Data type separation for aircraft mission systems digital backbone

A system, comprising:

• one or more first system components, each first system component of the one or more first system components comprising:
• one or more first processors;
• and
• at least one first non-transitory computer readable memory connected to the one or more first processors and including first computer program code, wherein the at least one first non-transitory computer readable memory and the first computer program code are configured, with the one or more first processors, to cause the respective first system component to at least:
• implement a first end point infrastructure services (EPIS) stack, wherein the first EPIS stack provides endpoint data distribution services through a structured typed application interface associated with a common data model, wherein the structured typed application interface implements a publisher structured typed application interface, and wherein the first EPIS stack is configured to provide an interface, via the publisher structured typed application interface, between a data source and a digital switching fabric system forming a digital backbone network, and wherein defined network interfaces for the digital backbone network provide for enforcement of configuration management to correctly and safely enable auto-generation of one or more configuration files and validation artifacts;
• and
• perform communication of data with one or more second system components over a virtual link through the digital backbone network, wherein the communication of the data is performed using a standardized serialization protocol and according to a transport mechanism, wherein the transport mechanism is predetermined according to a source of the data and is one of a time aware transport service, a rate constrained transport service, or a best effort transport service, wherein performing communication of the data comprises acting as a publisher of the data, wherein acting as the publisher comprises sending the data over the virtual link to the one or more second system components through the first EPIS stack and through the digital backbone network;
• and
• one or more second system components, each of the one or more second system components comprising:
• one or more second processors;
• and
• at least one second non-transitory computer readable memory connected to the one or more second processors and including second computer program code, wherein the at least one second non-transitory computer readable memory and the second computer program code are configured, with the one or more second processors, to cause the respective second system component to at least:
• implement a second EPIS stack, wherein the second EPIS stack provides endpoint data distribution services through a structured typed application interface associated with the common data model, wherein the structured typed application interface implements at least a subscriber structured typed application interface, and wherein the second EPIS stack is configured to provide an interface, via the subscriber structured typed application interface, between the digital switching fabric system and a data target;
• and
• act as a subscriber in communication of the data with the one or more first system components over the virtual link via the second EPIS stack;
• wherein the at least one first non-transitory computer readable memory, the first computer program code and the one or more first processors of a third system component of the one or more first system components are configured to cause the third system component to perform the communication of the data with the one or more second system components according to a transport mechanism that is different from a transport mechanism used by a fourth system component of the one or more first system components for communication of data.

A method, comprising:

• implementing, by a first system component connected to a digital backbone network of an aircraft, a first end point infrastructure services (EPIS) stack that provides endpoint data distribution services through a structured typed application interface associated with a common data model, wherein the structured typed application interface implements a publisher structured typed application interface;
• providing, by the first EPIS stack, an interface, via the publisher structured typed application interface, between a data source and a digital switching fabric system forming a digital backbone network, wherein defined network interfaces for the digital backbone network provide for enforcement of configuration management to correctly and safely enable auto-generation of one or more configuration files and validation artifacts;
• performing communication of data, via a data stream generated by the first system component, with a second system component over a virtual link through the digital backbone network, wherein the communication of the data is performed using a standardized serialization protocol and according to a transport mechanism, wherein the transport mechanism is associated with the data stream and is predetermined according to a source of the data and is one of a time aware transport service, rate constrained transport service, or best effort transport service, wherein performing communication of the data comprises acting as a publisher of the data, wherein acting as the publisher comprises sending the data on the data stream over the virtual link to the second system component through the first EPIS stack and through the digital backbone network;
• implementing, by the second system component, a second EPIS stack, wherein the second EPIS stack provides endpoint data distribution services through a structured typed application interface associated with the common data model, wherein the structured typed application interface implements at least a subscriber structured typed application interface, and wherein the second EPIS stack is configured to provide an interface, via the subscriber structured typed application interface, between the digital switching fabric system and a data target;
• and
• acting, by the second system component, as a subscriber in communication of the data by receiving, via the second EPIS stack, the data stream from the first system component over the virtual link;
• wherein the transport mechanism used by the first system component to perform the communication of the data is different from a transport mechanism used by a third system component, which is connected to the digital backbone network, for communication of data.