Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System Research Articles

A Specific Emitter Identification System Design for Crossing Signal Modes in the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System and Wireless Devices.

To improve communication stability, more wireless devices transmit multi-modal signals while operating. The term 'modal' refers to signal waveforms or signal types. This poses challenges to traditional specific emitter identification (SEI) systems, e.g., unknown modal signals require extra open-set mode identification; different modes require different radio frequency fingerprint (RFF) extractors and SEI classifiers; and it is hard to collect and label all signals. To address these issues, we propose an enhanced SEI system consisting of a universal RFF extractor, denoted as multiple synchrosqueezed wavelet transformation of energy unified (MSWTEu), and a new generative adversarial network for feature transferring (FTGAN). MSWTEu extracts uniform RFF features for different modal signals, FTGAN transfers different modal features to a recognized distribution in an unsupervised manner, and a novel training strategy is proposed to achieve emitter identification across multi-modal signals using a single clustering method. To evaluate the system, we built a hybrid dataset, which consists of multi-modal signals transmitted by various emitters, and built a complete civil air traffic control radar beacon system (ATCRBS) dataset for airplanes. The experiments show that our enhanced SEI system can resolve the SEI problems associated with crossing signal modes. It directly achieves 86% accuracy in cross-modal emitter identification using an unsupervised classifier, and simultaneously obtains 99% accuracy in open-set recognition of signal mode.

A Method for the Analysis of Interference from DME to ATCRBS in the Time Domain

Analysis of the coexistence of two or more types of equipment is increasingly important. However, at present studies on the analysis method in the time domain are scant. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the characteristics of signals and relations between interfering and desired signals in the time domain. Based on the periodicity of a signal, this paper presents a Periodic Pulse Overlap Method (PPOM). Using PPOM to analyze the interference from Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) to Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) in the time domain, we obtain almost the same result as that based on the Monte Carlo Method (MCM). Furthermore, we discover the measures to reduce or even avoid interference, such as changing the Pulse Recurrence Frequency (PRF), adjusting the difference of initial time, and switching the operating modes of the equipment.

Mode S system design and architecture

Mode Select (Mode S) is a secondary surveillance radar system that is designed as an evolutionary improvement to the current Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS). Mode S provides improved aircraft surveillance through the use of selective interrogation and monopulse processing and provides a ground-air-ground digital data link. The authors provide an overview of the Mode S aircraft surveillance and data link communications characteristics. This includes a description of monopulse azimuth determination, elimination of synchronous garble, time sharing between ATCRBS and Mode S activities, and the monopulse aircraft surveillance characteristics that provide improved ATCRBS performance. The Mode S sensor architecture and design are described, including the techniques used to provide a high level of sensor reliability, error protection, and a fault tolerance capability that supports data link operations. The authors also present an overview of the Mode S data link communications characteristics and a description of the planned data link applications. >

Development and operation of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)

The authors describe the development of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), provide a description of the TCAS II system operation, offer results of operational evaluations conducted in cooperation with Piedmont, United, and Northwest Airlines, and outline the status and progress of the TCAS implementation. In recent years, the TCAS effort has focused on concepts that make use of the radar transponders carried by aircraft for ground air traffic control purposes. A transponder-based collision avoidance system can provide immediate protection against the vast population of aircraft already equipped with either the current Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) transponder or the new Mode S transponder. The TCAS concept encompasses a range of capabilities, including TCAS I, which provides traffic advisories (bearing, range, and relative altitude) to assist the pilot in visually acquiring the threat aircraft; TCAS II, which provides traffic and resolution advisories (recommended escape maneuvers) in the vertical plane; and TCAS III, which provides traffic and resolution advisories in both the vertical and horizontal planes.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Reply Correlation Test Analysis in Monopulse Beacon Radars

The statistical behavior of the position data furnished by single air traffic control radar beacon system (ATCRBS) reports is analyzed. Some statistical models are correspondingly derived in order to be employed for the performance evaluation of the dwell-time section of the ATCRBS monopulse receiver. The expression of the failure probability is derived for the range and azimuth tests performed by the association algorithms operating in the monopulse ATCRBS target data extractor. Some numerical results are reported referring to the evaluation of the above failure probabilities in different conditions.

Performance Analysis of a Dwell-Time Processor for Monopulse Beacon Radars

Performance of a monopulse air traffic control radar beacon system (ATCRBS) target data extractor is analyzed via an analytical approach. Results refer to a statistical analysis of the section of the receiver which associates replies sent by the desired aircraft during the antenna dwell-time. Some numerical results are reported which refer to the ATCRBS section to be devised in the discrete address beacon system (DABS).

Development of 1000-mHz Distance Measuring Equipment

The major radio aids to air navigation are listed. Underlined are those whose signal format is standardized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and they have now all been the subject of the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society Pioneer Award, as follows: airborne direction finder/nondirectional beacon (ADF/NDB), Busignies and Moseley, 1959; VHF omnidirectional range (VOR), Stuart, 1962; instrument landing system (ILS), Kramar 1964, Alford 1965; air traffic control radar beacon system (ATCRBS), Williams, Bowden, and Harris, 1973; distance measuring equipment (DME), Dodington, 1980. A brief history of the development of the distance measuring equipment, which also formed the basis for an IEEE National Aerospace Electronics Conference luncheon address, is given.

