What is AFDX/ARINC 664 and how does it improve on ARINC 429?

AFDX (Avionics Full-Duplex Switched Ethernet) per ARINC 664 Part 7 is a high-speed, bidirectional data network for modern avionics. Improvements over ARINC 429: 100 Mbps bandwidth (1000x faster), Full-duplex switched architecture, Multiple virtual links over single network, Deterministic latency through traffic shaping, Reduced wiring weight (shared network vs point-to-point). Features: Virtual Link concept providing guaranteed bandwidth, Redundant networks (A/B) for fault tolerance, and Standard Ethernet frames with bandwidth allocation gap control. Used extensively on A380, A350, Boeing 787. Enables Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) with shared computing resources. Requires careful network design for determinism.