TABLE OF CONTENTS It is a common perception that aerospace systems are high-performance, permeated by expensive, high-tech gadgetry. It is perhaps surprising to learn that the technology used to build advanced aerospace systems often lags behind commercial systems that deliver the same performance levels. Among the reasons for this is the need for aerospace systems to represent maximally safe and reliable systems. Unfortunately, it is also true that aerospace systems for the most part require protracted development schedules. Therefore, even if high technology is employed in their development, it is often not considered state-of-the-art when those systems reach the field. This trend is not unique to aerospace systems, however. Many high-consequence systems, from pacemakers to elevator controllers, tend to follow a conservative development track. What makes aerospace systems particularly challenging is the need to achieve a balance of design for both high-consequence and high-performance.
One of the most significant challenges in designing electronics for aerospace systems is in achieving specified performance levels in intended-use environments. Aerospace systems may not only need to operate in the lower atmosphere of the earth, but often must function on the ground after long intervals of inaction and storage in harsh environments. Aerospace platforms are launched from beneath the sea, orbit the earth and are sent to distant planets. It is a mistake, however, to assume that aerospace systems are the only ones that must endure harsh environments. Under-the-hood automotive electronics, for example, must endure extreme changes in temperature ( ?40 to +140 C [1]) and...
