Boeing selects space-saving DDC ARINC 629 optical converter for 777X aircraft

BOHEMIA, N.Y., 11 June 2015.Data Device Corp. (DDC) won a contract from The Boeing Company to provide its ARINC 629 Plastic Optical Converter (APOC) – a line replaceable unit (LRU) that contains an array of optical media converters (OMCs) – for use on the Boeing 777X commercial aircraft. The APOC converts electrical ARINC 629 signals from each system LRU into optical signals able to be communicated on a passive optical network (PON) using plastic optical fiber (POF).

The APOC system, also known as POF629 system, replaces the current mode couplers, coupler integration panels, and electrical data bus cables with optical media converters, passive optical stars, and plastic optical fiber for size, weight, and power (SWaP) savings and increased reliability.

The implementation of the APOC represents a major step forward in the evolution of fiber-optic networks for use in aircraft, officials explain. The APOC system achieves significant SWaP savings as well as reductions in manufacturing labor for each airplane. POF holds the potential to enable high-speed data communication that combines the electromagnetic effects (EME) and weight advantages of glass optical fiber (GOF) and the ruggedness of electrical cable.

The ARINC 629 digital data bus, first deployed on the 777 aircraft, has proven to be a reliable interface for more than 20 years, officials say. ARINC 629 makes use of current mode couplers to connect to an electrical data bus cable.

The APOC maintains the ARINC 629 end-to-end communication protocol and interfaces between LRUs. The conversion to plastic optical fiber is transparent to the system user LRUs, and enables existing ARINC 629 equipment from the 777 to be reused for the 777X.

“The APOC award demonstrates DDC’s focus on the civil aviation market. We look forward to contributing to the success of the 777x as a key member of the data networking implementation team, and as a direct supplier of an LRU that supports critical avionic functions,” says DDC’s Data Bus Component Product Line Manager Mike Hegarty.

Data Device Corporation (DDC) is a designer and manufacturer of high-reliability data networking, power control, and motion control solutions for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.