EMI certified

[Michael Brennan]

Will RED be EMI certified?


Mike Brennan

[Michael Brennan]

Handy if flying in FADEC equipped (digital engine management sytem) aircraft if it is EMI certified.


Mike Brennan

[Noah Kadner]

If not, maybe FUBAR?

[jbeale]

I know nothing about FADEC or digital engine management, or whatever regulatory environment you're dealing with, but on general principle I'd expect any microcontroller and computer-based system- engine controller or anything else- to be unaffected until you have extremely strong RF/EMI fields, such as high-power radar transmitters, nearby lightning strikes, etc. An "unintentional emitter" of RF like a digital video camera is going to have emissions many orders of magnitude lower in energy than any normal radio transmitter.

For example I believe almost all passenger cars now sold have electronic engine controls of some sort, and of course people use mobile two-way radios of all kinds in cars generally without ill effect, to say nothing of laptops etc.

[Jiri Bakala]

...and that's why we are asked on every commercial flight to "turn off all electronics devices" during take off and landing and also keep our mobile phones off during the entire flight.

Of course, the chance that any consumer-grade (or professional for that matter) devices would interfere with the aircraft avionics is extremely remote - but who wants to become a statistic, right?

Hence, certification. It would be good to know.

[jbeale]

It's hard to argue against certification, it's always good to know these things.

For those interested in the practicalities of aircraft equipment susceptibility to RF, here is some more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_on_aircraft

I was amused to note the 2003 study using a spectrum analyzer in a carryon bag (tested & approved by the FAA and TSA). "...found that on a typical flight at least one mobile phone is likely to be left on throughout a typical flight." http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/3069

[Noah Kadner]

...and that's why we are asked on every commercial flight to "turn off all electronics devices" during take off and landing and also keep our mobile phones off during the entire flight.

Of course, the chance that any consumer-grade (or professional for that matter) devices would interfere with the aircraft avionics is extremely remote - but who wants to become a statistic, right?

Hence, certification. It would be good to know.

Funny how that seems to be of minimal concern to all of the cell carriers fighting tooth and nail to enable in-flight roaming service. I guess profit trumps safety.

[Jiri Bakala]

Well, yes, exactly. That's what I meant when I said that the chances of any interference are extremely remote. But, to avoid being hassled it's good to have a piece of paper - regardless of what we think it's worth.

Like the on-going debate about shooting in public places in the UK. Same type of double measure applies here.