DO-160, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment provides standard procedures and environmental criteria for testing airborne equipment for the entire spectrum of aircraft from light, general aviation aircraft and helicopters through the “jumbo jet” and SST categories of aircraft.
The standard outlines a set of minimal, standard environmental test conditions and corresponding procedures for airborne equipment. These tests provide a controlled, laboratory-based means of assuring equipment performance in conditions similar to those which may be encountered during airborne operation.
The standard includes the following categories:
- Standard Conditions
- Temperature
- Altitude
- Temperature Variation
- Humidity
- Shock
- Vibration
- Explosion Proof
- Fluid Susceptibility
- Sand and Dust
- Fungus Resistance
- Salt and Fog
- Magnetic Effects
- Power Input
- Voltage Spike
- Audio Frequency
- Induced Signal Susceptibility
- RF emission and Susceptibility
- Lightening Susceptibility
- Icing
- ESD
- Flammability
The Radio Technical Commission on Aeronautics (RTCA, Inc.) first published the DO-160 standard on January 25, 1980. The most recent version, DO-160 revision G, is coordinated with the European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE). For this reason, DO-160G and EUROCAE’s ED-14G standard are identically worded. DO-160G is also recognized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as de facto international standard ISO-7137.
About RTCA, Inc.
RTCA, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit corporation that develops consensus-based recommendations regarding communications, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system issues. RTCA, Inc. functions as a Federal Advisory Committee to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
