ARINC 429 Binary Data encoding with Solution (Updated 2021/09/20):

Information for the encoding / decoding of ARINC 429 data can be found in the following reference document:
ARINC SPECIFICATION 429 PART 1-17 published 2004/05/17
Part 1 - Attachment 1-1 LABEL CODES
Part 1 - Attachment 1-2 Equipment ID
Part 1 - Attachment 2 Table 2 BNR DATA
Part 1 - Attachment 6 Table 6-27 Encoding examples
The following data may be transmitted on an ARINC line in accordance with the ARINC 429 standard (refer to Part 1
Attachment 1-1 and Attachment 1-2).

Label Parameter Description Source Equipment ID Source Equipment Type

(Ref. Attachment 1-1) (Ref. Attachment 1-1) Ref. Attachment 1-2)
076 GNSS Altitude (MSL) 00B Global Positioning System
103 Selected Airspeed 002 Flight Management Computer
103 GNSS Track Angle 00B Global Positioning System
110 GNSS Latitude 00B Global Positioning System
111 GNSS Longitude 00B Global Positioning System
120 GNSS Latitude Fine 00B Global Positioning System
121 GNSS Longitude Fine 00B Global Positioning System
203 Altitude (1013.25mb) 006 Air Data System

1. Question 1:
Based on the information from Attachment 2 – Table 2, what is the format specification applicable to each parameter. Label
076 is provided as an example.

Label Parameter Name Units Range Signed/Unsigned Significant Resolution LSB

(Note a) Bits (note b) (note c and d) Position

076 GNSS Altitude (MSL) Feet ±131072 Signed 20 0.125 9

103 Selected Airspeed Knots 512 Unsigned 11 0.25 18
103 GNSS Track Angle Deg ±180 Signed 15 0.005493164 14
See note e below
110 GNSS Latitude Deg ±180 Signed 20 1.71661E-04 9
111 GNSS Longitude Deg ±180 Signed 20 1.71661E-04 9
120 GNSS Latitude Fine Deg 1.71661E-04 Unsigned 11 8.38190E-08 18
121 GNSS Longitude Deg 1.71661E-04 Unsigned 11 8.38190E-08 18
Fine
203 Altitude Feet 131072 Unsigned 17 1 12
(1013.25mB)

Note: Beware that 0.0055 and 0.000172 listed in the ARINC specification are approximations, not good enough for accurate
calculations. When using 0.000172 the error at full scale is > 2000 bits.
Notes:
a. For unsigned parameters the Range indicated in Table 2 is indicated without prefix, and the sign bit (bit 29) is
always 0. For signed parameters, the Range is prefixed with ± and the sign bit (bit 29) is set to 1 for negative values.
b. The number of significant bits is specified under “Sig Bits” in Attachment 2 - Table 2. In accordance with ARINC 429
convention, the sign bit (bit 29) is not counted. When the number of significant bits exceed 18 (as in the case of
Label 076, 110 and 111), the data field extends into the SDI field over bits 10 and 9.
c. Refer to Attachment 6 Table 6-27 for examples of binary encoding:
i. The number of significant bits N is listed in Attachment 2 -Table 2. The sign bit (bit 29) is not counted in
the significant bits.
𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
ii. Weight assigned to the most significant bit (bit 28): 𝑤1 =
2
𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
Weight assigned to the mth significant bit (bit 29 - m): 𝑤𝑚 =
2𝑚
𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
Resolution (weight of the least significant bit): 𝑤𝑁 =
2𝑁
𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
Largest positive value represented: 𝑉𝑀𝑎𝑥 = ∗ (2𝑁 − 1) = 𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 −
2𝑁 2𝑁

Note that the full positive range cannot be represented, the largest positive value 𝑉𝑀𝑎𝑥 that can be
represented is always smaller than 𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 by 1 LSB.
for negative signed parameters, the sign bit is set to 1 and assigned a weight of (−𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒). The value of the
significant bits is still counted positive as above. Thus, the range of negative value that can be represented is from
(−𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒) when the sign bit is set to 1 and all other bits are 0
to
−𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒
( = −1 𝐿𝑆𝐵) when all the bits are set to 1.
2𝑁

The example below shows the encoding of label 103 (Selected Airspeed) for 268 Kt.
This label is unsigned so the sign bit (bit 29) is 0
The specified range is 512 Kt. The bits in the data field are given by the coefficients of the successive power of 2 as
shown below:
512 512 512 512 512 512 512 512 512 512 512
268 = 1 ∗ +0∗ +0∗ +0∗ +0∗ +1∗ +1∗ +0∗ +0∗ +0∗ +0∗
2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1024 4096

d. The resolution indicated in Table 2 is truncated and must not be used for exact calculations. For example, the
resolution indicated in Table 2 for the GNSS Track Angle (label 103) is 0.0055°, but the correct value is
𝑅𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 180
= = 0.0054931640625.
215 32768

