Avionics bus technology: Which bus should i get on?

Today's commercial and military aircraft utilize many different avionics data and video bus technologies including MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, ARINC 664, Fibre Channel, Time-Triggered Ethernet, and ARINC 818. Avionics designers want to insert high-speed networking technology while still utilizing data bus technologies already integrated and proven. The array of data buses can be confusing, and it isn't clear which bus is best for different types of applications. This paper presents an overview of the most common avionics network and data bus technologies, including the strengths and weaknesses of each. It explores key characteristics that determine which bus is best given a specific technical requirement. For example, ARINC 664 (AFDX) and SAE 6802 (Time-Triggered Ethernet) are both deterministic versions of Ethernet, so how does one determine which is more appropriate? Several buses can be used for video applications, but which bus provides the most comprehensive set of features for demanding video links? This paper will compare and contrast the different data buses to help the readers determine the best bus for their applications given their technical requirements.