Perspectives on Aircraft Wireless System Certification - Caneus.org

<strong>Perspectives</strong> onAircraft WirelessSystem CertificationFederal AviationAdministrationCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopDavid B. WalenFederal Aviation AdministrationAviation SafetyChief Scientific and Technical Advisor –Electromagnetic InterferenceMarch 27, 2007

Presentation Topics• Aircraft fly by wireless system certificationissues“The airport runway is the– Aircraft electromagnetic interferenceMost important mainstreamIn any town.”– Wireless -Norm system Crabtree coexistence– Wireless system security• Status of FAA regulations and guidanceCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration2 2

Aircraft Wireless Applications areWidespread… Boeing has taken the first stepat the OEM level by contractingwith Securaplane for a WirelessEmergency Lighting System(WELS) on their 787 aircraft.This is recognized as theindustry’s first “essential” systemto rely on wireless intra-cabincommunication technology for acommercial aircraftmanufacturer.Harvey Blair, SecuraPlane,CANEUS/NASA Fly by WirelessWorkshop abstract, March 27, 2007Boeing has selected IntelleflexCorp. to provide silicon chips toenable radio frequencyidentification (RFID) "smartlabels" on maintenancesignificantparts of the 787Dreamliner.… Smart labels contain partidentification as well asmaintenance and inspection datain accordance with Air TransportAssociation standards.Boeing media release, April 3, 2006CANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration3 3

But Not Without DifficultiesBoeing cuts 787 wireless systemBoeing has abandoned its plan to install awireless inflight-entertainment system on the787 Dreamliner …Boeing made the decision earlier this monthbecause of performance problems with thetechnology and the lack of bandwidthspectrum in some parts of the world. …Seattle Times, January 25, 2007CANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration4 4

Aircraft Wireless System Are Not New• There are many certified aircraft wireless RFsystems• Most of these are aircraft communication,navigation, and surveillance radio systems– Primarily air-to-ground or air-to-satellite radio systems– Several, such as the instrument landing system radios, supporthighly critical aircraft functions• But these operate in internationally protectedfrequency spectrum• And, for these systems, annunciated loss of thefunction may be less critical than the systemproviding misleading dataCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration5 5

Aircraft Wireless System Certification• FAA has certified on-aircraft wireless RFsystems on aircraft, including:– Wireless smoke and fire detection systems– Passenger wireless network systems– Cabin emergency lightning systems with wirelesscontrols• Generally less critical systems• These typically operate in unlicensedspectrumCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration6 6

Aircraft Wireless System Regulations• No specific regulations for aircraft wirelesssystems– Existing certification regulations are applied– Certification aspects of wireless systems arehandled on project-by-project basis• Special conditions are typically needed fornew and novel technology applications– Special conditions have the same authority asregulations– Applied to a specific aircraft certificationCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration7 7

Are Regulations Ready for Wireless?• Many aircraft certification regulations arenot technology-specific• Example: 14 CFR 25.1309(b)(1)… airplane systems and associated components,considered separately and in relation to othersystems, must be designed so that the occurrenceof any failure condition which would prevent thecontinued safe flight and landing of the airplane isextremely improbable …• Expect special conditions for fly by wirelessaircraft systems to address unique aspectsof these systemsCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration8 8

Aircraft ElectromagneticCompatibility• Existing RF protection requirements focuson:– Aircraft radios with externally installed antennas– External high-power transmitters - high intensityradiated fields (HIRF)• Fly by wireless systems may havetransmitters and receivers inside the aircraftas well as on external areas, such asenginesCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration9 9

Aircraft Radio SystemsLORAN CADFHFMB0.010 0.100 1.000 10.000 100.000LOCVORELTVHFELTGSELT100.000 1000.000DMESATCOMRAWXRATCTCASGPSMLSWXR1000.000 FREQUENCY (MHz)10000.000CANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration10 10

Aircraft System RF Immunity• Aircraft system RF immunity depends onsystem criticality• Highest immunity – systems withcatastrophic failure conditions (100 v/m +)• Lower immunity – systems with hazardousor major failure conditions (5 to 20 v/m)• No immunity requirements – systems withminor or no safety impactCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration11 11

