Investigating Communication Infrastructure of

Next Generation Air Traffic Management

Pangun Park and Claire TomlinDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

University of California, Berkeley{pgpark,tomlin}@eecs.berkeley.edu

Presented by :Sandeep reddy allu

Introduction Overview of air traffic surveillance system Related work System model Performance analysis Future work and conclusion

AGENDA

Capacity is the major challenge that future National Airspace system is going to face in next few years .

Growth in Air transportation system. Control over growing air traffic . air traffic control (ATC) system is networked to reap the benefits of

shared information such as the flight number, position, and speed of aircraft.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) is designed to increase the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the NAS by enhancing information sharing between aircraft and ATC facilities.

GPS ,real time info of flights ,robust ,efficient air transportation system.

The structure of the NAS is complex since it involves a multitude of interacting agents and technologies: aircraft monitoring, flow management, communication, and human-in-the-loop.

Introduction

(1) a unified simulation environment considering the physical details of the air traffic model, flight path, and surveillance system, which are networked through wireless channels

(2) the validation of the interoperability between existing systems and ADS-B

(3) the evaluation of the operational ability of ADS-B by meeting separation assurance and other application requirements.

Main contributions:

ATC system includes information gathering by group of heterogeneous sensors .

The air traffic surveillance system can be divided into two categories, ground and airborne surveillance system.◦ A. Ground Surveillance System:

Ground radars scan through 360 degrees of azimuth and present target information to ATC facilities.

Ground surveillance systems currently consist of two major systems, primary and secondary surveillance radars (SSR).

primary surveillance radar tracks aircraft by reflecting radio waves off aircraft, while SSR interrogates aircraft transponders which respond with aircraft information.

Overview of air traffic surveillance system

Each aircraft is equipped with transponder which replies to interrogations from ground radars with unique data.

There are three important SSR modes: Mode-A, C, S. Mode-A transponders reply with a 4 digit code, Mode-C transponders reply with a 4 digit code along with altitude, Mode-S transponders reply with a 4 digit code, altitude, identifier, along with data needed for collision avoidance functions.

The interrogator of Mode-A, C sends three pulses: P1, P2 and P3. P1 and P3 can be seen as the most important signals since the interval between them determines the reply format.

SSR System:

Mode-A is used, when the interval between the P1 and P3 pulses is 8μs. The transponder replies with the aircraft identification code 12 bits, which is defined by the ATC facility.

When the interval between the P1 and P3 pulses is 21μs, Mode-C is used. The transponder of Mode-C replies with the aircraft flight level.

The reply of both Mode-A, C takes 20.3μs. The SSR computes the angle-of-arrival of the signal and the

delay between the transmission of the interrogation and the reception of the reply, allowing the SSR to determine the azimuth and the location of the aircraft.

Mode-S uses the same frequencies as Mode- A, C for interrogations and replies (1030 and 1090 MHz)

Mode A,C,S:

This system can provide intermediate protection against collision involving in large aircraft population.

Two representative airborne surveillance systems: Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and ADS-B.

1)Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System: The main functions of TCAS1 are to identify a potential collision

threat ,communicate the detected threat to the pilot, and assist in the resolution of the threat by recommending an avoidance maneuver.

Avoid collision in airspace without relevance to ground equipment. 2) Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast:

ADS-B is a replacement (or supplement to) for traditional radar based surveillance of aircraft.

uses satellite-based navigation systems. By converting position code we can get aircraft, flight number, speed, and intent. position information is inserted into the 56-bit ADS message field The information of ADS-B such as the type of aircraft, flight number, position,

speed, and intent, is updated several times a second and broadcast from the aircraft on a discrete frequency as an extended squitter.

B. Airborne Surveillance System

Analysis tools to validate the performance of Mode-S ES are as follows : real test measurement, simulation, and analytical models.

A wide range of scenarios is captured to measure the airborne and ground-based reception of Mode-S ES emitted by aircraft. Air-to-air ranges of greater than 100 NM are routinely observed.

Mode-A, C reply rates as high as 40000 per second above −90 dBm are measured. It is also shown that the interrogation rates outside of the terminal areas are relatively low.

When applied to long range air-to-air surveillance, this simulation can determine the maximum range at which 95% or more of the targets are being received sufficiently reliably to be in track as required by the ADS-B MASPS.

Related work

The (CIR) Constant Interrogation Rate model assumes a constant interrogation versus altitude profile that is applicable to all aircraft in the scenario .The profile is selected so that CIR in the stressful environment scenario matches the trial measurements.

