ARINC 818: Avionics Digital Video Bus (ADVB) is a video interface and protocol standard developed for high bandwidth, low-latency, uncompressed digital video transmission in

avionics Avionics (a blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the hundreds of systems that are fit ...

systems. The standard, which was released in January 2007, has been advanced by

ARINC Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated (ARINC), established in 1929, was a major provider of transport communications and systems engineering solutions for eight industries: aviation, airports, defense, government, healthcare, networks, security, and ...

and the aerospace community to meet the stringent needs of high performance digital video. The specification was updated and ARINC 818-2 was released in December 2013, adding a number of new features, including link rates up to 32X fibre channel rates, channel-bonding, switching, field sequential color, bi-directional control and data-only links. ARINC 818-3 was released in 2018. This revision clarified the 8b/10b encoding rates versus the 64b/66b encoding rates, along with clarifying several issues. Although simplified, ADVB retains attributes of Fibre Channel that are beneficial for mission-critical applications: High Speed / High Reliability / Low Latency / Flexibility / High-Performance / Uncompressed Digital Video Transmission Benefits of ARINC 818 (ADVB): * Low Overhead * Real-time transmission of video signals at high data rates (high bandwidth) * Low-latency * Uncompressed Digital Video transmission * Flexibility - not tied to any one physical layer or video format * Opportunity to standardize high-speed video systems * High reliability - 2 layers of error checking available * Networking capable * Multiple video streams on a single link * Multiple timing classes defined * Suitable for mission-critical applications (up to DAL A)

Background

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or by using the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in ...

, an ever-increasing amount of information is supplied in the form of images, this information passes through a complex video system before reaching cockpit displays. Video systems include:

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of Light, visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from ...

and other wavelength sensors, optical cameras,

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...

flight recorders A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to as a "black box", an outdated name which has b ...

, map/chart systems,

synthetic vision A synthetic vision system (SVS) is a computer-mediated reality system for aerial vehicles, that uses 3D to provide pilots with clear and intuitive means of understanding their flying environment. Functionality Synthetic vision provides situat ...

, image fusion systems, heads-up displays (HUD) and heads-down primary flight and multifunction displays, video concentrators, and other subsystems. Video systems are used for taxi and take-off assist, cargo loading,

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation ...

, target tracking, collision avoidance, and other critical functions. ARINC 818 (ADVB) is a

Fibre Channel Fibre Channel (FC) is a high-speed data transfer protocol providing in-order, lossless delivery of raw block data. Fibre Channel is primarily used to connect computer data storage to servers in storage area networks (SAN) in commercial data cen ...

(FC) protocol that builds on FC-AV (Fibre Channel Audio Video, defined in ANSI INCITS 356-2002), which was used extensively on video systems in the

F-18 The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part ...

and the C-130AMP. Although FC-AV has been used on numerous programs, each implementation has been unique. ARINC 818 provides an opportunity to standardize high-speed video systems and has since been adopted by a number of high-profile commercial and military aerospace programs, including the A400M, A350XWB, B787, KC-46A, C-130, KF-X,

Comac C919 The Comac C919 is a narrow-body airliner developed by Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac. The development program was launched in 2008. Production of the prototype began in December 2011, with the first prototype being ready on 2 November 2 ...

, and numerous other programs. ARINC 818 is also common in avionics suites, such as Proline Fusion by Rockwell Collins, and the TopDeck by Thales.

Overview of ARINC 818 protocol

ARINC 818 (Avionics Digital Video Bus) is a point-to-point, 8b/10b-encoded (or 64B/66B for higher speeds) serial protocol for transmission of video, audio, and data. The protocol is packetized but is video-centric and very flexible, supporting an array of complex video functions including the multiplexing of multiple video streams on a single link or the transmission of a single stream over a dual link. Four different synchronization classes of video are defined, from simple asynchronous to stringent pixel synchronous systems. ARINC 818 (ADVB) is unidirectional, and does not require handshaking. ARINC 818 (ADVB) has 15 defined speeds—from 1Gbit/s to 28Gbit/s. Each ADVB project requires an Interface Control Document (ICD). Shared among all project members, the ICD ensures interoperability, reduces the implementation magnitude, and defines: * Video format(s) for the project * Embedded data (Ancillary Data) * Video and line timing * Pixel format * Synchronization class

