Purpose: ARINC Specification 628 defines general architectural philosophy and aircraft infrastructure for the proper use and interface of various cabin related IFE equipment. Consistency with ARINC Specification 628 allows each respective system to operate in concert when integrated with other relevant cabin equipment.

ARINC Specification 628 Part 4 defines standards for the aircraft IFE Cabin Distribution System (CDS) wiring, connectors, power, identification codes, space envelopes and mounting principles. The equipment itself is not a subject of this specification because it may be unique to the system manufacturer or marketplacedriven. Design guidelines are included for informational purposes as these guidelines impact the interfaces and installation of cabin equipment aboard the aircraft.

The CDS, in daisy chain architecture, is the content of both Parts 4A and 4C of ARINC Specification 628. Part 4C presents the second generation also known as 2GCN of the daisy chain topology, as an evolution based on the experience gained with the first version of the CDS. The main difference is that the system in Part 4C is divided into two separated networks, one for data, connected to the CEC, and the other one for power, connected to the Aircraft Power Supply. The second generation of the CDS was mainly introduced because of the need for more bandwidth (via quad-cables) and a newer version of the MCU, which allows for greater control over power distribution. Fiber-optic cables are not defined, because the new quad-cables were deemed more than sufficient for the expected bandwidths.

The primary reason for the separation of data and power was the limiting factor of the power lines. If both data and power are bound together in one cable, the whole network would be constrained by the limits arising from maximum distances or number of supplied components resulting from both of them (mainly power). When separating power and data from each other, both networks do not have to be identical and can be optimized individually, allowing for better overall performance and fewer components. The detailed separation of data and power is described in Sections 2.0 and 3.0.

Functional improvements are capable of being performed through the addition or enhancement of modules without modification on the aircraft.

The CDS should be designed to support an airplane configuration, but scaleable to all commercial aircraft types.

A generic configuration of cabin subsystems interconnection is shown in the block diagrams of ARINC Specification 628: Cabin Equipment Interfaces (CEI), Part 1, Cabin Management and Entertainment System Peripherals and ARINC Specification 628: Cabin Equipment Interfaces (CEI), Part 2, Cabin Management and Entertainment Systems - Seat Interfaces. The block diagrams also include connection with avionics that contribute to the operation of the cabin.