JAS 39 Gripen - an overview: The internal network
Gripen uses MIL-STD 1553B databuses, all of which most of the time are utilized 40-60% of their capacity. At first there were three of them, now they're five, operating at 1MB/s. The computer system Ericsson SDS 80 uses D96/MACS processors (since 2000 -- initially D80 processors, upgraded to D80E in 1994, were used) which are programmed with Pascal-D80, which has advanced real time functions and Ada. CPU load can be as much as 95% without any problems.
The MACS has three 266 MHz PowerPC processors working in parallell, 160 MB disk (extensible to 320 MB), 32 MB PROM and 64 MB RAM. Mass 13.5 kg.
The CPUs and buses can't be overloaded unless there's a hardware error, and if this happens the system reverts by graceful degradation to a more conservative, less capable, mode in steps. It can revert to a very basic mode.
Most concepts had four 20 mm cannon and an internal rocket
launcher for a dozen 15-18 cm rockets. Other armaments was two
500 kg bombs or a missile type 303. In 1948 it was decided to go
for a smaller, single engine aircraft "project 1150". The
requirement was for an aircraft that "could carry its weapons -
guns, rockets, bombs and missiles - from a centrally placed air
base to any part of our 2000 km coast line, in under one hour, in
any weather and during darkness" In 1949 it was awarded the
designation "type 32".
The name Lansen means The Lance.
