A SYNCHRONOUS REAL TIME NETWORK BASED WIRELESS AIRBORNE DATA ACQUISTION SYSTEM

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a chronology from a Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) showing the impact of a wireless network architecture on future airborne data acquisition systems. The major advantages and challenges associated with the use of wireless network data acquisition versus wired time division multiplexing systems are rooted in data latency, bandwidth efficient data transmission while maintaining a low bit error rate and not interfering with existing avionics. Many of the issues raised are subtle and complex. It is not the intent of this paper to give these issues the thorough academic and technical analysis they deserve. It is the hope of the authors that this paper will generate awareness and discussion on these issues.