Monte Carlo techniques are used to determine the effective track update period distribution per target and per distance from the receiver.

The interference level from SSR depends not only on the flight altitude, but also on various parameters such as the flight path, air traffic scenarios, ground surveillance systems, and aircraft equipment.

Air Traffic Systems:

system model simulates a flight through a modeled airspace and measures statistics on the results .

The traffic scenarios and operational environment represent a series of assumptions regarding the number and distribution of the participating aircraft and ground radars. Each analysis tool also incorporates a wireless model for the behavior of a Mode-S ES receiver in the presence of co-channel interference.

System model

Flight graphs:

A. Air Traffic Model: The performance of “radar versus radar” and “radar versus

ADS-B” depends greatly on the relative orientation of each .The relative geometries of the flight path is also critical for the ADS-B versus ADS-B performance of the two aircraft. Hence ,it is essential to properly model the air traffic scenarios.

The data is updated every 15 min. The dots depict the number of arrivals/ departures of the ASPM recorded points. The solid curve is the result using a sliding window. We observe the periodicity of arrival/departure rates with the interval of one day in LAX.

A flight plan is a set of waypoints (reference points defined precisely in the airspace), which the aircraft are expected to follow. Even though in low traffic density regions, aircraft might fly off these flight plans to benefit from faster routes, when this airspace becomes congested, aircraft will follow arrivals for up to 200 NM from the destination airport.

Calculating the 1090 MHz interference environment is critical for determining Mode-S ES performance. Predicting the 1090 MHz environment is highly dependent not only on traffic growth, but also on the evolution of the ground radar infrastructure and aircraft equipage.

The levels of 1090 MHz interference might be expected to increase proportionally to the increases in aircraft traffic levels. Such increased interference levels could also adversely affect the performance of air-to-ground and air-to-air surveillance performance.

B. Surveillance Network Model

As use of the system grows, the existing system is expected to upgrade to reduce the interference, partly as a result of an on-going transition from Mode-A, C to Mode-S, partly as a result of upgrading some SSRs from the sliding-window technology to mono pulse technology, and also partly as a result of the success of ADS-B providing a basis for discontinuing operation of some SSRs.

Based on the effective number and characteristics of these basic interrogation sources, and the distribution and type of responding aircraft, the model develops the expected distribution of co-channel interference competing with reception of the desired extended squitter message. A detailed representation of this process requires simulation of each interrogation and each reply over the whole distribution of potential interrogators and responding aircraft.

The simulation model keeps track of aircraft, estimates ranges and timing between communicating (or interfering) pairs of aircraft, and generates the received signal and interference power levels for the aircraft and radar.

The wireless channel model computes the signal levels at the receiver of all ADS-B messages and replies transmitted by other aircraft and interrogators of SSRs. It also includes the path loss and variations due to air-to-ground and air-to-air antenna gain differences associated with relative aircraft orientation. The desired extended squitter message competes with co-channel interference defined by the air traffic model surrounding the receiver.

The simulation step could be summarized as follows. The simulation model takes as input the locations and transmission characteristics of both the air traffic scenario and the radar information. Then the model attempts to reproduce all of the individual radar interrogations and responses by each aircraft, and it provides as output the time-ordered arrival at the chosen receiver of the 1030/1090 MHz signals.

Simulation step

There are a number of assumptions, which are incorporated into the simulation chain: It is assumed that all aircraft carry dual 1030/1090 MHz

Mode-A, C, S and TCAS capable transponders. All target aircraft are assumed to carry an omni antenna. The aircraft has the capability to both transmit and receive

extended squitter message if ADS-B is equipped. The Mode-S ES transmission rate per aircraft is 4.2 Hz (e.g.

two position and two velocity squitters per second,and an identification squitter every five seconds).

The initial radar orientations are randomly sampled and the rotation rate sampled within the assigned limits (4 to 5 seconds for short-range radars and 10 to 12 seconds for long-range radars). Hence, the radars are unsynchronized.

MODE A,C:

The focuses of the performance analysis are: (1) interoperability between existing surveillance systems and ADSB,

(2) operational ability of ADS-B to meet the separation assurance and other application requirements,

(3) the effect of ground surveillance systems and aircraft density to ADS-B performance along the flight path.

The relative geometries between the aircraft and the radar have a significant impact on the antenna gain in measured performance, therefore, it is good to study a variety of operational scenarios and present the results.

