Full duplex switched ethernet for next generation "1553B" -based applications

Over the last thirty years, the MIL-STD 1553B data bus has been used in many embedded systems, like aircrafts, ships, missiles and satellites. However, the increasing number and complexity of interconnected subsystems lead to emerging needs for more communication bandwidth. Therefore, a new interconnection system is needed to overcome the limitations of the MIL-STD 1553B data bus. Among several high speed networks, Full Duplex Switched Ethernet is put forward here as an attractive candidate to replace the MIL-STD 1553B data bus. However, the key argument against Switched Ethernet lies in its non-deterministic behavior that makes it inadequate to deliver hard timeconstrained communications. Hence, our primary objective in this paper is to achieve an accepted QoS level offered by Switched Ethernet, to support diverse "1553B"-based applications requirements. We evaluate the performance of traffic shaping techniques on Full Duplex Switched Ethernet with an adequate choice of service strategy in the switch, to guarantee the real-time constraints required by these specific 1553B-based applications. An analytic study is conducted, using the Network Calculus formalism, to evaluate the deterministic guarantees offered by our approach. Theoretical analysis are then investigated in the case of a realistic "1553B"-based application extracted from a real military aircraft network. The results herein show the ability of profiled Full Duplex Switched Ethernet to satisfy 1553B-like real-time constraints

Real-time characteristics of switched ethernet for "1553B" -embedded applications : simulation and analysis

In our previous work , Full Duplex Switched Ethernet was put forward as an attractive candidate to replace the MIL-STD 1553B data bus, in next generation "1553B"-embedded applications. An analytic study was conducted, using the Network Calculus formalism, to evaluate the deterministic guarantees offered by our proposal. Obtained results showed the effectiveness of traffic shaping techniques, combined with priority handling mechanisms on Full Duplex Switched Ethernet in order to satisfy 1553B-like real-time constraints. In this paper, we extend this work by the use of simulation. This gives the possibility to capture additional characteristics of the proposed architecture with respect to the analytical study, which was basically used to evaluate worst cases and deterministic guarantees. Hence, to assess the real-time characteristics of our proposed interconnection technology, the results yielded by simulation are discussed and average latencies distributions are considered

Fly-By-Wireless for Next Generation Aircraft: Challenges and Potential solutions

”Fly-By-Wireless” paradigm based on wireless connectivity in aircraft has the potential to improve efficiency and flexibility, while reducing weight, fuel consumption and maintenance costs. In this paper, first, the opportunities and challenges for wireless technologies in safety-critical avionics context are discussed. Then, the assessment of such technologies versus avionics requirements is provided in order to select the most appropriate one for a wireless aircraft application. As a result, the design of a Wireless Avionics Network based on Ultra WideBand technology is investigated, considering the issues of determinism, reliability and security

Software defined networking: meeting carrier grade requirements

Software Defined Networking is a networking paradigm which allows network operators to manage networking elements using software running on an external server. This is accomplished by a split in the architecture between the forwarding element and the control element. Two technologies which allow this split for packet networks are ForCES and Openflow. We present energy efficiency and resilience aspects of carrier grade networks which can be met by Openflow. We implement flow restoration and run extensive experiments in an emulated carrier grade network. We show that Openflow can restore traffic quite fast, but its dependency on a centralized controller means that it will be hard to achieve 50 ms restoration in large networks serving many flows. In order to achieve 50 ms recovery, protection will be required in carrier grade networks

FTT-Ethernet: A Flexible Real-Time Communication Protocol that Supports Dynamic QoS Management on Ethernet-based Systems

Ethernet was not originally developed to meet the requirements of real-time industrial automation systems and it was commonly considered unsuited for applications at the field level. Hence, several techniques were developed to make this protocol exhibit real-time behavior, some of them requiring specialized hardware, others providing soft-real-time guarantees only, or others achieving hard real-time guarantees with different levels of bandwidth efficiency. More recently, there has been an effort to support quality-of-service (QoS) negotiation and enforcement but there is not yet an Ethernet-based data link protocol capable of providing dynamic QoS management to further exploit the variable requirements of dynamic applications. This paper presents the FTT-Ethernet protocol, which efficiently supports hard-real-time operation in a flexible way, seamlessly over shared or switched Ethernet. The FTT-Ethernet protocol employs an efficient master/multislave transmission control technique and combines online scheduling with online admission control, to guarantee continued real-time operation under dynamic communication requirements, together with data structures and mechanisms that are tailored to support dynamic QoS management. The paper includes a sample application, aiming at the management of video streams, which highlights the protocol’s ability to support dynamic QoS management with real-time guarantees