Got an email from Sebastian that there will be a new entry level satellite data link product available soon: ADL140
Quote:
Fortunately I was able to secure some capital and a brand new entry level device called ADL140 was developed to extend the ADL product line. It no longer comes with all those great but expensive hardware features like aluminium anodized housing, CNC milled front faces, industrial spec processors, WAAS GPS chips, CNC milled antenna housings etc. As a true entry level device the new ADL140 will only have simple consumer grade components, a black plastic enclosure, a low cost internal antenna and no internal battery.
Here is a link with more details on the new ADL140:
Very nice! I would purchase one directly if you could make the radar coverage similar to the IR one :-)
I guess what is needed is a clear comparison between the 140 and the existing models in terms of functionality rather that what components it is made of or where you place the box.
However, one thing springs to mind: a black coloured box on the glareshield with ‘commercial components’. Risk of overheating? This is an open question and surely Sebastian and his team thought about it!
I am a happy 120 customer btw..
That looks good. I also think that a plastic box makes the wifi function easier because you need a lot less power.
That connector looks OK to me.
Doesn’t everyone use commercial components these days? Most things can be obtained with a spec of -25C to +85C. The days of “milspec” (-55C to +125C) are long gone, except for some military and specialised stuff e.g. autopilot servos mounted outside the heated volume of an aircraft.
Peter wrote:
Doesn’t everyone use commercial components these days?
The difference between commercial components and automotive or milspec components is (in the best case) the same as the difference between welders oxygen and “aviation grade” oxygen. Same stuff, but the latter comes with a load of paperwork.
In the worst case, the milspec stuff comes out of a production line that runs every 10 years where all the know how is lost/gone in between the runs…
tomjnx wrote:
The difference between commercial components and automotive or milspec components is (in the best case) the same as the difference between welders oxygen and “aviation grade” oxygen. Same stuff, but the latter comes with a load of paperwork.So it’s not that components are tested for the MIL temperature range and those that pass the test get the MIL-spec labels and the ones that failed do not?In the worst case, the milspec stuff comes out of a production line that runs every 10 years where all the know how is lost/gone in between the runs…
I was once told (30-40 years ago) that resistor tolerances are determined that way. Resistors with all different tolerances come from the same production line and are tested for 1, 2, 5, 10% tolerance. So if you buy a 10% resistor you are virtually guaranteed that it will be at least 5% off. But maybe it doesn’t work that way anymore?
tomjnx wrote:
The difference between commercial components and automotive or milspec components is (in the best case) the same as the difference between welders oxygen and “aviation grade” oxygen. Same stuff, but the latter comes with a load of paperwork.In the worst case, the milspec stuff comes out of a production line that runs every 10 years where all the know how is lost/gone in between the runs…
I totally disagree with the above.
There have been MANY examples of non-conforming hardware failures in fatal accidents.
The one that comes to mind in particular involved a simple cheap hose clamp on a Piper that directly resulted in a fatal accident killing the very young pilot. The fatal accident occurred when a mechanic decided to use an automotive hose clamp to secure a muffler and exhaust pipe on a Piper Cherokee, resulting in an in-flight fire. The aircraft version, while about 15 times more expensive, had a critical detail that the mechanic apparently overlooked or thought unimportant. There is a pin on the clamp, which is inserted into a hole in the muffler and exhaust pipe and holds the two together even if the clamp loosens. Some parts of aircraft really do need to be expensive and well-made.
Using random, non-conforming hardware, connectors & fasteners is wreckless, period.
There is some truth in the above 
Milspec parts (the real ones) do get more testing and more QA, especially over temperature. Some (metal can ones) are also leak tested. But here you are talking of a €0.50 plastic chip costing €50 in a gold plated hermetic package like this or this so nobody will use it unless it really is a milspec application. There is a real benefit in the metal packages in that the temp coefficient of expansion much more closely matches that of the silicon (plus you don’t get the moisture absorption of the plastic) so these packages are much more reliable over time and temperature cycling. It is for these very good reasons they are used in critical applications. It is very wrong to say mil spec parts are same as commercial parts.
There is also the due diligence / CYA issue. If you buy parts specced down to -25C but you spec the product down to -55C you won’t have a leg to stand on if something big happens and the buck stops with you. Yes, we know much of this is a charade (like most of ISO9000 etc etc) but it is a real consideration.
Resistors with all different tolerances come from the same production line and are tested for 1, 2, 5, 10% tolerance. So if you buy a 10% resistor you are virtually guaranteed that it will be at least 5% off. But maybe it doesn’t work that way anymore?
That process is widely used for e.g. processor clock speeds 
Probably not for resistors anymore since anybody and their dog can make 1% resistors for €0.001 (literally) so the worse ones don’t really exist anymore except in specialised applications where e.g. the resistor is made from a carbon rod and to be able to absorb big spikes, and 10% is good enough.
However, one thing springs to mind: a black coloured box on the glareshield with ‘commercial components’. Risk of overheating? This is an open question and surely Sebastian and his team thought about it!
That was indeed a concern. Especially if you look at the Stratus receivers used in the US. The first version was dark and then the next version had to be white and contained a little fan.
But the ADL140 does not come with an internal battery which already helps a lot. Then the new WiFi chip dissipates less heat than the component used before which also helps. Finally during heat testing the weakest point was the enclosure. At about 100C the enclosure material started to warp while the electronics still worked the same as in ambient conditions.
