Rugged PMC modules provide ARINC 429 interfaces

Synergy Microsystems has a new line of ARINC 429 PMC modules that provide a complete, integrated interface with the widely deployed 32bit avionics databus protocol.

Synergy Microsystems has a new line of ARINC 429 PMC modules that provide a complete, integrated interface with the widely deployed 32bit avionics databus protocol.

Now shipping are the PARC ARINC 429 Communications PMC, which has up to 16 receive and eight transmit channels, and the PARD, which supports up to eight receive and four transmit channels.

Both modules have built-in redundancy and ARINC 575 support.

Additionally, the PARD enables each transmitter's output to be independently placed in a tristate (high-impedance) mode enabling it to switch-over to a secondary redundant "master" module in another chassis located on the same ARINC bus.

"Synergy's new line of PMC modules addresses our customers' need to easily interface high-performance single-board computers with the standard avionics databus protocol", said Jeff Smith, Product Manager for Synergy.

"These PMCs allow embedded ARINC 429 applications to take full advantage of Synergy's next-generation, gigahertz-plus processing capability".

Designed to support maximum data throughput on all channels, the PARC and PARD both provide 32 x 32 FIFO, selection of datarate and parity, error detection and programmable buffer sizes.

Each channel can be individually configured to run either high (100Kbit/s) or low (12.5 Kbit/s) bitrates.

"Current value" buffer mode is provided for transmit channels, and double buffering is supported on all receive channels.

Both PARC and PARD modules have up to eight general-purpose input/output (GPIO) ports, which can be configured as either single-ended or differential.

They are RS422 and TTL-compatible, with optional RS232/423 and CMOS support.

The default configuration is to access the GPIO ports discretely; however, the same GPIOs can be custom-programmed via the onboard FPGA to support applications with unique serial protocols.

Both PMC modules are designed to meet the strict environmental requirements of avionics platforms in both commercial and military airframes, offering complete, integrated databus functionality for either air-cooled or conduction-cooled systems.

The air-cooled configuration supports an extended-temperature range of -20 to +70C, whereas the conduction-cooled version, with extended ruggedisation capability, will withstand extreme ranges of -40 to +85C.

Synergy board-support packages ease out-of-box deployment and reduce the time needed to integrate ARINC 429 and other protocols into an application.

High-level application program interface (API) support for both VxWorks and Linux comes standard with both PARC and PARD PMC modules.

Synergy's new ARINC 429 PMC modules are currently available at a starting price of $1516.

Back to top