DO-160 Categories 1

[Craig1983]

Hello All,

I am trying to get more familiar with DO-160 testing and would love to avoid paying 475$ for the document... I am not after understanding how to test; rather, i am looking for what each category means. For example if I receive a product tested to category Z for power input test, what does it mean? Is this information available on the net? Please direct me i cannot find this info.

Thanks

 

[kontiki99]

The RTCA is extremely protective of it's IP.

If it's an electronic document I believe the license allows you to print 1 paper copy and delete the file.

If you do pay, ensure you hang onto the password when it's presented.

I've never seen any RTCA information on the internet.

 

[Craig1983]

I know it is really impossible to find anything from RTCA...

I just dont understand why they do not provide FOC a paper explaining the results. I mean I have this product that says it is tested DO-160 category B and that is it... I cannot find what this means anywhere!

I will try contacting RTCA and see what they can tell me.

 

[Craig1983]

OK so I just got off the phone with RTCA. Seems like they have an "appendix A" in this documents that describe the limitations; however they will not sell this portion of the document alone or provide it...

I have to mention that the person was kind enough to describe to me some of the sections verbally by phone...

Anyway I guess i will have to direct myself to the manufacturer... or just buy it!

 

[Sparweb]

A "little secret" is in the FAA Advisory Circulars. For a period of time, AC 21-16 designated the RTCA DO-160 as a reference and included a copy for convenience! That was only the original version, however at the time my company was on the AC mailing list, hence we got a big fat copy of DO-160A when AC21-16 came out.

Later revision of the AC deleted this "extraneous" material and you've had to pay thru the nose ever since.

At no time was it available on the FAA website Advisory Circular downloads, though. Shucks. If you know someone in a company that was on the AC mailing list sometime in the late 90's, then they might have a copy.

The current AC 21-16 has a detailed list of revisions, which might do you for an index, if that's all you really need.

http://www2.airweb.faa.gov/Regulato...rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/MainFrame?OpenFrameSet

Steven Fahey, CET

 

[IRstuff]

Without the document, the categories are meaningless. Appendix A simply tells you that there are categories for each of the 24 environmental test procedures. For instance, temp/alt has 19 different categories.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[88GTP]

It should say Aerospace there.

I am well versed in DO-160 and participated in the Section 16 (Power Input) working group.

There are 3 Categories for DC equipment, A, B and Z. The Catagory of test is chosen depending on the aircarft power configuration. Category Z is for situations where the device being testing has little or no emergency battery power available to it. It is the most stringent of the 3 DC Categories.

There are numerous tests that are performed within the Category, Normal Operating Conditions, Ripple, Surge, Interrupts as well as Abnormal Conditions, Low Voltage, etc.

You would need access to the DO-160 to know the specifics.

I hope this helps.

DO-160 Steve
IEEE\EMC Society Senior Member