Beacon Splits in Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS)

The ATC radar beacon system is today's primary source of surveillance ance data for air traffic control. For en route traffic control, radar and beacon data are collected at numerous long range radar (LRR) facilities and typically sent by remote control to the air traffic control center (ARTCC) by a radar microwave link (RML). Selfsupporting or guyed RML towers are installed at some LRR sites adjacent to the LRR antenna to establish a line-of-sight microwave path to the first repeater site. For these LRR sites, beacon splits and pulse-stretching effects have been observed particularly in the direction of the RML tower. This paper relates to the determination ion of the magnitude of the beacon split problem for such sites and the extent to which this problem is caused by the RML tower. It has been shown that the RML tower causes distortion in the patterns of both the directional and omnidirectional antenna. The nature and extent of these distortions are such that they tend to nullify the advantages achievable by the SLS and ISLS techniques. Consequently, the beacon split phenomenon may be referred to more specifically by the well-known "ring-around" effect. Finally, the paper makes a few recommendations for eliminating or reducing this problem.

The Effects of Defruiting on the ATCRBS

The defruiter that is employed in the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) to prefilter asynchronous replies has a complex impact on the detection, estimation and validation properties of the detection subsystem. Its positive and negative effects are quantitatively enumerated via a simulation of the beacon processing subsystem of the Automated Radar Terminal System (ARTS III). It is concluded that the disadvantages of using the present-day defruiter in the ARTS III digital processing channel outweigh the advantages when fruit rates are below several thousand per scan. As an alternative to the total elimination of the defruiter a more general class of preprocessors is defined and their input-output relationships are derived using a Markov Chain formulation. These are found to represent an improvement over the current defruiter in that the positive effects of defruiting are retained while some of the negative effects are reduced.

ATC Beacon Interference Characteristics in the New York Area

An experimental program is described that had the objective of measuring the effects of the time-dependent structure of downlink (air craft to ground) interference generated by the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) in an active air traffic terminal area that are relevant to system and ground controller response time. The results of this program indicate a number of interesting details concerning the correlation of the level of the downlink interference with changes in the arrival and departure rates of aircraft at the local terminal sites.

The Use of Specialized Antenna Technology for Air Traffic Control and Communications

The implementation of new antenna techniques will contribute significantly to the success of air traffic control (ATC) and communication development programs. Three new antenna developments that incorporate advanced techniques are described, including an electronically scanned array for air traffic control radar beacon system (ATCRBS), a hybrid-scan array for aircraft/satellite communications at SHF, and a small antenna for aircraft/satellite communications at UHF.

Automatic Height Transmission is One Step Closer

Use of automatic height transmission, the essential ?third dimension? for use in the control of aircraft, has been brought closer by action taken recently at the Seventh Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The Session recommended adoption of technical standards that will: 1) update and improve the existing international standards for SSR, better known in the U. S. as the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS); 2) provide specifications for 3-pulse sidelobe suppression (SLS); 3) provide standards for introduction of automatic height transmission; and 4) specify conditions under which SSR is to be implemented. It was agreed further that the sensing element of the system should use a standard pressure setting of 1013.2 millibars and that it would be necessary to refer to the system as height transmission rather than altitude reporting. Although a separate data link for height transmission is a possibility, the probable implementation data was considered too uncertain. Since air traffic is a heterogeneous mixture of civil and military aircraft, the existing SSR used by both civil and military aircraft was expanded to accommodate automatic height transmission features. It was agreed that SSR is needed to supplement the use of primary radar in air traffic control, but that each country would determine whether or not its use is required. The system specifications are appended to the paper.

ATCRBS Experimental Altitude Reporting Subsystem and Developments

FAA's Aviation Research and Development Service (ARDS), has recently embarked on an active program of establishing an altitude reporting subsystem for the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS), internationally known as Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR). This action is in response to a long-standing requirement for the provision of altitude information to the Air Traffic Control System by a means other than flight plan and voice transmission of altitude information from the cockpit. The use of the ATCRBS for altitude reporting utilizes precisely the same techniques used for the identification function on Mode A. The major difference is that while codes are manually selected for identification, they would be automatically selected for altitude through an automatic encoding system from a source of barometric altitude. The essential characteristics of the experimental subsystem are detailed, and the Federal Aviation Agency's (FAA) progress to date is described.

Altitude Processing in the ATCRBS

Equipment to process and display beacon-derived altitude information is being developed to enhance the operational capability of the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS). Beacon identity and altitude information assists the air traffic controller to establish positive identification quickly and reliably; radar handoff procedures are completed more efficiently. The principle altitude functions of the beacon video processor under development are 1) To provide a digital display, in decimal form, of altitude data received from aircraft equipped with modified transponders which reply to a ground-to-air altitude interrogation. 2) To provide simultaneous altitude zone filtering of the altitude reply codes and tri-coordinate (3-D) radar data. 3) To provide altitude information to associated beacon video tracking units for aircraft tracking. The fully transistorized processor converts beacon video code trains from serial to parallel form. Leading edge decoding, pulse regeneration, pulse standardization, and destructive readout techniques are used to detect and eliminate spurious or garbled codes and to correctly process closely interleaved replies. Aircraft spaced as close as 344 feet in slant range are correctly read out. The equipment is designed for operation in either a computerizedor noncomputerized environment.