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One way is through the use of time domain reflectometers (TDRs). In these, a signal is sent down the live wire and reflected back by certain breaches that could cause damage to the electrical system. Another type of reflectometer is called a noise domain reflectometer. These devices monitor the existing signals without generating one of its own. This method could be very useful to monitor the aircraft wiring during the flight.

The trick, of course, is whether you are trying to detect the fault while it is running or while it is off with basics TDR's good for the while the Airplane is off but advanced TDR's required to find faults during operation.

Some legacy troubleshooters believe that there are no such things as "Intermittent Faults"; only Intermittent Symptoms. Even as this reflects simple semantics, it can assist in the thought process for understanding root causes for intermittent symptoms. If you use existing multi-meter, TDR's and in worst cases "meggers", you will only see those types of faults limited to the individual tool.

Aircraft electrical systems involve much regarding load(s). Power system wiring can be approached differently than that used in signal lines. Technologies should be more centered on the Systems Engineering approach. For example, intermittent operations within a high frequency coax or triac cable on System A can require a significantly different tool than that used on flight deck overhead lights or panel illumination. As stated in the first two paragraphs, if you use a TDR and can see the failure constantly it is thereby not an intermittent fault. It is a hard failure, only unseen by the type of tool you are using.

Recently, many organizations are claiming to find "intermittent faults" with their devices and technologies whereas the marketing/sales theme is somewhat like chicken little. We may not have feasible technologies to locate cracks/open insulators that may touch airframe (or another wire) but we do have tools that can quickly assess many wires at one time (analyzer - Eclypse for example) that can see some of these failures as "hard" versus "Soft".

Please note that there is not a golden tool or silver bullet, nothing is 100% since the designs of our aircraft have not changed in regards to the electrical systems routing and management. Until we make changes we will have to deal with what is dealt from the OEM's.

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Q: How can intermittent faults in aircraft wires be detected?
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