SAE ARP5583

Description / Abstract: This guide provides detailed information, guidance, and methods related to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular (AC) 20-158 and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) draft Advisory Material Joint (AMJ), both titled "The Certification of Aircraft Electrical and Electronic Systems for Operation in the High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) Environment". The AC provides acceptable means, but not the only means, of compliance with Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 23.1308, 25.1317, 27.1317, and 29.1317, High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) protection for Aircraft Electrical and Electronic Systems, and applicable FAA HIRF Special Conditions to prevent hazards to aircraft electrical and electronic systems due to HIRF produced by external transmitters. It is also intended for this guide to provide the same information, guidance, and methods to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) interim HIRF policies certification requirements.

This guide is neither mandatory nor regulatory in nature and does not constitute a regulation or legal interpretation of the regulation. The information in this guide represents a collection of best engineering practices that have been used to certify aircraft HIRF protection. An applicant may elect to establish an alternative method of compliance that is acceptable to the cognizant airworthiness authorities.

This document is consistent with the guidance in FAA AC 20-158. The AC 20-158 and draft HIRF AMJ may be referenced in aircraft certification requirements such as JAA/EASA certification review items. While this document is generally consistent with AC 20-158 and draft HIRF AMJ, users of this document should verify that the guidance in this document is acceptable to the cognizant airworthiness authorities.

Purpose

This document provides technical guidance to demonstrate compliance with aircraft High-Intensity Radiated Field (HIRF) regulations. This guide may be applied to new aircraft, modification of existing aircraft, and installation of existing systems on an aircraft that has not previously used that equipment. The HIRF regulations apply to aircraft electrical and electronic systems, including power distribution systems, electrical generating systems, electronic engine control systems, electronic flight control systems, and navigation, communication, and flight reference systems. The term 'systems' refers to electrical and electronic equipment; interconnecting power, signal, and control wiring; indicators; control panels; sensors; and software.

The HIRF regulations apply to systems installed on transport airplanes, normal and transport category rotorcraft, and small airplanes. A certification applicant must demonstrate that aircraft systems that perform functions whose failure could prevent continued safe flight and landing are not adversely affected when the aircraft is exposed to the HIRF Environment I, II or III, as specified in the regulations. Additionally, systems performing functions related to the ability of the flight crew and aircraft to operate in adverse operating conditions must not be adversely affected during and after exposure to equipment test levels specified in the regulations. The approach to achieving HIRF certification is through appropriate system protection, qualification, and installation.

Aircraft operate in a number of electromagnetic environments. This document, however, only addresses HIRF. For other electromagnetic environments, reference the appropriate regulations, requirements, standards, and guides.

To avoid confusion with other electromagnetic environments and to provide a means of readily identifying the engineering associated with these regulations, the term 'high intensity radiated fields' will be used along with the abbreviation HIRF in this document.