Interface Bridge for MIL-STD-1553 to UAI Protocol Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniature munitions using Enhanced Bit Rate-1553 and Universal Armament Interface protocols are incompatible with military standard-1760 and MIL-STD-1553B aircraft interfaces, limiting their ability to download mission planning files and utilize advanced weapon capabilities without significant modifications to aircraft and weapon platforms.
Innovation Solution
An interface bridge that translates MIL-STD-1553 protocols to Enhanced Bit Rate-1553 and Universal Armament Interface protocols, allowing direct interfacing with aircraft platforms and enabling real-time conversion and download of mission planning files, including GeoZone, DTED, imagery, and targeting data, without requiring extensive changes to aircraft avionics or mission planning systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If miniature munitions use Enhanced Bit Rate-1553 and Universal Armament Interface protocols, then advanced weapon capabilities are enabled, but incompatibility with military standard-1760 and MIL-STD-1553B aircraft interfaces prevents downloading mission planning files
Solution Approach 1:
An interface bridge is introduced as an intermediary device that translates between MIL-STD-1553B/MIL-STD-1760 protocols used by legacy aircraft interfaces and Enhanced Bit Rate-1553/UAI protocols used by miniature munitions. This mediator enables protocol conversion without requiring modifications to either the aircraft platform or the weapon system, resolving the incompatibility while avoiding costly modifications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If significant modifications are made to aircraft and weapon platforms to enable protocol translation, then mission planning file download capability is achieved, but system complexity and modification costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol translation functionality is segmented into a separate, standalone interface bridge device rather than being integrated into the aircraft platform or weapon system. This segmentation isolates the complexity of protocol conversion to a single modular component, avoiding the need to modify the complex aircraft avionics or weapon platform systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface bridge serves as an intermediary that handles all protocol translation operations, preventing the need to modify the existing aircraft and weapon systems. The bridge sits between the legacy interface and the miniature munition, converting protocols in real-time without requiring changes to either end system.
3Productivity
If direct interfacing between legacy aircraft platforms and miniature munitions is attempted, then system simplicity is maintained, but mission planning data transfer is blocked due to protocol incompatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The interface bridge enables data transfer by mediating between incompatible protocols. It receives data from the legacy aircraft interface using MIL-STD-1553B/MIL-STD-1760 protocols, converts the data to Enhanced Bit Rate-1553/UAI protocols, and transmits it to the miniature munition, thus enabling productivity without sacrificing adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A military standard-1760 (MIL-STD-1760) interface bridge for storing mission planning data can include a housing, a translator device, a ground support equipment (GSE) connector, and non-volatile memory. The housing can include a MIL-STD-1760 connector on a first end and a weapon side connector on a second end. The translator device can translate a MIL-STD-1553 remote terminal (RT) protocol to a weapon side signaling protocol and translate the weapon side signaling protocol to the MIL-STD-1553 RT protocol. The GSE connector can be coupled to the housing and translator device for downloading mission planning data for a weapon. The non-volatile memory can be configured to store the mission planning data.