To optimize flight test instrumentation (FTI) system size, weight, and power (SWaP) and operational efficiency, flight test engineers continually seek reductions in wiring to lower weight and prioritize the use of small and compact solutions that enable distributed, networked architectures. Such systems are especially well suited for acquiring flight data from remote locations on the test aircraft, where limited space and complex wire routing requirements often make it difficult to locate FTI equipment optimally close to onboard sensors.
One approach for significantly reducing wiring weight and simplifying the installation of distributed data acquisition systems (DAS) on test aircraft is to leverage Power Over Ethernet (PoE), first standardized by the IEEE in 2003[1]. PoE enables power and data to be distributed to networked devices over the same twisted pair Ethernet cabling. This paper details why PoE is ideally suited to FTI systems and addresses some of the challenges of designing PoE into FTI hardware.
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Pat Quinn
Product Manager
Pat joined Acra Controls in 2006, later acquired by Curtiss-Wright, where he spent five years in the design verification department before moving to applications and support. He is now the Product Line Manager for the data acquisition product lines.
