Purpose of this Document

ARINC Specification 628 defines general system architectural philosophy and specific design guidance for the design and interface of various cabin related equipment. Compliance with ARINC Specification 628 allows each respective ARINC equipment standard to interoperate when integrated with other relevant equipment. System performance parameters are described herein for connectors, electrical interfaces, operational mode control/protocols, Built-In Test Equipment (BITE) reporting, reliability, environmental conditions, and software data loading.

Cabin subsystems are becoming more sophisticated and complex. This is due primarily to the passenger entertainment and service improvements to enhance passenger comfort. Almost unlimited selections of audio and video programming are available to the passengers. State-of-the-art video entertainment subsystems with a capability for video games and catalog viewing are being provided on a personalized basis. Passengers can communicate almost anywhere in the world via a telephone at their seat. Office type computing systems and peripherals are also finding their applications in the cabin to facilitate data handling and management, and to link cabin data communication to the ground.

Standardization will enable the airlines to reap the benefits of these improvements. These benefits are achieved through greater airline freedom of choice, unit price reduction through increased volume, interchangeable spares and greater availability of spares, more upgradeable options, and creating more sub-markets for integrators and software/hardware suppliers.

Each subsystem may embody design features that are airline unique. Due to the unique nature of some equipment, only interfaces are standardized. Some functionalities are recommended as the design guidelines only.

Cabin subsystems should be managed, controlled and maintained systematically. Integration of management and control data buses/protocols is desirable to prevent proliferations of control points in the cabin. Centralizing management and controls of the different cabin subsystems facilitates operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting significantly.