FIBER OPTIC AIRCRAFT/STORES INTERFACES

MIL-STD-1760 DEFINES A STANDARDIZED ELECTRICAL INTERFACE BETWEEN AIRCRAFT AND STORES. THIS INTERACE AS PRESENTLY DEFINED INCLUDES CONNECTIONS FOR ANALOG, DIGITAL DATA, DISCRETE, AND POWER TYPE SIGNALS. SIGNAL TRANSFER MEDIA INCLUDE COAXIAL CABLE, TWISTED SHIELDED PAIR, AND DISCRETE WIRES. PROVISIONS ARE INCLUDED, HOWEVER, FOR THE FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION OF TWO FIBER OPTIC SIGNAL CONNECTIONS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY UNDEFINED. DUE TO THE INHERENT WIDE BANDWIDTH CAPABILITY OF FIBER OPTIC MEDIA, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO COMBINE MANY OF THE PRESENT MIL-STD-1760 SIGNALSCURRENTLY TRANSFERRED OVER SEPARATE WIRE PATHS ONTO A COMMON FIBER OPTIC CONNECTION. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN AIRCRAFT WIRING AND ASSOCIATED WEIGHT, AS WELL AS ENHANCED IMMUNITY TO ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI). THIS STUDY WILL INVESTIGATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH MIL-STD-1760 AND OTHER AIRCRAFT/STORE INTERFACE SIGNALS (SUCH AS MOTOR FIRE PULSE) MAY FEASIBLY TRANSFERRED OVER THE RESERVED FIBER OPTIC LINES. SIGNAL TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS WILL BE ANALYZED, AND CANDIDATE IMPLEMENTATION APPROACHES WILL BE DEFINED. FINALLY, A RECOMMENDED APPROACHWILL BE SELECTED. REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WILL ALSO BE IDENTIFIED.