Transcript NEXCOM VDL3 Radio System

Next Generation Air/Ground Communications
(NEXCOM) Program
Presented to
Airborne Internet Collaboration Group
Reston VA
April 17, 2003
Dieter Thigpen
Integrated Product Team for Communications
Federal Aviation Administration
What is NEXCOM?
Next Generation Air/Ground Communications
• FAA’s program to modernize and improve VHF
air/ground communications in the National Airspace
System (NAS)
– Fundamental change from analog to digital technology
• VHF Digital Link Mode 3 (VDL-3)
–
–
–
–
Time Division Multiple Access Technology
Maintains current 25 kHz frequency separation, but
Provides 4 non-interfering channels on 1 frequency
All channels suitable for voice or data
– Operates in the 118-137 MHz band allocated for Air Traffic
use
• Impacts both ground and airborne elements of the
NAS
2
National Airspace System (NAS)
Transition to Digital Communications
5-10 years
Next 5 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
Enroute High Airspace
Dem/Val
VDL-3
Link
RCAG
Analog
Voice
ARTCC
AFSS
National Airspace
Terminal
Airspace
• Analog Voice, 25 KHz
• Full Operational Evaluation
& Exercise of Digital Voice
and Datalink (VDL-3)
• Maintain Terminal
Analog Voice
• Expand Enroute
Digital Voice (VDL-3)
• Expand Digital Voice
(VDL-3) to all domains
• Implement VDL-3
Digital Voice
• Initiate Terminal
Digital Voice (VDL-3)
• Expand Datalink Capacity
in all domains
and all applications
(VDL-3)
• Increase Datalink Capacity
& Capability (VDL-3)
3
NAS Air/Ground Communications
Infrastructure Components
720 BUECs
Back up Emergency
Communications
346
Airport
Towers
1422 RTRs
Remote Transmitter
Receiver
793 RCAGs
Remote
Communications
Air/Ground
175 TRACONs
Terminal Radar Approach
Control
21 ARTCCs & 3 CERAPs
Air Route Traffic Control Center,
Combined Center Radar Approach Control
1854 RCOs
61 AFSSs, 14 FSSs
Automated Flight Service Stations,
Flight Service Stations
Remote
Communicatio
ns Outlet
• VHF and UHF ATC bands
• Approximately 10,000 VHF
assignments
• Approximately 50,000 VHF &
UHF TX, RX & TCVRs
• Dedicated networks for each
operational environment
• Limited restoral capabilities
• Limited remote maintenance
4
capability
National Airspace System
Environments
From when
aircraft
returns to
12,000 ft
As long as
aircraft is below
10,000 ft
Terminal: Destination
RCFs
RCFs
AFSS
Terminal Environment
RCFs
Terminal Environment
RCFs
RCFs
Typical System Handoff:
RCFs
Preflight into Departure:
Tower hands off to TRACON; TRACON
hands off to En Route System.
Departure, En Route, Descent
into Approach: ARTCCs, AFSSs
and Remote Comm Facilities (RCAG,
RCO, RTR, BUEC) hand off to each
other and eventually back to a TRACON.
That Approach TRACON will handoff to 5
the destination Tower.
NEXCOM
Acquisition Program Elements
Multimode Digital Radio
Ground System
VHF T/R
GNI
Analog & digital
Avionics
Analog & digital
RIU
Digital capability for
voice and data
System Demo Program
NEXCOM architecture &
commercial avionics
6
NEXCOM
Acquisition Program Elements
Multimode Digital Radio (MDR)
• Compatible with today’s radios
–
–
–
–
Double Side Band-AM 25 kHz
8.33 kHz
VDL Mode3
Interfaces to the future NEXCOM Ground System
• Replaces current NAS ITT & Motorola CM200 radios
– Initial use is replacement of aging radio infrastructure
• Contract Awarded July 01 to ITT; Base Year with 9 Options
• Operational testing at Key Site complete Fall 02
• Further operational testing at second key site Fall 03
• Radio deployment begins early 2004
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NEXCOM
Acquisition Program Elements
Ground System Segment
• Components
Radio
Ground Interface
Network
Unit
Interface
VHF T/R
• Radio Interface Unit (RIU)
– Provides capability for digital communications
• Ground Network Interface (GNI)
– Provides connectivity for voice switches
• Two-Phase Development
• Rapid Preliminary Development Effort (RPDE) (Mar 02-Dec 04)
– ITT and Harris Teams selected as vendors in Feb 03
• Full Scale Development Program (FSDP) (Jan 05-Dec 07)
– Only RPDE vendors compete
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NEXCOM
Acquisition Program Elements
Avionics
• Components
• Multimode VHF radio
• Radio Control Panel
• Communications Management Unit (optional)
• FAA/Manufacturer Agreements signed Dec 01
• Rockwell Collins, Honeywell – airlines
• Avidyne – general aviation
• Pending agreement – business jets
• Agreements include cost sharing and payable events
• Pre-production models to be used in System Demo II
(Fall 03)
• Goal is certified avionics commercially available in
2005
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NEXCOM
Acquisition Program Elements
System Demonstration Program
• Series of three demonstrations
– Fall 02, Fall 03 at FAA Tech Center
• Demo 1 was very successful
• Participants included NATCA controllers and pilots
– Fall 04 at an operational site
• Objectives
– Fall 02: VDL Mode 3 Technology viability
– Fall 03: NEXCOM Architecture feasibility
• Vendors provide pre-production avionics
– Fall 04: Operational suitability
• Commercial avionics
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NEXCOM Schedule
2001
2002
System Demo
Program
Multimode
Digital
Radio 7/01
Contract
Award
Ground
System
10/01
Sys Reqs
Doc
Avionics
10/01 12/01
MOPS GIAs
2003
2004
10/02
System
Demo I
10/03
System
Demo II
2005
2006
2007 2008 2009
10/04
Operational
Demo
MDR deployment
04/04
Begin
Deployment
8-11/02
Ops
Testing
Validation & Inter-Operability
Tests
2/03
RPDE
Contract Awards
10/02
Strawman
Characteristics
Complete
9/03
AEEC
Approved
Char.
