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WAIC.AVSI.AERO
WAIC.AVSI.AERO

Current aircraft communications systems include operational communications systems onboard the aircraft, as well as sensors for engines, landing gear and proximity to nearby objects such as vehicles and other aircraft.
But these traditional communications systems require complex electrical wiring and harness fabrication, which adds weight to the aircraft — which in turn increases fuel costs. These systems are also unreliable and difficult to reconfigure, and rely on double or even triple redundancy to mitigate the risk of cut or defective wiring.
Wireless communications onboard an aircraft
About 30 percent of electrical wires onboard an aircraft are potential candidates for a wireless substitute.
Wireless avionics intra-communications
(WAIC) will provide radio communication between components integrated or installed on an aircraft. These low-transmission-power wireless communications systems will be used for safety and regularity of flight-related applications within the same aircraft.*
Benefits of going wireless
• Less need for complex electrical wiring and harness fabrication, which will save weight and in turn increase fuel efficiency
• Significant gain in reconfigurability through improved installation flexibility
• Reliable monitoring of moving or rotating parts — such as landing gear, in which brake temperature and tire pressure are reported in real-time to the pilot
• Improved reliability of aircraft systems by mitigating common mode failures with route segregation and redundant radio links
Other examples of potential WAIC safety applications
• Smoke detection
• Fuel tank/line
• Proximity
• Temperature
• EMI incident detection
• Humidity/corrosion detection
• Cabin pressure
• Emergency lighting
• Ice detection
• Landing gear (position feedback, brake temperature, tire pressure, wheel speed, steering feedback)
• Flight controls position feedback
• Door sensors
• Engine sensors
• FADEC-to-aircraft interface
• Air data
• Engine prognostics
• Flight deck and cabin crew imagery/video
• Avionics communications bus
• Structural health monitoring/structural sensors
• Active vibration control