WASHINGTON - The aerospace industry is increasingly turning to fiber optics to bear data and communications in the avionics systems of next-generation aircraft. This is due to the technology’s clear size, weight and power (SWaP) advantages which are highly sought after in the industry, particularly as it moves toward electric power systems, Ben Pilkington reports for AZO Optics. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
18 April 2022 - Pilkington explains that "avionics refers to all of the electronic systems used in aircraft, satellites, and spacecraft. They power most controls, as well as communications, navigation, display, and system management in the cockpit; they drive the hundreds of individual systems performing small but essential tasks to maintain flight; they also include additional systems fitted to aircraft to make them useful such as searchlights, winches, and in-flight entertainment."
Because fiber optics are able to transfer information with light, they aren't subject to electromagnetic interference. With avinoics asked to do more while constraining devices to what is functionally a set area. Fiber optics provide a bigger "bang for the buck" when it comes to size concerns compared to traditional copper wiring. Pilkington writes about how utilizing fiber optic technology can impact the world of avionics.
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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
