Shield Grounding and EMI Protection

March 5, 2018 Michael Traskos

The push for more electric aircraft is driven by weight savings and the availability of reliable electrical components. This is made possible with greater power generating capacity, however, this comes with an increased challenge of ensuring reliable data transmission. More power flowing through the aircraft means higher levels of electromagnetic interference (EMI). Aerospace environmental test […] Read more

Designing for Relays

November 30, 2017 Alexander Petrov

Power transfer through aircraft or any electrical system requires components that have the capability to turn on and off. These switches, contactors, transistors, and electrical relays that route power through the aircraft are life limited parts. Whether from a design or sustainment view, understanding how these components degrade over time and what to look for […] Read more

Humidity Test

There are several locations in aircraft where electrical connectors are regularly subject to high humidity conditions. Even without high humidity conditions, thermal cycling can wear down connector seals and create paths for fluid ingress. The system level impact can vary from signal degradation to shorting and electrical arcing. This test examines a connector’s resistance to […] Read more

Power over Ethernet and Potential Application Problems

September 15, 2017 Michael Traskos

The primary purpose of power over ethernet (PoE) is to use a single ethernet cable to provide a datalink and low-level power to devices. Since PoE became standardized in 2003, it has been implemented on a large range of ground based applications. There are several benefits to this implementation which include cable that is easily […] Read more

Selecting the Right Wires and Cables

August 30, 2017 Michael Traskos

In reviewing Lectromec’s articles, one can find over 250 articles covering different segments of aerospace wiring systems and lifecycle. For some, this may be an overload of information. But, if these articles were consolidated to their fundamentals, one can conclude that by selecting the right parts, installing them the right way, and doing the right […] Read more

Maximizing Electrical Component Performance

June 9, 2017 Michael Traskos

Most components for electrical systems will have an accompanying product specification or product information sheet. These information sheets contain a lot of information that include mechanical, thermal, and electrical performance and this information is regularly used by engineers to make technical decisions. This performance information is necessary to reduce engineering time and avoid the need […] Read more

Signs of an Aging Wiring System

May 1, 2017 Michael Traskos

All components wear out over time, but the rate at which they degrade will vary depending on the quality of the product, how is it handled, and the environmental conditions in which the component is installed. To consider all the potential ways that an EWIS can fail, it can be overwhelming. As a brief list […] Read more

Space Certified Wires and Cables

March 9, 2017 Michael Traskos

In the last three months, Lectromec has been asked numerous times about “Space Certified Wires” (SCW). The basic premise of these questions has been whether there is a defined set of criteria that would show a wire or cable is suitable for space applications. The primary concern raised is can there be a single set […] Read more

How many Cables Should be Shielded?

January 27, 2017 Michael Traskos

A common question when it comes to designing an aircraft EWIS is which of the cables should be shielded? There are several standards, such as MIL-STD-461, “Requirements for the Control of Electromagnetic Interference Characteristics of Subsystems and Equipment” provide an excellent basis for topics and testing that should be considered. But for those that are […] Read more

Nuisance Trips

December 16, 2016 Michael Traskos

Circuit protection devices are primarily responsible for protection of electrical circuits from low impedance faults. These device types may be thermal, arc fault circuit breaker (AFCB), or integrated within a solid-state power distribution. Regardless of type, their role remains the same. But circuit protection devices are not error free. In the cases when the circuit […] Read more

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