Meeting the DO-160 Lightning Protection Standard

Protect airborne electronics from direct and indirect lightning effects with a system-level approach to DO-160 qualification.

This white paper examines DO-160 lightning protection for rugged airborne electronics, including how RTCA DO-160 Sections 22 and 23 address lightning-induced transient susceptibility and direct lightning effects. It explains how aircraft architecture, shielding, cable routing, chassis grounding, I/O protection, and qualification testing work together to protect mission-critical electronic systems.

What you’ll learn

• Direct vs. indirect lightning effects: Understand how lightning current travels through an aircraft structure and how electromagnetic coupling can introduce damaging transients into cables and electronics.
• DO-160 Sections 22 and 23: Learn how Section 22 addresses lightning-induced transient susceptibility while Section 23 addresses direct lightning effects.
• Qualification testing: Review pin-injection and cable-bundle test methods used to evaluate equipment against representative lightning transients.
• Shielding and grounding: See why platform architecture, shielded cabling, bonding, and chassis grounding are critical parts of the protection strategy.
• I/O protection: Explore how transient-voltage suppressors, Zener diodes, thyristors, and application-specific I/O circuitry can protect standard COTS payload electronics.
• System-level design: Understand why lightning protection is most effective when platform, enclosure, cabling, and electronics requirements are considered together.

Atrenne works with aerospace and defense system integrators to develop rugged electronic packaging, chassis, backplanes, and integrated assemblies for demanding airborne applications. The paper provides practical guidance for evaluating how enclosure architecture and interface protection can support a DO-160 Section 22 qualification strategy while preserving the benefits of COTS embedded computing.

That wording follows the updated paper closely, including the direct/indirect effects discussion, qualification methods, shielding, grounding and I/O protection.