I/O and protocol converters for drone and eVTOL avionics
Updated November 3, 2026
An aircraft combines equipment from many suppliers, and not all of it speaks the same language. I/O converters and interface units translate between buses and signal types so that sensors, actuators, avionics and payloads can work together without custom electronics for each connection.
Common interfaces
- Serial: RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485, widely used by sensors and legacy equipment.
- CAN: robust multi-node bus; DroneCAN and CANaerospace are common protocols in UAS.
- Ethernet: high bandwidth for cameras, mission computers and networked avionics; ARINC 664 (AFDX) in certified aircraft.
- ARINC 429: the classic one-way avionics data bus of commercial aircraft.
- MIL-STD-1553: deterministic data bus used in military aircraft.
- Discrete and analog I/O, PWM and servo signals.
What a converter does
- Converts electrical levels and timing between interfaces.
- Translates messages between protocols and data formats.
- Concentrates many inputs into one bus (data concentrator) or distributes one bus to many outputs.
- Isolates and protects circuits to keep faults from spreading.
Key specifications
- Supported interfaces and number of channels.
- Latency and throughput, critical when the converted data feeds the flight controller.
- Configurability: fixed function or programmable mapping.
- Isolation, protection and EMC.
- Environmental qualification and design assurance if the data is flight-critical.
- Size, weight and power.
When to use one
Integrating an aerospace sensor with ARINC 429 output into a CAN-based autopilot, or an Ethernet camera with a serial payload controller, is a typical case. A tested converter is usually cheaper and quicker to qualify than a custom board. See also mission computers.
