IRIG 106 Chapter 10

Download IRIG106 at RCC Website

The IRIG106 telemetry standards document now contains a Chapter 10. This Chapter version contains standards that have lead to a revolution in the way airborne telemetry data is captured, recorded, analyzed and distributed.

Zodiac Data Systems has supported and significantly contributed to this standard in its continuing efforts to provide its customers with economic, accurate data acquisition systems that provide data to the users' analysis platforms in effective, predictable and controllable ways.

Zodiac Data Systems range of rugged flight test and mission recorders include the ability to record avionics bus, PCM and video data in the IRIG Chapter 10 format. Available GSR and GSS SERIES of Ground Replay Recorders have the ability to reconstruct signals from recorded media compliant with IRIG106 Chapter 10 data formats, adding even more flexibility to this field-proven flight data replay system.

IRIG106 represents the culmination of several year's effort on the part of the Range Commanders Council, Manufacturers and Users to formulate a new standard for solid state flight recorders. Zodiac Data Systems strongly supported this group during the standard's development period. The standard responds to two important technology changes that have developed during the past decade.

Firstly, the ability to economically digitize and multiplex all types of data such that recordings can be made in purely digital format. Digital recording has many advantages over earlier analog technologies; accurate time bases, improved signal fidelity and direct input to analysis platforms being just a few of the important capabilities of digital recording. Secondly, the rapidly reducing price of large (multi-gigabyte) solid state memory has for the first time made it economical to consider solid state as a practical media choice for data acquisition in more severe non-benign environments.

IRIG106 Chapter 10 standardizes the digital data format for recording solid state media. This will ensure that conforming equipment will record flight data in a uniform manner such that the data input specification for signal reproducers, signal analyzers and display/analysis software will not be dependent on the type or manufacture of the flight recorder. Captured flight data will arrive at the user's facility in standard format.

Further, the standard provides for a uniform method of high-speed download from the record media and for a uniform method of remote control. Compatible download stations are assured of transferring data from any compliant recorder or media cartridge at any location, unaffected by who manufactured the air and ground equipment.

VS1500

The ENERTEC VS1500 above is a typical example of an IRIG106 Chapter 10 compliant mission recorder. The captured time, serial, video, audio and MIL-STD-1553 data are formatted in accordance with the standard such that the data file will reliably replay using any standards compliant mission debrief or analysis software.

The integral media cartridge can contain up to 128 GB of solid state media and can easily be removed from the recorder on board the asset and quickly transferred to debriefing ground equipment. A standardized data download interface ensures reliable transfer to computers anywhere in the world.