Pickering Interfaces' high-density PXI multiplexer selected for aircraft lightning protection testing

Pickering Interfaces announced today that a major UK manufacturer of aircraft engine control units recently awarded them a contract for a large quantity of High-Density PXI Multiplexers (model #40-651) as the switching solution for use in its new automated production test systems. These systems will be used to test FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Controller) lightning-strike protection components on Airbus' A330 and A350 as well as Boeing's Dreamliner aircraft.

The customer needed to test the transient-voltage-suppression diodes, or transorbs, used to protect the FADEC's sensitive electronics from very fast voltage spikes induced on connected wires following a lightning strike on the aircraft. Due to the quantity of transorbs that needed to be tested (one on every I/O connection of the FADEC), a large number of high-power multiplexers were required to connect the UUT to the test instrumentation.

The customer required a compact, modular test architecture for scalability and ease of maintenance and selected PXI as their preferred platform. With no high-density PXI multiplexers of the required performance commercially available, the customer approached Pickering (a preferred PXI switch supplier) to discuss their options. Pickering's engineers subsequently designed, built and tested a new PXI multiplexer to their specification. Following a successful trial of the initial prototype, Pickering worked closely with the customer to simplify the test system wiring by adding a second connector to the multiplexer for the MUX common connections. This led to a preliminary order for 84 multiplexer modules, with additional future requirements planned.

The 40-651 High-Density PXI Multiplexer is a COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) product and is available worldwide.