This unit of competency requires application of basic avionic scientific principles and techniques as a member of a design and development team or similar in support of the design and development of avionic applications, or as a member of a maintenance organisation engineering department.

Applications include identifying the range of basic avionic scientific principles and techniques relevant to avionic engineering, selecting avionic principles and techniques for particular applications, applying avionic principles and techniques to engineering tasks, and quoting results appropriately.

This unit is used in workplaces that operate under the airworthiness regulatory systems of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria under the specified conditions of assessment, and must include:

selecting appropriate basic avionic scientific principles to suit specific applications

selecting appropriate basic avionic techniques and associated technologies, software and hardware to suit specific applications

applying basic avionic scientific principles to particular engineering situations

applying and manipulating appropriate formulas for applications involving engineering calculations

applying appropriate calculations to engineering situations

checking the validity of equations using dimensional analysis

applying basic avionic techniques and associated technologies, software and hardware in a manner appropriate to the application and identified scientific principles

referring solutions to the original aim of the application

quoting solutions in appropriate units, using appropriate significant figures

quoting limitations of solutions, due to assumptions, scientific principles and techniques used

presenting solutions referring to the original aim of the application.

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

physics for electronics:

units and measurements

magnetic force

vectors

electric fields and potential

electric current and resistance

capacitance

work, power and energy

analogue electronics:

negative feedback amplifiers

differential amplifiers

operational amplifiers

amplifier frequency response

thermal circuits/heat exchangers

active filters

fault-finding

digital electronics:

characteristics of digital systems

number systems

Boolean algebra

logic circuits

logic families

construction and testing techniques

flip flop circuits

analogue to digital conversion

digital to analogue conversion

timing and control

combinational logic circuits

circuit theory:

Kirchhoff’s Current and Voltage Laws

Thevenin’s Network Theorem

Norton’s Network Theorem

Superposition Network Theorem

inductance, capacitance and resistance (LCR) series circuit analysis

LCR parallel circuit analysis

series and parallel resonance

electrical systems:

DC and AC circuit design principles

generators and motors

inverters

power supply, transformer, rectifier, filter and regulator

solenoids

circuit protection

wiring cables and looms

aerodynamics:

Bernoulli’s Theorem

the atmosphere

aerodynamic forces (lift, drag, weight and thrust)

stability and control (to a level not requiring the application of calculus)

thermodynamics – heat transfer principles (conduction, convection and radiation)

instruments:

airspeed measurement

altitude measurement

attitude indication

measurement of quantity, flow, temperature, pressure and position

control concepts and data communications:

servo and synchronous systems and components

data communication definitions and terminology

communications:

radio transmission and modulation

radio reception

microphones, amplifiers and speakers

transmission lines and antennas

pulse:

antennas

waveguides

transmitters/receivers

displays

light, sound and vibration:

wave behaviour – standing vs travelling waves, transverse and longitudinal

light – reflection, absorption, refraction, diffraction, spectrum, infrared, visible, ultraviolet (UV), transmission medium and engineering applications

sound – pitch, frequency, intensity (power), decibel scale, ‘noise dose’, spectrum, infrasound, audible, ultrasound, speed, natural frequency, resonance, transmission medium and engineering applications

vibration – sources, balancing, shaft alignment, measurement, damping and engineering applications

appropriateness of calculations

fundamental and derived quantities

the procedure for carrying out dimensional analysis

the concept of significant figures

the uncertainty of computations based on experimental data

the procedures for determining the significance of figures in calculations

the procedures for estimating errors in derived quantities.

This unit may be assessed on the job, off the job or a combination of both on and off the job. Where assessment occurs off the job, that is, the candidate is not in productive work, then a simulated working environment must be used that reflects realistic workplace situations and conditions.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Assessment methods must be by direct observation of tasks and include questioning on underpinning knowledge to ensure its correct interpretation and application.

Assessment may be applied under project related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process.

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances.

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently:

identify and explain the application of basic scientific principles and engineering techniques to avionic engineering situations

for given avionic engineering situations, identify and apply the relevant basic scientific principles and techniques

perform necessary calculations using appropriate applications and evaluate solutions

document appropriately the outcome of application of basic scientific principles and techniques to given avionic engineering situations.

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency where required.

Assessors must satisfy the requirements of the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Australian Skills Quality Authority, or its successors).

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Avionic engineering