Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet (
AFDX) is a data network, patented by international aircraft manufacturer
Airbus, for safety-critical applications that utilizes dedicated bandwidth while providing deterministic
quality of service (QoS). AFDX is a registered trademark by Airbus in several countries worldwide, including Europe. The AFDX data network is based on
Ethernet technology using
commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The AFDX data network is a specific implementation of
ARINC Specification 664 Part 7, a profiled version of an
IEEE 802.3 network per parts 1 & 2, which defines how commercial off-the-shelf networking components will be used for future generation
Aircraft Data Networks (ADN). The six primary aspects of an AFDX data network include full duplex, redundancy, deterministic, high speed performance, switched and profiled network.