the refresh interval is longer than two seconds, the device indicates this by display

  of OF, abbreviation of the word OVERFLOW.

SYNOPTIC STRUCTURE OF THE APPARATUS - (Figure 6) The device, object of the invention, and whose essential functions have been described above, consists of a

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  ARINC information reception electronics (a) transforming the three input signals received on the line

two-wire (1) in binary signals at two moments directly used

readable by the calculation unit. This consists of a microprocessor (b), a working memory (e), a memory

  containing the program (d), and a frequency reference pre-

  cise (j). Under the control of the program stored in the memory (d) all the data received by the reception head (a) are

  analyzed, their LABEL compared to that displayed on the wheels co-

gods (n). If the LABEL displayed on (n) is recognized and if the button

  selection tone is in MODE 1, the central unit (b) checks

  ge transcoding memory (c) to know the factor of

  framing the information, then processes it and orders the display

  plugging (g) through a service circuit (h) allowing

  generate the signals required for display.

  In a manner known per se, the box is connected to the digital bus using a cord suitable for quick connection

by pliers or plug.

  The device is powered by an ACC battery which can

  be recharged by sending a voltage between (m) and (p).

  A large operating autonomy is made possible.

  ble by the low energy consumption required by said device

reil.

  A k interface or level adapter is provided for work-

lant in relation to the mode selection buttons.

The designation MICRO-DITS of the mid-range tester

  niature, autonomous according to the invention is the subject of a registered trademark.

TERMINOLOGY

  LCD = Liquid Crystal Display or Liquid Crystal Display BCD = Binary Coded Decimal or Decimal Codé Binaire MC = Matrix Code or Status Table SDI = Source Destination or Source Destination Identifier Identification By numbering one of the three wheels of the modular block of O at 3, twice, separately, a link controller is produced allowing the control at will of the ARINC 429 code and

ARINC code 419.

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Claims (10)

1.- Digital link controller, miniature, self-contained   intended for checking 32 bit serial transmissions   sensing in the form of a shoemaker characterized. on the one hand, in that it comprises a display display device, not cathodic, mounted in combination with means for selecting   the information transmitted, suitable for verifying the transmitted-   in accordance with the ARINC 429 standard, and on the other hand, in that the front panel of the aforementioned shoemaker includes a large display device, with 8 digits, clearly displaying the complete state of information traveling alone or not on a ARINC 429 bus, said display device being mounted in combination   pairing with manual means for selecting its operating mode between 4 possible modes, and / or for controlling   automatic transcoding by preliminary display of its LABEL.   2. Controller according to claim 1, in which the information display mode can be selected from the   of: numerical value, hexadecimal value, MC-SDI, and / or pari-   tee / refresh interval, by means of a rotary knob or knurled button, the angular position of which is marked with a point or the like, indicates by alignment with one of the marks equivalents provided on the front panel of the shoemaker, the operating mode tction chosen. The parity / refresh interval mode constituting a single display mode simultaneously of two different information. 3.- Controller according to claim 2, wherein   information display is obtained by auto transcoding   information based on the data provided by the LABEL displayed.   4.- link controller according to claim 3, in which the aforementioned LABEL is an octal LABEL with 3 digits displayed manually by means of 3 coding wheels with 8 positions, numbered from O to 7, forming a modular mounting block. 5.- Link controller according to claim 4, in which is provided a display mode of the information   hexadecimal, manually switchable, but also automatic-   ment, if the LABEL is not assigned, said mode being indicated on the display by the appearance of the letter H together with the displayed hexadecimal data. 6. Controller according to claim 5, in which   the designation mode of the display mode of the available information crests of the word ARINC (MC-SDI) associated with its fully decoded value, said designation mode consisting of the appearance   on the display of two dashes, one per group, of four   corresponding generations opposite the engravings: FW - NCD - TEST - NO; O - 1 - 2 - 3   worn on the bodtier, preferably in the same order. 7.- Link controller according to claim 6, wherein the single mode of simultaneous display of two different information provides: a display mode in the clear in the right part of the time interval, separating two pieces of information of the same LABEL, expressed in ms (milliseconds) and the display of the letter P, on the left, when the parity of the information tested is even, said display consists of thus killing a means of checking the parity of the message.   8.- Controller according to any one of the claims   tions 1 to 7, characterized in that it has, on the one hand, an automatic means for highlighting the disturbed state of information transmission by displaying the word "BUS" when the controller detects a total absence of coherent digital information on said bus, and on the other hand, in that it automatically displays the word "LABEL" when the chosen label is not   recognized as existing on the transmission bus. 9. Controller according to claim 9, characterized   in that it automatically displays the letters OF when the   tervalle between two pieces of information exceeds several times the time   normalized maximum refresh. 10.- Link controller according to claim 4, in which two of the three wheels of the modular block are number-   tees from O to 7 and a wheel is numbered from O to 3, twice, from distinctly, which has the effect of allowing indistinctly- ment its use for checking ARINC 429 codes and ARINC 419.