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The smartphone in your pocket, the tablet you use to browse the web, the safety systems in your automobile: they all benefit from fast-evolving computer and electronic component technology. These components are lighter, hold more data, and can perform increasingly complex tasks. This electronic evolution has had an impact in the aviation industry as well. The electronic components used in today's engines can do more than ever before, but the need to replace older components has introduced some added complexity. Until now. The problem is obsolescence. Driven by an ever-demanding consumer market, electrical components - including those used for aircraft engines - are evolving faster than ever. Engine components installed just a few years ago are no longer being made. This means engine manufacturers need to install new models when replacing these older models or when building new engines.

The power plant is the area in an aircraft where they are a lot of power conversion. The power plant is the core of the aircraft from energy point of view. The engines allow to take off but not only, it also provides energy to the aircraft from many different manners. They are electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, …. The power plant is definitively a power generator but also a power consumer. Since now some years, the power electronic technology is spread into the aircraft. One can say that some pedigree has been collected with this technology embedded to the aircraft. For the power plant domain, it is different. This technology is really not usual for use. Our environment is really not friendly and even if the integration of the power converters has been improved over the last years, there is not a lot of space around the engines. These are probably the mains reason of the low deployment of the power electronic in this domain but not only.

Four years ago Airbus became actively involved in the SAE E36, Electronic Engine Control committee. This paper presents an Airframe Manufacturer view of one current working practices discussion relative to the FADEC electrical hardware change and describes an Airframe Manufacturer views on the committee's effectiveness along with a vision for its future. The SAE E36 committee is a representation of the propulsion control engineering community. The members comes from Airworthiness Authorities and other government and military agencies, airframers, engine manufacturers and control suppliers from North America, South America and Europe (including Russia). An active involvement allows an aircraft manufacturer to participate actively in the process and “to set the standard”. An additional benefit is to be aware of “what's hot”.