A Guide to Electronic Components Commonly Used in Harsh Aerospace Applications

Posted on July 4, 2025 Christopher Wilson Electronics

Many aerospace platforms require highly reliable electronic components to support mission-critical operations across flight control, power regulation, and environmental sensing tasks. This is because these components are often subjected to extreme conditions like rapid thermal cycling, intense vibration, electromagnetic interference, and corrosive environments that challenge long-term stability. In this blog, we will explore various types of ruggedized electronic parts used in aerospace applications and cover the design strategies that help them perform under severe operational stress.

What Types of Sensors Are Adapted for Harsh Aerospace Use?

Sensors used in aerospace systems are often required to be engineered in a way that maintains their accuracy despite exposure to thermal, mechanical, and electromagnetic stressors. The following examples are sensor types that are routinely adapted to perform reliably under these demanding conditions:

Pressure Sensors: Aerospace pressure sensors often feature hermetically sealed housings and integrated thermal compensation to maintain accuracy in high-altitude locations.
Temperature Sensors: These sensors can be calibrated to withstand rapid temperature fluctuations and extreme operating ranges, making them suitable for engine nacelles, external fuselage surfaces, and bleed air systems.
Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs): IMUs typically combine gyroscopes and accelerometers within vibration-resistant housings to preserve inertial navigation data during dynamic maneuvers and turbulent conditions.
Proximity Sensors: Sealed proximity sensors are commonly used near landing gear, actuators, and doors, enabling them to resist contamination from fluids, ice, and debris while delivering reliable positional feedback.
Radiation-Hardened Sensors: These specialized sensors are designed with shielding materials and redundant circuitry to function reliably in high-radiation aerospace environments, such as orbital platforms or upper-atmosphere research vehicles.

Which Circuit Protection Devices Are Engineered for Aerospace Durability?

Protective devices in aircraft systems are expected to operate predictably in fault conditions without introducing system instability. To meet these demands, several circuit protection devices are frequently selected for use in harsh aerospace applications, including:

Thermal Circuit Breakers: These resettable breakers are designed to open reliably under sustained overcurrent conditions, even when exposed to fluctuating temperatures across altitude and cabin zones.
Time-Delay Fuses: AFCIs have the capacity to actively detect high-energy arcing events and isolate affected circuits before the arc can damage insulation, wiring bundles, or adjacent components.
Electronic Current Limiters: Solid-state devices can provide rapid current interruption without mechanical parts, offering low-profile protection in space-constrained avionics and power systems.
Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs): These components are used to safeguard against voltage spikes caused by lightning strikes or switching transients, preventing damage to sensitive downstream electronics.
Redundant Circuit Protection Modules: Often integrated into low-voltage circuits, these fuses have the ability to increase resistance during fault conditions and automatically reset when temperatures normalize.

How Are Aerospace Connectors Designed to Withstand Environmental Stress?

Aircraft connectors should maintain stable electrical pathways despite continuous exposure to shock, vibration, moisture, and electromagnetic interference. The following examples highlight connector designs that are routinely used to support reliable system performance in harsh aerospace environments:

Hermetically Sealed Connectors: These connectors are engineered with glass-to-metal or ceramic seals that prevent the ingress of moisture, gasses, and airborne particles in pressurized or corrosive aerospace environments.
EMI-Shielded Connectors: Designed with integrated shielding layers and conductive backshells, these connectors help reduce radiated emissions and protect signal integrity in various avionics and communications systems.
High-Density Modular Connectors: Built for compact installation, these interconnects support multiple signal types within a single housing, all while maintaining ample vibration resistance and sealing performance.
Fiber Optic Connectors: Some optical aerospace connectors are selected for their inherent immunity to electromagnetic interference and their ability to support high-speed data transmission in noise-sensitive control systems.

What Testing Standards Validate Aerospace Component Reliability?

Aerospace components that are engineered for harsh environments are typically qualified through structured testing that simulates mission-specific stress conditions. To guide this testing, critical standards like MIL-STD-810, RTCA DO-160, and NASA EEE-INST-002 are used to define procedures for evaluating resistance to shock, vibration, thermal cycling, EMI, and other environmental challenges. These tests can also help confirm that a component can be expected to maintain functional reliability, performance stability, and safety margins throughout its intended operational profile.

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