Electronics installation system, aircraft or spacecraft, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016229361-A1
Application number	US-201514946310-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronics installation system, especially for an aircraft or spacecraft, includes at least one mechanical installation structure having a plurality of installation slots each configured to receive an electronic module and at least one wiring configuration slot configured to receive a wiring configuration module, and a connection matrix comprising a plurality of data connections, wherein at least one data connection is provided between each one of the installation slots and at least one wiring configuration slot.

First claim

1 . An electronics installation system, especially for an aircraft or spacecraft, comprising:
at least one mechanical installation structure comprising a plurality of installation slots each configured to receive an electronic module and at least one wiring configuration slot configured to receive a wiring configuration module; and a connection matrix comprising a plurality of data connections, wherein at least one data connection is provided between each one of the installation slots and at least one wiring configuration slot.

2 . The electronics installation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the connection matrix comprises one of a flexible circuit and a printed circuit board; and wherein the connection matrix is embedded in the mechanical installation structure.

3 . The electronics installation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the data connections comprises one of an optical fibre connections electrically conductive connection.

4 . The electronics installation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mechanical installation structure comprises at least two wiring configuration slots.

5 . The electronics installation system according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical installation structure comprises at least one power supply slot; and
wherein the connection matrix comprises power lines configured to connect each one of the installation slots and each one of the wiring configuration slots with at least one of the power supply slots.

6 . The electronics installation system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the power lines comprise a power bus configured to connect a plurality of the installation slots and/or the wiring configuration slots with at least one of the power supply slots.

7 . The electronics installation system according to claim 6 ,
wherein the power bus comprises at least on protection unit configured to protect the power bus in case of a failure of an electronic module and/or a wiring configuration module.

8 . The electronics installation system according to claim 5 , further comprising:
at least one power supply unit installed in one of the power supply slots and coupled to the power lines and configured to provide electrical power via the power lines.

9 . The electronics installation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one wiring configuration module installed in one of the wiring configuration slots and coupled to the data connections of the respective wiring configuration slot, the wiring configuration module comprising internal interconnection paths providing data communication between at least one data connection of the respective wiring configuration slot and at least one other data connection of the respective wiring configuration slot.

10 . The electronics installation system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the at least one wiring configuration module comprises static and/or predefined internal interconnection paths.

11 . (canceled)

12 . A method for installing electronics, especially in an aircraft or spacecraft, comprising:
providing a plurality of installation slots each configured to receive an electronic module and at least one wiring configuration slot configured to receive a wiring configuration module in at least one mechanical installation structure; and providing a plurality of data connections, wherein at least one data connection is provided between each one of the installation slots and at least one wiring configuration slot.

13 . The method according to claim 12 ,
wherein at least two wiring configuration slots are provided.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
providing at least one power supply slot in the mechanical installation structure, and providing power lines connecting each one of the installation slots and each one of the wiring configuration slots with at least one of the power supply slots.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
installing at least one wiring configuration module in one of the wiring configuration slots and coupling the at least one wiring configuration module to the data connections of the respective wiring configuration slot, the wiring configuration module comprising internal interconnection paths providing data communication between at least one data connection of the respective wiring configuration slot and at least one other data connection of the respective wiring configuration slot, wherein the at least one wiring configuration module comprises static and/or predefined internal interconnection paths; and/or wherein the at least one wiring configuration module comprises configurable internal interconnection paths configurable to interconnect specific data connections in the respective wiring configuration slot.

16 . The electronics installation system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the connection matrix comprises at least one data connection between the at least two wiring configuration slots.

17 . The electronics installation system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the at least one wiring configuration module comprises configurable internal interconnection paths configurable to interconnect specific data connections in the respective wiring configuration slot.

18 . The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein at least one data connection is provided between the at least two wiring configuration slots.

19 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
providing at least one power supply unit in one of the power supply slots and coupling the at least one power supply unit to the power lines.

20 . The method according to claim 19 ,
wherein the power lines comprise a power bus configured to connect a plurality of the installation slots and/or the wiring configuration slots with at least one of the power supply slots.

21 . The method according to claim 20 ,
wherein the power bus comprises at least on protection unit configured to protect the power bus in case of a failure of an electronic module and/or a wiring configuration module.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Osternack Stefan
• Brownjohn Nicholas E
• Stéphane Poulain

Classifications

• H05K7/1428

  for small modular apparatus with terminal block · CPC title

• H05K7/1459

  Circuit configuration, e.g. routing signals · CPC title

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• H05K7/1457 Primary

  Power distribution arrangements · CPC title

• G02B6/4452

  Distribution frames · CPC title