How many discrete PCB components does it take to turn on a light bulb? If that bulb is an LED on a modern aircraft, it turns out the answer is dozens! Meeting the stringent DO-160G standards requires operating under a wide range of inputs, protection against reverse polarity and pulses, and careful EMI consideration. Deft designed a series of LED light power supplies that can drive Cree XLamp LEDs at high brightness at high efficiency in strenuous input and environmental conditions.
To test the drivers for internal DO-160G compliance, we created a self-contained circuit testing system using a BK9104 and a python script to control it over USB. Devices were designed such that PCBs are fully potted for environmental protection, and cases contain integral fins so that they run cool with free-convection heat transfer. Lens blinders guide the LED beam to precisely match the beam angles and beam intensity required by US federal codes (14 CFR § 25.1385 and following).
