Summary
BCAS is a DABS-based airborne collision avoidance system that exploits the feature of DABS discrete addressing and integral data link. This provides for a CAS with the unique capabilities of (1) cooperative threat resolution between BCAS and conflicting aircraft through the transmission of maneuver intent (to DABS-only aircraft) and tie breaking (with other BCAS aircraft) and (2) coordination of CAS activities with the ground ATC control function through the DABS air-ground-air data link. All beacon-equipped aircraft in the vicinity of the BCAS are detected. ATCRBS-equipped aircraft are interrogated using a special Mode C interrogation. DABS aircraft are detected passively through periodic squitters emitted by all DABS transponders. Squitter-detected aircraft are tracked on altitude and only those aircraft that represent a co-altitude threat are discretely interrogated to establish a range/altitude track. The use of discrete addressing eliminates synchronous garble for the BCAS in the same manner as for DABS. This document provides a general description of BCAS from the viewpoint of its operational features and then describes the avionics package required to achieve the capability.