Key Industry Questions
How to incorporate new generation sensors based on high-resolution video signals into the traditional bandwidth-limited networks used in this sector?
Migrating existing networks to Ethernet is the answer since this standard allows bandwidths of up to hundreds of gigabits per second.
Is it safe in terms of availability to replace the proprietary protocols used so far by the Ethernet standard?
Yes, thanks to the use of protocols specifically designed to guarantee “Zero Packet Loss” or “Zero Recovery Time” over Ethernet networks. These protocols are HSR (High-availability Seamless Redundancy) and PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol) and are characterised by their simple implementation at layer 2 level and their complete decoupling from the higher layers of the system.
Other technologies such as TSN have also developed the same redundancy concept in the IEEE 802.1CB standard definition also known as FRER (Frame Replication and Elimination for Reliability).
Is it possible to guarantee determinism in the transmission of critical traffic (low latency and low jitter) over Ethernet networks?
Yes, thanks to the definition of specific mechanisms aimed at protecting the transmission of critical traffic from non-critical traffic on the same network. These mechanisms are included in the set of standards that are part of the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) concept.
How to deal with the technical and economic problems resulting from the installation of different cabling for the subsystems used in a vehicle, especially when there are space constraints (ground vehicles, combat aircrafts, etc.)?
Having solved the problem of how to guarantee the determinism of critical or scheduled traffic when combined with non-critical traffic over an Ethernet network, Time-Sensitive Networking solves the above mentioned problem by making it possible to transmit the traffic of the various subsystems over a single network.
Can I guarantee the coexistence of these new technologies with legacy systems using other established industry protocols such as MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC-664 (AFDX) in Aerospace or EtherCAT in Ground vehicles?
As convergence to Ethernet is taking place in all sectors and Ethernet will become the de-facto communications standard for both critical and non-critical traffic, all vendors of both Ethernet and other protocols will develop solutions that are interoperable with each other and with legacy systems.
Do new technologies such as Time-Sensitive Networking cover the safety levels required in military systems?
These technologies have been specially designed for critical sectors and therefore incorporate the necessary mechanisms to be able to apply a black channel approach in terms of safety.
In addition, work is being done on the development of a specific TSN profile for Aerospace (IEEE P802.1DP / SAE AS6675) which, among others, is working on the definition of a variant of the standard that meets the requirements of Safety DO-254 and DO-178- DAL-A, as required by the sector.
Benefits
SOC-E is the perfect partner to address any evolution to the new generation technologies demanded by the sector.
On the one hand, it has the greatest expertise in the market in the core technologies used in this transition: Ethernet, HSR/PRP, Time-Sensitive Networking, layer 3 routing, layer 2 and 3 encryption and authentication, layer 2 and layer 3 sub-microsecond synchronisation. These core technologies are intended to make possible the complex developments required by military systems. SOC-E not only has this know-how, but has developed in-house its own technology, giving it an ability to adapt to customer requirements that is unmatched in the market.
In addition, it has a proven ability to design electronics to meet the stringent operational and environmental requirements needed for modern combat.
Finally, all its offering is based on FPGA technology, with an EOL of up to 25 years for these components, which is fully aligned with the requirements of military programmes and solves the obsolescence problem that exists when using ASICs developed for the generalist market.
Applications
Implementation of a reliable Digital Backbone (DBB), time synchronization and time bridging and network protection against external and insider threats in:
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- Land LAN systems
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- Airborne LAN systems
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- Naval LAN systems
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- Ground-Air communications
References
