Comparison of Real-Time, Mobile Data Bus Architectures

Abstract

Modern aircraft and automobiles are equipped with sensors, actuators, and controllers which generate or consume data during operations to improve the performance and life-safety aspects of vehicles. With increasing numbers of sensors and actuators, complexity of wiring needed to interface with them also increases. To reduce the volume of wiring, numerous data bus architectures have been designed. Although tailored for various applications (notably data rate, frame format, and interaction), most maintain remarkable similarity. This document details differences and commonalities of eight broadly accepted and standardized mobile, real-time, wired, serial data bus control architectures. With an objective comparison of those architectures, similarities and possible vulnerabilities are also explored.