3/04
8/04
Notice of
Certified
Availability Aircraft
TSO
07-12 Implementation
1/05
Full Scale Dev 10/07
Contract Award Keysite
01/10
Operational
6/05-12/09 Aircraft equip
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Back Up Slides
Technical Slides
12
Spectrum Requirements Growth
25
Historically, circuit growth
Averages 4% per year.
Circuits (1000s)
20
Growth in
A/G Circuit
Demand
Increasing cost/difficulty of
placing new circuits
reduces growth rate
Reduced growth rate
implies less-efficient NAS.
# Deployed
A/G Circuits
15
23 spectrum
recovery
initiatives
(ASR)
10
5
1998
Unsatisfied Demand
Reduces NAS Efficiency
Increasing Cost and Difficulty of
Provisioning New Circuits
2003
2008
2013
2018
2023
2028
Year
• Growth in channel demand is based on # of flights, not passenger growth
• Channel demand must meet peak flight period demand, not average demand
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Typical TDMA Frame Format
Configurations
Discrete Addressed Voice
and Data
Voice Only
TDMA Frame 120 ms
A
B
C
D
User Groups
Supported
Services to
Each Group
4V
Voice
Voice
Voice
Voice
4
Dedicated Voice
Only
3V1D
Voice
Voice
Voice
Data
3
Dedicated Voice
w/Shared Data Slot
2V2D
Voice
Voice
Data
Data
2
Dedicated Voice
and Data
3T
*
Voice/
Data
Voice/
Data
Voice/
Data
N/A
Demand Assigned
Voice and Data
(Trunked)
* Slot devoted entirely as Management Subchannel
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VDL-3 Channel Structure
4-slot Configurations
TDMA Frame (120 ms)
Time slot
A
Time slot
B
Management
Subchannel
Time slot
C
Time slot
D
Voice/Data
Subchannel
30 ms slot
= 120 ms “TDMA frame” is the fundamental timing
framework
= Each slot contains two independent “bursts”
= M bursts are used for channel management; while V/D
bursts are used for voice or data transfers
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NEXCOM
VDL 3 CHARACTERISTICS
•
•
•
•
Frequency range
Channelization
Channel structure
Radio range*
• Symbol rate
• Modulation
(D8PSK)
• Access technique
• Voice encoding
• Data
118–137 MHz
25 kHz centers
Same frequency for uplink and downlink
200 nmi for 4-slot configurations
600 nmi for 3-slot configurations
10.5 kbaud (3 bits /symbol)
Differential 8-ary Phase Shift Keying
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
4.8 kbps (Normal Voice)
4.0 kbps encoding (Truncated Voice)
Functionally simultaneous with voice
* Range takes into consideration of propagation delay and timing errors of the
aircraft radios only
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Summary
• The NEXCOM system is currently under development and
projected Initial Operational Capability by end of 2009.
• NEXCOM is implementing a Command and Control Link (CCL).
(There is no requirement to deliver wide bandwidth applications)
• Internet Protocol (IP) would require international (International
Civil Aviation Organization) and national (Radio Technical
Commission for Aeronautics Inc.) certification for use as an Air
Traffic Control CCL.
• VDL Mode 3 has operated with Internet Protocol (IPv4) using
the CLNP (ConnectionLess Network Protocol) interface at the
WJHTC. FAA has not validated IPv4.
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Acronyms
AEEC
ARTCC
ASP
BUEC
CA
CERAP
CSMA
DLAP
FAT
FSDP
GNI
ICAO
IOC
IPP
ISD
JRC
MDR
MOPS
Airlines Electronics Engineering Committee
Air Route Traffic Control Center
Acquisition Strategy Paper
Back Up Emergency Communications
Contract Award
Combined Center Radar Approach Control
Carrier Sense Multiple Access
Data Link Application Processor
Factory Acceptance Test
Full Scale Development Program
Ground Network Interface
International Civil Aviation Organization
Initial Operational Capability
Integrated Program Plan
In-Service Decision
Joint Resource Council
Multi-Mode Digital Radio
Minimum Operational Performance Standards
NOA
NPRM
OEP
OTA
RCAG
RCO
RTR
RPDE
RIU
SAT
SC
SIR
SRD
STC
TDMA
TSO
TSOA
VDL
Notice of Availability
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
Operational Evolution Plan
Other Transaction Authority
Remote Communications Air/Ground
Remote Communications Outlet
Remote Transmitter Receiver
Rapid Preliminary Development Effort
Radio Interface Unit
Site Acceptance Test
Special Committee
Screening Information Request
System Requirements Document
Supplemental Type Certificate
Time Division Multiple Access
Technical Standard Order
Technical Standard Order Authorization
VHF Digital Link
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