Patent ID: 7802048

Claim:
A smart translator box for integrating existing aircraft electronics and software having an aircraft AGM-65 analog interface with a store having a MIL-STD-1760 digital interface, said smart translator box comprising: a store AGM-65 analog interface including AC and DC power lines, a plurality of discrete input signal lines, a plurality of analog input signal lines, a plurality of discrete output signal lines and a video output signal line to communicate signals with the aircraft AGM-65 analog interface; an aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface including AC and DC power lines, signal lines including a 1760-compatible digital data bus and discrete lines to communicate control signals and data with the store MIL-STD-1760 digital interface; a channel to pass AC and DC power from the AC and DC power lines at the store AGM-65 analog interface to the AC and DC power lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 digital interface to power the store and to power the smart translator box electronics; a discrete-to-digital converter that converts signals on the discrete input signal lines at the store AGM-65 interface to aircraft digital signals, said signals being responsive to aircraft software and aircrew menu selection of a displayed video signal to authorize the smart translator box to operate, to initiate a launch sequence of the store or to communicate a menu selection; an analog-to digital converter that converts signals on the analog signal lines at the store AGM-65 to aircraft digital signals, said signals being in response to aircrew manipulation of a control mechanism to scroll the menu or to increment or decrement the value of selected data fields on the menu; a processor configured to process the aircraft digital signals and the store control signals and data including store status and situational awareness to generate text and graphics digital signals, first control and data digital signals output on the 1760-compatible digital data bus and second and third control digital signals; a text and graphics video generator that processes the text and graphics digital signals and generates a video signal on the store AGM-65 interface video output, said video signal being displayed to the aircrew in the aircraft cockpit; a digital-to-discrete converter that processes the second control digital signals to generate signals on the discrete output signal lines at the store AGM-65 interface, said signals communicating to the aircraft software that an approved store is attached and providing its operational status; and a bi-directional digital-to-discrete converter that processes the third control digital signals to generate release consent and interlock signals on the discrete lines at the aircraft MIL-STD-1760 compliant interface and processes a discrete interlock return signal to generate a digital interlock return signal communicated to the processor.