Electrical wiring interconnect system (EWIS) and why it matters
Electrical wiring interconnect system (EWIS) is both a concept and practice that embraces wires, cables, harnesses, connectors, terminals, attachments and all other electrical devices found on aircraft as part of a system rather than a conglomeration or assembly of individual components. It is regulated to maintain the safety of complex systems, such as aircraft.
EWIS regulations were created by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a couple major airline incidents in the late 1990s. Failures attributed to electrical wiring aboard these aircraft were thought to be a major contributor to these accidents. In response, the FAA published updated EWIS regulations and guidance for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers. For any new platform today, adhering to EWIS regulations is a mandatory procedure for commercial aircraft certification.
Software solutions to reaching EWIS compliance
Modern aircraft have more electrical content to provide greater performance and capability. As a result, electrical systems require more power and present a higher compliance risk due to increased complexity. To address these many challenges, quality E/E software solutions include analysis and simulation tools to assist users in validating regulatory compliance earlier in the design process for tasks such as conducting electrical load analysis (ELA).
The goal of modern software solutions and technology is to streamline aircraft electrical design, compliance and certification. For example, Capital Load Analyzer, part of the Capital™ software suite from Siemens Digital Industries Software, is one of the industry’s first electrical systems technologies to leverage the digital twin, design automation and digital data continuity to facilitate regulatory compliance.
This approach to completing an ELA follows accepted guidelines and provides an expedient means to address the following key compliance perspectives:
- Manage the required information for ELA, such as single-line wire diagrams, operation scenarios (all flight phases), analysis notes, etc.
- Perform ELA iterations, ELA reports, and ELA analysis and report iterations
- Show compliance for every configuration as needed
Read more on our website→ What is EWIS?
And when you are ready for the next level, check out these deeper dives!
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