FEATURE INTERCONNECTION
A DESCENT IN TECH
DOWN TIME Fault-finding solutions for
aerospace applications
Once a cable and connector are fitted, there’s always a concern that it’ll malfunction, unbeknownst to the user and the application. Phil McDavitt, managing director, Nicomatic, introduces the TC50 e-tool, designed to prevent the problem before it occurs
E
very minute a plane is on the ground is money and time lost for the operator, impacting flight schedules for the rest of the fleet. The causes of unscheduled ground time are many and varied, but one frustrating, time-consuming and costly problem can now be avoided – that of fault finding in aircraft electrical cable runs. The complexity of modern aircraft wiring systems has led aviation authorities to consider aircraft electrical wiring as a system on its own (as designated by the aircraft Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS)). EWIS is the backbone of complex systems in aircraft, and is of course subject to the same harsh environmental and operational conditions as other aircraft systems and components. Faults in the EWIS, if not detected early, can have catastrophic consequences: there have been at least two crashes of large commercial aircraft on scheduled flights attributed to wiring faults, by safety investigators. It is now possible to monitor the health of the EWIS, using a technology called orthogonal, multi-tone, time domain reflectometry (OMTDR). Developed jointly by the CEA LIST Institute and French interconnect manufacturer Nicomatic, OMTDR enables network analysis and sensor intelligence to be distributed in the wiring system without any impact on network traffic. This distributed analysis enables complex networks to be analysed, solving the problem of fault ambiguity, as diagnosis information from several
26 NOVEMBER 2019 | ELECTRONICS
sensors can be aggregated. On simple networks, OMTDR can pinpoint the location of a fault by combining data. Integrating OMTDR into an aircraft wiring harness, by embedding the technology into standard aerospace connectors, adds real time distributed wire diagnosis and sensor communication. The hardware connector system, Nicomatic SmartCo (short for smart connector) brings in-built intelligence and capability to commercial aerospace connectors. Nicomatic also collaborated with the ECA Group to integrate the OMTDR echnology in a portable, all-in-one electrical t
Nicomatic also collaborated with the ECA Group to integrate the OMTDR technology in a portable, all-in-one electrical troubleshooting test tool, called the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (E-GSE) TC-50 e-tool. he TC-50 is a compact, portable
called the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (E-GSE) TC-50 e-tool. The TC-50 is a compact, portable multi-function solution that simplifies wire troubleshooting and testing, all
multi-function solution that simplifies wire troubleshooting and testing, all presented in a case. Validated on most popular aeronautic cable types, it also includes an integrated and upgradable cable database. The TC-50 can
cable database. The TC-50 can be plugged into a wire network with no risk of cable alteration,
with no risk of cable alteration, and enables voltage, current and resistance measurement, phase order checking, diode testing, insulation testing and thermal imaging.
Weighing in at 5kg, the TC-50 case is waterproof to IP65 and measures up to 305mm x 270mm x 194mm. Designed as an all-in-one troubleshooting tool suitable for use worldwide, its operating temperature range is between -20 to +40 degrees Celsius.
Weighing in at 5kg, the TC-50 case is
The TC-50 has the following measurement parameters: • Voltage: 0 to 260VAC/400VDC, 50Hz to 3kHz – five per cent precision
• Current: 0 to 30A (AC/DC) – five per cent precision
• Resistance – low current: 10 to 200k ohms – one per cent precision; 200k to 2M ohms – five per cent precision. High current: 1A load, 20m to 10 ohms – one per cent precision
• Phase order: 115VAC/230VAC, 50Hz to 3kHz Insulation test, 0.5M to 200M ohms, <250VDC to 500VDC – five per cent precision Diode testing
• •
The TC-50 e-tool from Nicomatic, for testing connectors and cabling
Thermal imaging: -20 to 120 degrees Celsius, FLIR technology with MSX function (real and thermal picture superposition) Using the TC-50 with Nicomatic’s SmartCo
Nicomatic’s SmartCo
reflectometry technology provides precise
reflectometry technology
the measurement of impedance variations with an accuracy of 0.1 per cent across a cable length of 1m to 100m.
and thereby minimising aircraft ground time. This enables the detection and localisation of faults such as open- and short-circuits, and the measurement of impedance variations with an accuracy of 0.1
wire-fault localisation, enabling quick diagnosis and thereby minimising aircraft ground time. This enables the detection and
With the TC-50 eTool, Nicomatic and ECA have delivered a unique off-the-shelf tool for all generic tasks in the maintenance, repair,
With the TC-50 eTool, Nicomatic tasks in the maint
overhaul, diagnosis and troubleshooting of electrical systems and equipment in aircraft. There is little consolation to be
overhaul, diagnosis and troubleshooting of electrical systems and equipment in aircraft. There is little consolation to be had the next time your flight is delayed or cancelled, but the reason should be something other than the EWIS.
Nicomatic
www.nicomatic.com / ELECTRONICS
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