ADVB Packet Structure

The ARINC 818 (ADVB) frame is the basic transport mechanism for ARINC 818. It is important to refer to these packets as “ADVB frames” rather than simply “frames” to eliminate potential confusion with video frames. The start of an ADVB frame is signaled by a SOFx 4-byte ordered set and terminated with an EOFx ordered set. Every ADVB frame has a standard Fibre Channel header composed of six 32-bit words. These header words pertain to such things as the ADVB frame origin and intended destination and the ADVB frames position within the sequence. The Source ID field (SID) in the ADVB frame header allows video from each sensor to be distinguished from the other sensors. The “payload” contains either video, video parameters or ancillary data. The payload can vary in size, but is limited to 2112 bytes per ADVB frame. To insure data integrity, all ADVB frames have a 32-bit CRC calculated for data between the SOFx and the CRC word. The CRC is the same 32-bit polynomial calculation defined for Fibre Channel.

ADVB container structure

The ARINC 818 (ADVB) specification defines a “container” as a set of ADVB frames used to transport video. In other words, a video image and data is encapsulated into a “container” that spans many ADVB frames. The “payload” of each ADVB frame contains either data or video. Within a container, ARINC 818 defines objects that contain certain types of data. That is, certain ADVB frames within the container are part of an object. An example of how ARINC 818 transmits color

XGA The graphics display resolution is the width and height dimension of an electronic visual display device, measured in pixels. This information is used for electronic devices such as a computer monitor. Certain combinations of width and height ar ...

provides a good overview. XGA RGB requires ~141M bytes/s of data transfer (1024 pixels x 3 bytes per pixel x 768 lines x 60 Hz). Adding the protocol overhead and blanking time, a standard link rate of 2.125Gbit/s is required. ARINC 818 “packetizes” video images into Fibre Channel frames. Each FC frame begins with a 4 byte ordered set, called an SOF (Start of Frame), and ends with an EOF (End of Frame), additionally, a 4 byte CRC is included for data integrity. The payload of the first ADVB frame in a sequence contains container header data that accompanies each video image. Each XGA video line requires 3072 bytes, which exceeds the maximum FC payload length, so each line is divided into two ADVB frames. Transporting an XGA image requires a “payload” of 1536 FC frames. Additionally, an ADVB header frame is added, making a total of 1537 FC frames. Idle characters are required between FC frames because they are used for synchronization between transmitters and receivers.

Applications

Although ARINC 818 was developed specifically for avionics applications, the protocol is already being used in sensor fusion applications where multiple sensor outputs are multiplexed onto a single high-speed link. Features added in ARINC 818-2 facilitate using ARINC 818 as a sensor interface. The ARINC 818 specification does not mandate which physical layer is to be used and implementations are done using both copper and fiber. Although the majority of implementation use fiber, low-speed implementations of ARINC 818 (1.0625Gbp to 6.375Gbit/s) sometimes use copper (twinax or TSP or coax). The most commonly, either 850 nm MM fiber (<500m) or 1310 nm SM fiber (up to 10 km) is used. ARINC 818 lends itself to applications that require few conductors (

slip ring A slip ring is an electromechanical device that allows the transmission of power and electrical signals from a stationary to a rotating structure. A slip ring can be used in any electromechanical system that requires rotation while transmitting ...

turrets Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * M ...

), low weight (aerospace), EMI resistance, or long-distance transmission (aerospace, ships).

Flexibility vs. Interoperability

ARINC 818 is flexible and can accommodate many types of video and data applications. It is the intention of the standard that all implementation be accompanied by a small interface control document (ICD) that defines key parameters of the header such as: link speed, video resolution, color scheme, size of ancillary data, pixel format, timing classification, or bit-packing schemes. Interoperability is only guaranteed among equipment built to the same ICD.

Implementation considerations

ARINC 818 uses a FC physical layer that can be constructed from any FC compatible 8b/10b

SerDes {{Use American English, date = March 2019 A Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) is a pair of functional blocks commonly used in high speed communications to compensate for limited input/output. These blocks convert data between serial data and paral ...

