Abstract
This study presents the architectural design, software implementation, the validation and flight trial results of an aeronautical communications system developed within the Seamless Aeronautical Networking through integration of Data links Radios and Antennas (SANDRA) project funded by the European 7th Framework Aeronautics and Transport Programme. Based on software defined radio (SDR) techniques, an integrated modular radio (IMR) platform was developed to accommodate several radio technologies. This can drastically reduce the size, weight and cost in avionics with respect to current radio systems implemented as standalone equipment. In addition, the modular approach ensures the possibility to dynamically reconfigure each radio element to operate on a specific type of radio link. A radio resource management (RRM) framework is developed in the IMR consisting of a communication manager for the resource allocation and management of the different radio links and a radio adaptation manager to ensure protocol convergence through IP. The IMR has been validated although flight trials held at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany in June 2013. The results presented in the paper validate the flexibility and scalability of the IMR platform and demonstrate seamless service coverage across different airspace domains through interworking between the IMR and other components of the SANDRA network.
Highlights
Aircraft information and communications systems are undergoing a major transformation
A Radio Resource Management (RRM) framework, which forms an integral part of the Integrated Modular Radio (IMR) platform, exploits modular radio approach to dynamically reconfigure each core element to operate on a specific type of radio link through the SANDRA Radio Resource Manager
This paper presents the challenges in designing the integrated hybrid radio system and presents the SANDRA joint radio resource management framework for an aeronautical communication network
Summary
Aircraft information and communications systems are undergoing a major transformation. Building on the IMA concept, the EU FP7 project SANDRA [2] marked a significant step in developing an Integrated Modular Radio (IMR) platform that offers a high degree of flexibility, scalability, modularity and reconfigurability. By exploiting the Software Defined Radio (SDR) [3] technology, the IMR hosts multiple radio applications on a common multi-core processor platform through resource partitioning. Since radio waveforms are implemented as independent software modules instead of as standalone radio equipment, this can drastically reduce the size, weight and costs in airborne communication systems. A Radio Resource Management (RRM) framework, which forms an integral part of the IMR platform, exploits modular radio approach to dynamically reconfigure each core element to operate on a specific type of radio link through the SANDRA Radio Resource Manager,.
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