Implementation of lossless compression algorithms for the MIL-STD-1553.

This thesis focuses on the bandwidth limitations faced by the legacy MIL-STD-1553 data bus. In order to improve bandwidth performance, lossless implementations of data compression routines have been proposed. Using data bus captures from the F/A-18 C/D simulator it has been possible to determine data characteristics, resulting in statistics showing the inherent redundancies within the data. This thesis proposes three compression algorithms which have been developed for use on the MIL-STD-1553 data bus. The three methods are Common Value Tracking, Modified Run-Length Encoding, and Differential Encoding. It will be shown that in some cases, compression ratios over 10 to 1 are possible, significantly improving the data transfer capabilities of the legacy communication system. The compression algorithms have been designed to provide bounded deterministic operation as required by real-time systems. In this thesis we will explore the strengths and weakness of each of these algorithms and also the decisions and challenges associated with integration with MIL-STD-1553 systems.