Electronic Compartment
Introduction
The electronic compartment of the B737 flight
simulator consists of 3 sections:
- Power supplies
- Interfaces
- Miscellaneous and FMC computer
Opened electronic compartment. Power supplies
in the right section,
center compartment with interface boards, and left
section with FMC computer.
Electrical Wiring, EMC, and Safety
For the electrical wiring a star layout of the 0V
and ground system should be considered, as well as
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues, e.g. not
routing low signal lines together with power lines.
The 230V wiring, or whatever your local mains voltage
is like, needs special attention:
- All the parts in the
equipment which carry dangerous voltage must be
protected
so that nobody can touch them
- Keep the distance between mains carrying parts and
other parts as large
as possible
- Use approved parts for mains carrying parts of the
circuit (mains entry, fuse
holder and switch)
- The grounding wire must be connected so that it
will be disconnected last if for
some reason the strain relief in the mains cable gets loose
- All wires inside equipment which carry mains
voltage must use wire approved
for this kind of application
- Use the standard color scheme for wiring as it is
standard in your country
Do electrical work only if you have the
qualification for that, because it is potentially
dangerous! Comply with the local regulations. Switch
off the power and remove the fuse for the relevant
circuit before carrying out any work, or inspecting,
either it, or the appliances connected to it. Never
inspect, or carry out work on, any part of the
system with the power on.
Closed electronic compartment. Ventilation slot
on the top cover.
Temperature Issues
Unlike mechanical parts, electrical components
generally do not wear out per se. Discrete analog
component parameters tend to drift over time and can
cause problems with sensitive designs. Integrated
circuits can undergo electro migration. Furthermore
when combined with environmental effects, corrosion,
vibration and temperature are of extreme concern.
Effects like corrosion and vibration probably may
not be an issue for the reliability of the flight
deck, but temperature certainly is an issue.
All components with power consumption are producing
heat. Therefore the electronic compartment needs
some cooling. For that I placed two ventilation
slots on the top of the compartment and three fans
in the lower aera, transferring air with room
temperature into the compartment.