EMI Shielding and Modern Aviation

Electromagnetic interference can cause severe problems for airplanes. EMI harms electronics on the ground just as much as avionic equipment traveling 30,000 feet up in the sky. Because of where a plane is, defending against electromagnetic interference is incredibly essential. Simply put, EMI can cause vital equipment to deteriorate and malfunction. Suitable EMI protection measures are a critical part and engineering air crafts. Why is EMI so dangerous for planes?

EMI Shielding

Planes are subject to interference from both natural and human causes. Lightning and solar flares need to be defended against. The same goes for personal electronics, radar systems, and other wires in the plane. All these sources can cause severe problems like:

  • Loss of Information Systems
  • Corrupted Data
  • Incorrect Flight Commands
  • Failing Control Signals

Many bad things could happen if a plane lost even one of the above systems. Plane engineers protect their crafts by considering five methods. To achieve full-shielding, which is enclosures, harnesses, and connectors, engineers must:

  1. Choose correct enclosure materials
  2. Design sealing gaskets
  3. Create effective PCB design and layout
  4. Choose conductive mating surfaces
  5. Properly terminate all cable shields

When combining all five above considerations, it is possible to create complete aircraft protection from EMI.

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