Remote device control and power supply

A system for supplying power to a remote device located in an aircraft, the system comprising:

• a power plant configured to place a high voltage onto a high voltage power bus, the high voltage power bus comprising a first thickness and a first weight per unit distance;
• an actuator interface controller interconnected with the high voltage power bus and having a power supply;
• the power supply configured to reduce the high voltage received from the high voltage power bus to a low voltage that is lower than the high voltage on the high voltage power bus, and to place the low voltage onto a low voltage power bus exiting the actuator interface controller;
• the low voltage power bus comprising a second thickness and a second weight per unit distance, the second thickness and the second weight per unit distance of the low voltage power bus being greater than the first thickness and the first weight per unit distance of the high voltage power bus such that the high voltage power bus is comparatively lighter than the low voltage power bus per unit distance;
• and
• a remote device interconnected with the low voltage power bus and being powered from the low voltage carried by the low voltage power bus such that both the high voltage power bus and the relatively heavier low voltage power bus are used to supply power to the remote device by transferring the high voltage generated by the power plant to the actuator interface controller via the high voltage power bus, stepping down the high voltage to the low voltage via the power supply located on the actuator interface controller, and then transferring the low voltage from the actuator interface controller to the remote device via the low voltage power bus.

A method of controlling and supplying power to a remote device located in an aircraft, the method comprising:

• providing an interface controller located at a first position in the aircraft;
• interconnecting a high gage wire with the interface controller, the high gage wire running from a power plant located in the fuselage of the aircraft to the interface controller located at the first position in the aircraft for a first distance;
• interconnecting a comparatively lower low gage wire with respect to the high gage wire to the interface controller, the low gage wire running from the interface controller to a remote device located at a second position in the aircraft for a second distance, the high gage wire being of less weight per unit distance and thickness than the low gage wire;
• placing a high voltage generated from the power plant located in the fuselage onto the high gage wire running to the interface controller;
• and
• stepping down the high voltage via a voltage converter associated with the interface controller to a low voltage that is lower than the high voltage and placing the low voltage onto the low gage wire to power the remote device, such that the remote device is powered via both high gage wire and low gage wire to reduce an overall weight of the wiring in the aircraft by transferring the high voltage from the power plant to the interface controller via the high gage wire acting as a high voltage power bus, stepping down the high voltage to the low voltage via the voltage converter associated with the interface controller, and then transferring the low voltage from the interface controller directly to the remote device via the low gage wire acting as a low voltage power bus.