Performance analysis

The validation of the interoperability between existing surveillance systems and ADS-B systems has two parts:

(1) interference from ADS-B to existing surveillance systems, and (2) interference effects from existing surveillance systems on the

performance of ADS-B. It is important to ensure that the extended squitter messages

transmitted by ADS-B avionics do not degrade the ability of ground radars to sense traffic. As the density of ADS-B equipped aircraft grows, transponders in an airspace receive more extended squitter messages by more ADS-B avionics.

The Mode-A, C interrogator is dominant interference with respect to Mode-S interrogator due to higher interrogation rates. Remind that TCAS and Mode-S radars can selectively interrogate Mode-S transponders to avoid interference from other transponders.

ADS-B systems :

Three options of state vector updates are considered for determining a track update: (1) Track update occurs every successful reception of a position or velocity squitter (P or V). This approach supports the ADS-B MASPS requirements.

(2) The alter-native option is every successful reception of a position (P).

(3) Track update is considered completed when both position and velocity squitter are received successfully within the same GPS update (P and V).

The reply rate increases for an aircraft flying near a terminal area because the interrogation rate and the aircraft density increase.

This system model simulates a flight through a modeled airspace and measures statistics on the results. The simulation model consists of two main components: the air traffic model including the realistic flight path, air traffic generator, and ground radar information and the surveillance network model including the wireless channel, ground surveillance system, and airborne surveillance system. The provision of ADS-B systems requires only the addition of a modest data link interference to the existing surveillance system. However, as use of the system grows, the existing system is required to upgrade the system to reduce the interrogation. It is shown that ADS-B meets the performance requirements of both air-to-ground and air-to-air requirements to effectively warn flight crews of conflicts.

one future direction is developing an efficient avoidance maneuver and verifying overall systems performance from an operating perspective.

Future work and conclusion

[1] NextGen Implementation Plan, FAA, 2011, http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/ media/NextGen Implementation Plan 2011.pdf. [2] E. A. Lester and R. J. Hansman, “Benefits and Incentives for ADS-B Equipage in the National Airspace System,” MIT, Tech. Rep., 2007. [3] Minimum Aviation System Performance Standard for Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), RTCA, 2002, DO-242A. [4] Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System/Mode Select (ATCRBS/Mode S) Airborne Equipment, RTCA, 1999, DO-181B. [5] J. Baker, V. Orlando, W. Link, and W. Collins, “Mode S System Design and Architecture,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 77, no. 11, pp. 1684 –1694, 1989. [6] J. K. Kuchar and A. C. Drumm, “The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System,” Lincoln Laboratory Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 277–296, 2007. [7] Minimum Operational Performance Standards for 1090 MHz Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), RTCA, 2000, DO-260. [8] Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, RTCA, 2004, DO-282A. [9] 1090 MHz Extended Squitter Assessment Report, FAA and EUROCONTROL, 2002. [10] W. H. Harman and M. J. Brennan, “Beacon Radar and TCAS interrogation Rates: Airborne Measurements in the 1030 MHz Band,” MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Tech. Rep., 1996, Project Report ATC-239.

References :

[11] ——, “Beacon Radar and TCAS Reply Rates: Airborne Measurements in the 1090 MHz Band,” MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Tech. Rep., 1997, Project Report ATC-256. [12] D. Bernays, S. Thompson, and W. Harman, “Measurements of ADSB Extended Squitter performance in the Los Angeles basin region,” in IEEE/AIAA DASC, 2000. [13] EUROCONTROL ADS Programme High-Density 2015 European Traffic Distributions for Simulation, EUROCONTROL, 1999. [14] N. McFarlane, “ADS-B Datalink Analysis:1090 MHz ES in the 2015 Core Europe Scenario,” Helios Technology Ltd, Tech. Rep., 2002. [15] ADS-B Technical Link Assessment Team (TLAT) Technical Link Assessment Report, EUROCONTROL, 2001, http://www.mitrecaasd.org/. [16] MITRE Corporation center for advanced aviation system development (CAASD), MITRE, http://www.mitrecaasd.org/. [17] K. Bilimoria, B. Sridhar, G. Chatterji, K. Seth, and S. Graabe, “FACET: Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool,” in USA/Europe Air Traffic Management R&D Seminar, 2001. [18] Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM), Federal Aviation Administration. [Online]. Available: http://aspm.faa.gov [19] S. D. Thompson, J. W. Andrews, G. S. Harris, and K. A. Sinclair, “Required Surveillance Performance Accuracy to Support 3-mile and 5-mile Separation in the National Airspace System,” MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Tech. Rep., 2006, Project Report ATC-323.