Powering In-flight Entertainment Equipment for Commercial Aircraft

Powering IFE systems is not a trivial task and requires special methods due to specific electrical and safety requirements. Most IFE system PSUs fall into the power range of less than 100W, although some newer IFE products require higher power solutions of 300 watts, or more. While there are an abundance of commercial low-cost standard PSU products on the market in these power ranges, aviation standards generally preclude their usage in these applications.

This paper examines PSU requirements for IFE systems, along with differences from commercial power supply units designed to meet Information Technology Equipment (ITE) standards. This information is not presented as a detailed analysis, but rather to highlight some of the issues that need to be considered when designing or specifying a PSU for IFE.