EMC Impacts of Fly By WirelessSystems• The certification applicant must showelectromagnetic compatibility (EMC)– Demonstrate fly by wireless system transmitters donot affect other aircraft systems– Demonstrate that existing airplane radio transmittersdo not interfere with fly by wireless radio systems• Need to consider effects of portableelectronic devices carried by passengersand crewmembersCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration12 12

Wireless System Coexistence• No worldwide spectrum allocatedspecifically for fly by wireless systems• Unlicensed spectrum is shared, in US andother countries• If unlicensed spectrum is used for fly bywireless systems, they must coexist withother less critical systems– For example, WiFi and microwave ovens both use2.45 GHz unlicensed bandCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration13 13

Wireless System Security• Wireless systems must address the samesecurity issues as wired aircraft controlsystems and information services• Must identify security threats and riskmitigation strategies• Must consider threats to integrity andavailability• Existing FAA regulations and guidance donot explicitly address system security– Typically require special conditionsCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration14 14

Aircraft Control and InformationSecurity Considerations• Automatic and multi-layer protection• Protect against:– unauthorized modification– unauthorized deletion– unauthorized introduction of data– interference on aircraft data buses– denial or loss of service– gradual degradation of service– introduction of false or misleading dataCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration15 15

Other Security Considerations• Currently, FAA expects physical isolationbetween aircraft control networks andpassenger entertainment networks• Implementation of fly by wireless networksmay make physical isolation challenging• RF networks must address this isolation,particularly for systems that share spectrumCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration16 16

FAA Policy and Guidance• No general guidance on aircraft wirelesssystems• Existing guidance addresses specificwireless systems, such as WiFi networks• FAA prepares issue papers for certificationof wireless RF networks for passenger andcrewmember use, such as WiFi networks– Particular concern with potential interference fromthe portable electronic devicesCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration17 17

RTCA SC-202 Portable ElectronicDevices Committee• FAA is working with this committee• Acceptance process for use of transmittingportable electronic devices on aircraft –RTCA/DO-294B• Aircraft design and certification for portableelectronic device tolerance – report due inJuly– Draft report addresses aircraft tolerance to bothtransmitting and non-transmitting portable electronicdevicesCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration18 18

RFID Tags• FAA policy letter accepts use of passiveRFID tags on aircraft• FAA advisory circular in work for active(battery powered) RFID tags– Lee Nguyen, FAA AIR-130• FAA contributed funds to NASA research onEMI from active RFID tags– NASA/TP-2006-214295, RFID Transponders’ RadioFrequency Emissions in Aircraft Communication andNavigation Radio BandsCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration19 19

RF Emissions from Active RFID TagGlide Slope System BandNASA/TP-2006-214295, RFID Transponders’ Radio FrequencyEmissions in Aircraft Communication and Navigation Radio BandsCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration20 20

Additional FAA Resources• FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) foryour geographic areahttp://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/locate_office/aco/• FAA Certification Directorates– Regulations, policy and standardizationhttp://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/design_approvals/– Small Airplanes, Kansas City, MO– Transport Airplanes, Seattle, WA– Rotorcraft, Ft. Worth, TX– Engines and Propellers, Burlington, MACANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration21 21

Wrap-Up• Addressed aircraft fly by wirelesscertification issues–EMC–Security– Coexistence• FAA regulations and guidanceCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration22 22

Contact Information for Mr. WalenDavid B. WalenChief Scientific and Technical Advisor – ElectromagneticInterferenceFederal Aviation Administration - Aviation Safety“The airport runway is theMost important mainstreamIn any town.”-Norm CrabtreeMail:Federal Aviation Administration ANM-110N1601 Lind Ave SWRenton, WA 98057-3356 USATel: (425) 917-6586Fax: (425) 917-6590E-mail: dave.walen@faa.govCANEUS/NASA Fly by Wireless WorkshopMarch 27, 2007Federal AviationAdministration23 23