This truncation would cause an error of 0.225° at full scale! For conversions between engineering units and binary
values always use the exact value derived from the Range and the number of significant bits as indicated in (c. ii.)
above.
e. Warning: For GNSS Track Angle (label 103) the correct range value is ±180°. The range indicated in Attachment 2 -
Table 2, is incorrect.
2. Question 2:
Based on the information from Attachment 2 – Table 2, what is the value of the sign bit and data fields (in binary,
decimal or hexadecimal format) corresponding to the engineering values in the following table:
To convert an engineering value to ARINC binary value
• Convert the engineering value to the specified ARINC units.
 • Divide the value in ARINC units by the Range and multiply by 2N, where N is the number of significant bits
specified by ARINC.
• Round the result to the lower integer value, this yields an integer number A.
• If the input value is positive:
o set the sign bit (bit 29) to 0.
o The binary value encoded in the data field is A, aligned to the LSB position obtained in question 1.
• If the result is negative:
o set bit 29 to 1.
o The binary value encoded in the data field is the two’s complement of A, aligned to the LSB position
obtained in question 1. The two’s complement of A is 2N – A. For more details on 2’s complement
representation refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two%27s_complement.
• Note 1: it is sometimes convenient to compute the binary value aligned to bit 9: In this case the data consists
of 5 groups of 4 bits, and each group can be represented by its hexadecimal value. For this, multiply the
encoded value by 2(20-N) where N is the number of significant bits specified by ARINC.
• Note 2: the above calculation must be done with an accuracy consistent with the ARINC resolution, so that the
encoding error is < 1 LSB. Beware of truncation and rounding errors when computing the resolution.

Label Parameter Description Engineering value Value encoded (bit 29 to bit 9)

0 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111
076 GNSS Altitude 131071.875 ft
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9

Sign bit (bit 29): 0

Data field (bit 28 to 9): FFFFF Hex
1 1111 1001 1001 0111 1001
1 GNSS Altitude -1000 m = - 3 280.8400 ft
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9
= -131072 + 127 791.16
Sign bit (bit 29): 1
Data field (bit 28 to 9): F9979 Hex
0 1111 1000 110x xxxx xxxx
103 Selected Airspeed 256 m/s = 497.62419 kts
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9

Sign bit (bit 29): 0

Data field (bit 28 to 9): F8C00 Hex
1 1100 0000 0000 000x xxxx
103 GNSS Track Angle 315° = - 45°
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9
315° = - 180° + 90° + 45°
Sign bit (bit 29): 1
Data field (bit 28 to 9): C0000 Hex
1 0000 0000 0000 000x xxxx
103 GNSS Track Angle +π rd = - πrd = -180°
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9

Sign bit (bit 29): 1

Data field (bit 28 to 9): 00000 Hex
0 1000 0000 0000 000x xxxx
103 GNSS Track Angle ¼ turn = +90°
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9

Sign bit (bit 29): 0

Data field (bit 28 to 9): 80000 Hex
1 1011 1111 0100 1000 0111
110 GNSS Latitude 45° 30’ 15” South
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9
= - 45.504167°
Sign bit (bit 29): 1
= -180° + 134.495833°
Data field (bit 28 to 9): BF487 Hex
 Label Parameter Description Engineering value Value encoded (bit 29 to bit 9)
0 0010 0000 0110 0000 0100
111 GNSS Longitude 22° 45’ 52” East
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9
= +22.764444°
Sign bit (bit 29): 1
Data field (bit 28 to 9): 20604 Hex
0 0010 0111 0001 0000 0xxx
203 Altitude (1013.25mB) 6096 m = 20000 Ft
29 28 25 24 21 20 17 16 13 12 9

Sign bit (bit 29): 0

Data field (bit 28 to 9): 27100 Hex
Beware that when the number of significant bits is 18 or less, the data may not overwrite the SDI fild (bits 10 and 9).
3. Question 3:
Is it safe to use any of the above parameters if the value reported in the SSM matrix of the ARINC word is [0,0]?
No, SSM [0, 0] indicates Failure Warning, the data may be incorrect and may not be used for computation or display.
4. Question 4:
What is the position resolution (in meters) that can be achieved on the surface of the earth when representing the
geographic position with GNSS Latitude (label 110) and GNSS Longitude (label 111)?
Note: you can use a mean Earth radius value of 6,370 km.
½ earth perimeter (180°) is coded over 20 bits. The corresponding resolution in latitude is:
1 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑖
𝑅= ∗ = 6370000 ∗ 20 ≃ 19.085𝑚
2 220 2
This is also the resolution in longitude at the equator.
Note that the resolution in longitude is not constant, the resolution in longitude (local resolution in the east/west
direction) becomes smaller as you move from the equator toward the poles:
• At 0° latitude, the circle of constant latitude is the equator, with a radius of approximately 6,370 km.
• At 45° latitude north or south, the circle of constant latitude is the 45th parallel, with a radius of 6,370 *
cos(45°).
• At the pole the circle of constant latitude vanishes into a point.
5. Question 5:
To improve the position accuracy labels 120 (GNSS Latitude fine) and 121 (GNSS Longitude fine) have been introduced.
What is the number of significant bits achieved by combining the information from both labels?
When both labels are used the number of significant bits is 20 + 11 = 31 bits to encode 180°.
6. Question 6:
What is the equivalent resolution in meters on the surface of the earth?
With the increased resolution, the ½ earth perimeter is coded over 20+11 bits.
1 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑖
The corresponding resolution in latitude is: 𝑅 = ∗ = 6370000 ∗ ≃ 9.318 𝑚𝑚
2 231 231