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	RTCA DO160 Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment Buy RTCA Collections Online subscriptions to multiple documents on various subjects Info To speak with an IHS Subject Matter Expert call 1-888-752-0334, outside the US/Canada call 303-397-2892. More Top RTCA Standards...

RTCA DO160 - Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment

PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY
This document defines a series of minimum standard environmental test conditions (categories) and applicable test procedures for airborne equipment. The purpose of these tests is to provide a laboratory means of determining the performance characteristics of airborne equipment in environmental conditions representative of those which may be encountered in airborne operation of the equipment.

The standard environmental test conditions and test procedures contained herein may be used in conjunction with applicable equipment performance standards as a minimum specification under environmental conditions, which can ensure a sufficient degree of confidence in performance during operations.

NOTE: In each of the test procedures contained herein, the following phrase will be seen several times; "DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE EQUIPMENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS". The "applicable equipment performance standards" referred to are either;

a. EUROCAE Minimum Operational Performance Specifications (formerly Requirements) (MOPS/MOPR).

b. RTCA Minimum Performance Standards (MPS) and/or RTCA Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS).

c. The manufacturer's equipment specification(s), where applicable. Some of the environmental conditions and test procedures contained in this document are not necessarily applicable to all airborne equipment. The selection of the appropriate and/or additional environmental conditions and test procedures is the responsibility of the writers (authors) of the performance standards for the specific airborne equipment.

1. There are several additional environmental conditions (categories), that specific airborne equipment may be subjected to, that have not been included in this document. These include, but are not limited to: hail, acceleration and acoustic vibration.
2. The procedures for testing airborne equipment for special environmental conditions that are usually uniquely related to that specific type of airborne equipment, should be the responsibility of the writer (author) of the performance standard for that specific equipment.
3. The International System of Units (Sl) is usually used throughout this document as the primary values. In certain instances, however, when the primary values were derived in English units, these units are used as the primary values.
4. Subject to the provisions of Subsection 3.2, it is permissible to use more than one test article.

The words "airborne equipment," as used within this document, have direct applicability to most airborne equipment. It is the responsibility of those who wish to apply the test conditions and procedures contained in this document to determine the applicability of these test conditions and procedures to a specific equipment intended for installation on, or within, a specific or general class or type of aircraft.

The environmental conditions and test procedures defined herein are intended to determine only the performance of the airborne equipment under these environmental conditions and are not intended to be used as a measure of service life of the airborne equipment subjected to these tests.

Any regulatory application of this document is the sole responsibility of appropriate governmental (regulatory) agencies.