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.

 

 

Last Change: August 2011