arinc 429

Unlike military standards, the ARINC 429 Specification is not a public document.
Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC) holds the copyright. Therefore, this
blog  presents a commentary and review of the ARINC 429 Specification
but does not reproduce any sections of it.

ARINC itself is not a standard nor is it a piece of equipment. ARINC is an acronym
for Aeronautical Radio, Inc. The ARINC organization is the technical,
publishing and administrative support arm for the Airlines Electronic Engineering
Committee (AEEC) groups. The AEEC was formed in 1949 and is considered
the leading international organization in the standardization of air transport
avionics equipment and telecommunication systems. AEEC standards define
avionics form, fit, function, and interfaces. The AEEC is comprised of 27 airline
and related organizations. Representatives have engineering, operational, and
maintenance experience within their organization.

ARINC specifications are divided into four numbering systems and two basic
types. The numbering systems include the 400, 500, 600, and 700 series. The
groups are divided into general design requirements and terminal design standards
(characteristics). General Design requirements include the 400 and 600
series of documents. Specific terminal design and testing criteria (characteristics)
are set forth in the 500 and 700 series. The 500 series define older mostly
analog avionics equipment, much of which is still used in modern aircraft with
updated technologies. The 400 series documents are considered the general
design and supporting documents for the 500 series avionics equipment characteristics.
Similarly, the 600 series documents are considered the general design
and support documents for the 700 series of avionics equipment characteristics.
However, there may be some exceptions; suffice it to say that 700 series terminals
are generally digital systems. The 500 and 700 series documents are equipment
specific and, among other things, define how the unit shall operate,
including the input and output pathways for digital and analog information.

ARINC standards define design and implementation of everything from testing
requirements to navigational (NAV) systems to in-flight entertainment. Some
of the newer specifications cover digital systems, testing, development, and
simulation criteria. Aside from the specifications themselves, there are a number
of subgroups, other avionics organizations, and private manufacturers, all
of whom publish information regarding the implementation of avionics systems,
e.g. the General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA), who
defines subgroup functionality.

Some of the most prevalent ARINC standards are ARINC 419, ARINC 575,
ARINC 429, ARINC 615, and ARINC 629. Of course, numerous others exist,
and many of the 500 series are considered obsolete. Generally, three specifications
define the characteristics of avionics buses: ARINC 419, ARINC 429, and
ARINC 629. A few of the avionics terminal specifications define their own
unique bus architecture, such as ARINC 709, which includes a high speed
RADAR imaging bus. ARINC 419 is the oldest and is considered obsolete.
However, it is important from a maintenance viewpoint. The vast majority of
avionics terminals employ ARINC 429 for their avionics bus. Currently, only
the Boeing 777 employs ARINC 629.