, which are common in large

FPGA A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturinghence the term '' field-programmable''. The FPGA configuration is generally specified using a hardware d ...

s. ARINC 818 transmitters must assemble valid FC frames, including starting and ending ordered sets, headers, and CRC. This can easily be done with

VHDL The VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL) is a hardware description language (HDL) that can model the behavior and structure of digital systems at multiple levels of abstraction, ranging from the system level down to that of logic gate ...

state machine A finite-state machine (FSM) or finite-state automaton (FSA, plural: ''automata''), finite automaton, or simply a state machine, is a mathematical model of computation. It is an abstract machine that can be in exactly one of a finite number ...

s, and many PLD SerDes include built in CRC calculations. The flexibility of ARINC 818 allows for receiver implementations using either full image buffers or just display-line buffers. For either, synchronization issues must be considered at the pixel, line, and frame level. Line buffer or FIFO-based receivers will require that the transmitter adhere to strict line timing requirements of the display. Since the display horizontal scanning must be precise, the arrival time of lines will also need to be precise. ARINC 818 intends that timing parameters such as these be captured in an ICD specific to the video system. The authors of ARINC 818 built upon many years of combined experience of using FC to transport different video formats, and key implementation details are included in the specification, including examples of common analog formats.

ARINC 818-2 updates

ARINC , ratified in December 2013, adds features to accommodate higher link rates, support for compression and encryption, networking, and sophisticated display schemes, such as channel bonding used on large area displays (LADs). Link rates: At the time the original ARINC 818 specification was ratified, the fiber-channel protocol supported link rates up to 8.5 gigabits per second (Gb/s). ARINC 818-2 added rates of 5.0, 6.375 (FC 6x), 12.75 (FC 12x), 14.025 (FC 16x), 21.0375 (FC 24x), and 28.05 (FC 32x) Gb/s. The 6x, 12x, and 24x speeds were added to accommodate the use of high-speed, bi-directional coax with power as a physical medium. The specification also provides for non-standard link rates for bi-directional return path for applications such as camera control where high speed video links are not required. Compression and Encryption: ARINC 818 was originally envisioned as carrying only uncompressed video and audio. Applications such as high-resolution sensors, UAV/UAS with bandwidth limited downlinks, and data only applications drove the need to compress and/or encrypt a link. Sticking to a philosophy of maximum flexibility, the ARINC 818-2 calls for the ICD to specify implementation details for compression and encryption. The ARINC 818 protocol does not provide a means for compression and encryption, it simply provides flags to indicate that payload is compressed or encrypted. Switching: ARINC 818 was designed as a point-to-point protocol. Since many of the newer implementations of the ARINC 818 have multiple displays and or many channels of ARINC 818 (10 or more), switching has become more important. The new specification requires that active switching can only occur between frames. In effect, to prevent broken video frames, the switch must wait until the vertical blanking. Again, the ICD controls the implementation details. Field Sequential Color: A video format code was added to support field sequential color. The color field-sequential mode will typically send each color component in a separate container. Channel Bonding: To overcome link bandwidth limitations of FPGAs, ARINC 818-2 supports multiple links in parallel. The video frame is broken into smaller segments and transmitted on two or more links. Each link must transmit a complete ADVB frame with header, and the ICD addresses latency and skew between the links. Data-only Links: ARINC 818-2 provides for data-only links, typically used in command-and-control channels, such as those needed for bi-directional camera interfaces. These may employ a standard link rate or a non-standard rate specified by the ICD. Regions of Interest: The ARINC 818-2 protocol provides a means for defining partial images, tiling, and region-of-interest that are important for high-speed sensors and stereo displays.

ARINC 818-3 updates

* Defines display emulation mode for test equipment * Adds new material describing a latency budget for ARINC 818 devices used in transmit and receive modes * 10Gbit/s as the highest 8b/10b-encoded bus speed * Adds 64B/66B encoding for speeds of 12Gbit/s and higher * Supports 28.05 Gbit/s (FC32X) bus speeds using 256B/257B or 64B/66B encoding * Overall this revision will allow for technologies such as 4K and 8K displays, windowless cockpits, VR and high-bandwidth sensors & cameras around the aircraft

References

*818-1 Avionics Digital Video Bus (ADVB) High Data Rate, published by ARINC 2007 *ARINC 818 Becomes New Protocol Standard for High-Performance Video Systems, COTS Journal, Dec 2006 *Explaining ARINC 818, Avionics Magazine March 1, 2008 *Paul Grunwald, “What’s New in ARINC 818-2,” 32nd Digital Avionics Systems Conference, Syracuse, New York, October 6–10, 2013.

External links

ARINC 818
{{Computer-bus ARINC standards Avionics Fibre Channel Serial buses