SAE ARP6318

This document is intended for discrete and integrated digital, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and analog/radio frequency (RF) photonic components developed for eventual transition to aerospace platforms. The document provides the reasons for verification of photonic device life test and packaging durability. The document focuses on pre-qualification activity at the optical component level to achieve TRL 6. The recommended tests in this document are intended to excite typical failure mechanisms encountered with photonic devices in an aerospace operating environment, and to build confidence that a technology is qualifiable during a program’s engineering and manufacturing development phase. This recommended practice is targeting components to support electrical-to-optical, optical-to-electrical, or optical-to-optical functionality. Passive optical waveguide, fiber optic cable, and connector components that are integral to a photonic package are included. Component and photonic package radiation tolerance requirements are not within the scope of this recommended practice. Technology readiness advancement and manufacturing readiness advancement is crucial to transitioning state-of-the-art photonic devices to aerospace platforms. Component life test data and packaging durability data reduces programmatic risk and accelerates technology readiness advancement, which in turn helps enable technology transition. The aerospace industry has had many fiber optics and photonics technology transition and insertion opportunities postponed or cancelled due to lack of information about photonic component reliability and packaging durability. This document presents an approach for nominal photonic device life test verification and packaged device environmental testing consistent with Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6. ARP6318 has been reaffirmed to comply with the SAE Five-Year Review policy.