Integration of digital avionics components for guided weapons

The current approach for guided weapon avionics is to use custom digital computational elements connected together with large cables. If these computational tasks can be partitioned into common tasks, and if standard interfaces can be defined, it would promote interchangeable missile guidance and control components and enhance interoperability. The digital integrating subsystem (DIS) program is a current effort to establish these standards and procedures. In the digital integrating subsystem concept, the total data processing requirements of a typical standoff weapon are met by utilizing a number of individual microcomputers that communicate with each other on a serial multiplex bus, the number of microcomputers being dependent upon the total data processing work load of the weapon. Each microcomputer is tasked to do calculations associated with a particular avionics function. Once the computations are completed, the results are "broadcast" on the multiplex bus. Each computer also listens for only the data it requires on the bus. System design, details on the interface characteristics, and a progress report on the construction of brassboard units are presented.