SBIR-STTR Award

The intercommunication data rate (IDR) of legacy aircraft is a limiting factor for transferring data between positions on the platform. Future planned capabilities, like the Advanced Tactical Data Link (ATDL), will require a significant increase in IDR, which typically requires an expensive, time-consuming retrofit of the legacy platform to install networking cables or fibers. 5-D has conceived a system, Broadband On Aircraft-multi (BOAm), leveraging commercial Power Line Communications (PLC) technology that will provide Gigabit class IDR throughput over the existing wiring in legacy aircraft. Our concept will use multiple, militarized PLC communication channels to provide significant point-to-point, or multipoint communications. This technology will provide robust, secure, and reliable communications over the currently installed complement of wiring, cables, and power lines, throughout a platform, without interfering with the original wiring function or existing systems. Our concept is expandable to utilize all available communication channels, in concert, to increase IDR throughput to over 100 Mbps (threshold) or over 1 Gbps (objective). Our previous experience with PLC technology has proven that it can be militarized and employed on a legacy platform to provide significant bandwidth, and we will leverage this experience to successfully develop this new capability.

Benefit:
This effort will provide a product that easily adds a high-speed network, suitable for video transport and other high bandwidth applications, using only existing wiring in the target platform. Installing additional wiring in legacy aircraft is very costly and time consuming, so this technology could significantly reduce the effort required to implement desirable upgrades. This technology allows modern upgrades to be easily implemented in legacy aircraft, thus increasing their utility and value. Our system is expandable to use all accessible power, 1553 data bus, and discrete wiring to provide the Intercommunication Data Rate required. This technology has the potential to gain a real foothold in the aviation marketplace as a low-cost, low-impact, and reliable upgrade to existing aircraft. 5-D plans to make this offering an easy upgrade decision for a significant percentage of aircraft systems worldwide. In addition, the technology is applicable to many other types of platforms that we have not yet assessed as markets including: military and civil ground vehicles, marine platforms, and even industrial communications.

Keywords:
Broadband On Aircraft

5-D Systems is developing a multi-channel, high bandwidth communication system for legacy platforms. Our compact, ruggedized Broadband On Aircraft-multi (BOAm) transceivers will interface Ethernet enabled systems directly to existing aircraft wiring. BOAm transceivers leverage state of the art commercial Power Line Communications (PLC) technology to reliably send and receive Ethernet data from additional BOAm units at other locations on the platform. The ultra-wideband, low power PLC signals are conducted over the existing wiring creating a reliable digital network. The BOAm unit can use up to four (4) PLC channels to maximize the bandwidth throughout the platform. Two (2) or more BOAm units can provide up to 750Mbps of throughput, without requiring the costly installation of new wiring, and without interfering with existing aircraft systems. Early prototypes have already been demonstrated in the lab, as well as on an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft using up to four (4) communication channels: 1553-A bus, 1553-B bus, AC power bus, and DC power bus. In Phase II, we will develop, qualify, and demonstrate through flight testing, fully ruggedized BOAm transceivers providing an easy-to-implement, high bandwidth network over only the existing wiring in a legacy platform.

Benefit:
The Intercommunication Data Rate (IDR) of legacy aircraft is a limiting factor for transferring data throughout the platform. Future planned capabilities, such as the Advanced Tactical Data Link (ATDL) and state-of-the-art digital targeting pods like the Northrop Grumman Gen-IV LITENING pod, require a significant increase in IDR. The high cost and extended depot times required to install network infrastructure will inhibit the acceptance of new, beneficial technologies by the respective program offices. This development program will provide an easy-to-install, high bandwidth networking system that uses the existing wiring in the platform. Broadband On Aircraft-multi (BOAm) transceivers are compact, lightweight, ruggedized Line Replaceable Units (LRU) that interface Ethernet-enabled equipment directly to the platform wiring such as the MIL-STD-1553 data bus, or the AC or DC power busses. Data rates approaching Gigabit speeds are possible. This system will directly benefit the program offices by enabling cost-effective modernization of legacy assets. Commercial applications include inexpensive capability upgrades to commercial aircraft like passenger entertainment and internet access, as well as safety improvements such as enabling wingtip cameras that can help prevent collisions during taxing at busy airports all without adding new wiring and weight. Other possible applications include enhancements for large trucks or construction equipment such as backup cameras, proximity sensors, or load monitoring. BOAm transceivers will easily add network capabilities anywhere there is power available on a platform.