RTCA/DO-160 Section 16: Power Input

RTCA/DO-160 Section 16 test procedures are used to determine whether the EUT can operate during different AC and/or DC power variations that occur during normal and emergency aircraft operation. RTCA/DO-160 Section 16 tests verify whether the equipment will negatively affect the aircraft power system that would be harmful or degrade performance in other equipment. These tests cover both susceptibility (surge, dropout, frequency transients, etc.) and harmful interference (current harmonics, re-generated energy, power factor, etc.) of the EUT.


 

Tests:

• DC Input tests
• Steady-state over- and under-voltage conditions
• Ripple voltage
• Momentary power interruption
• Momentary sags and surges
• Exposed voltage decay time (270 V only)
• Inrush current
• AC Input tests
• Steady-state over- and under-voltage conditions
• Steady-state over- and under-frequency conditions
• Steady-state phase unbalance (three-phase power)
• Voltage and frequency modulation
• Voltage and frequency transients
• Momentary power interruption
• Momentary sags and surges
• DC offset and voltage distortion
• Harmonic current emissions
• Phase unbalance (3 phase inputs)
• DC current content
• Inrush current
• Current modulation Power factor

Equipment Categories

According to RTCA/DO-160 Section 16, there are four Equipment Categories (A, B, D, or Z) that indicate the type of power used by the equipment and the type of AC and/or DC power source with which the equipment is compatible. For AC powered equipment, an additional designator, placed in parenthesis following the Category designator, is a two-character code indicating that the equipment has been tested for use with Constant Frequency (CF), Narrow Variable Frequency (NF), or Wide Variable Frequency (WF).

Up to four additional category designators are also used to indicate testing for:

• AC current harmonics (H)
• AC current modulation (L)
• AC power factor (P)
• DC current ripple (R)
• AC or DC inrush (I)

RTCA/DO-160 provides standard procedures and environmental test criteria for testing airborne equipment for the entire spectrum of aircraft from light, general aviation aircraft and helicopters through the "jumbo jets" and SST categories of aircraft. The tests outlined in this standard are performed to meet FAA and international regulations for electrical and electronic equipment installed on commercial aircraft.

RTCA/DO-160 G is the current version of this standard. Coordinated with EUROCAE, RTCA/DO-160G and EUROCAE/ED-14G are identically worded. DO-160G is recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as de facto international standard ISO-7137.