Publications

Refine Results

(Filters Applied) Clear All

Tagged As

Zoom antenna

February 12, 1980
  |
Project Report
Author:
Jean-Claude Sureau
Published in:
Project Report ATC-90, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Topic:
radar
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

In current ATC radars, high altitude targets are at a disadvantage when competing with low altitude undesired returns such as ground clutter and birds. The "zoom antenna" technique is proposed as a means of virtually eliminating this problem. An implementation based on control of multiple elevation beams during each range sweep interval is recommended as applicable to both S-band and L-band ATC radars.
READ LESS

Summary

In current ATC radars, high altitude targets are at a disadvantage when competing with low altitude undesired returns such as ground clutter and birds. The "zoom antenna" technique is proposed as a means of virtually eliminating this problem. An implementation based on control of multiple elevation beams during each range...

READ MORE
Zoom antenna

DABS installation and siting criteria

January 29, 1980
  |
Project Report
Author:
Ronald G. Sandholm
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-99
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

This paper provides information on site-associated phenomena that affect the proper operation of a DABS sensor and therefore warrant serious consideration when siting a radar. The DABS-related discussion is intended to be a supplement to the ATCRBS siting criteria presented in the FAA Primary/Secondary Terminal Radar Siting Handbook. The paper discusses siting criteria as they relate to the DABS sensor antenna system, as opposed to the ATCRBS hogtrough antenna, and importantly, addresses those characteristics of the surrounding environment that are crucial to proper DABS/ATARS surveillance.
READ LESS

Summary

This paper provides information on site-associated phenomena that affect the proper operation of a DABS sensor and therefore warrant serious consideration when siting a radar. The DABS-related discussion is intended to be a supplement to the ATCRBS siting criteria presented in the FAA Primary/Secondary Terminal Radar Siting Handbook. The paper...

READ MORE
DABS installation and siting criteria

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) volume 1: principles of operation

March 22, 1979
  |
Project Report
Author:
Michael Goon
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-87,I
Topic:
simulation
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) makes possible the performance assessment of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor under its specified maximum aircraft load. To do this ARIES operates upon a taped traffic model to generate simulated aircraft replies and fruit, feeding them to the sensor at RF. Support documentation for ARIES, of which this is the first volume, consists of: Volume 1: Principles of Operation Volume 2: Appendices to the Principles of Operation Volume 3: Programmer's Manual The Principles of Operation details the operation of ARIES hardware and software. Descriptive information, supported by block diagrams, simplified schematic diagrams and flow diagrams, is provided sufficient to permit a thorough understanding of ARIES operation.
READ LESS

Summary

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) makes possible the performance assessment of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor under its specified maximum aircraft load. To do this ARIES operates upon a taped traffic model to generate simulated aircraft replies and fruit, feeding them to the sensor at...

READ MORE
The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) volume 1: principles of operation

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) volume 3: programmer's manual

March 22, 1979
  |
Project Report
Author:
Michael Goon
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-87,III
Topic:
air traffic control
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) makes possible the performance assessment of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor under its specified maximum aircraft load. To do this ARIES operates upon a taped traffic model to generate simulated aircraft replies and fruit, feeding them to the sensor at RF. Support documentation for ARIES, of which this is the second volume, consists of: Volume 1: Principles of Operation Volume 2: Appendices to the Principles of Operation Volume 3: Programmer's Manual The ARIES Programmer's Manual describes the operation, signal formats and protocols of the Lincoln Laboratory built input/output devices controlled by the Eclipse computer. The descriptions are primarily concerned with the logic of the interface boards that reside in the computer chassis and the formats of the words transferred to and from the computer. The logic of the devices themselves is described only to the extent necessary to understand the interface protocols and data formats.
READ LESS

Summary

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) makes possible the performance assessment of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor under its specified maximum aircraft load. To do this ARIES operates upon a taped traffic model to generate simulated aircraft replies and fruit, feeding them to the sensor at...

READ MORE
The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) volume 3: programmer's manual

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES), volume 2: appendices to the principles of operation

March 22, 1979
  |
Project Report
Author:
Michael Goon
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-87,II
Topic:
simulation
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) makes possible the performance assessment of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor under its specified maximum aircraft load. To do this ARIES operates upon a taped traffic model to generate simulated aircraft replies and fruit, feeding them to the sensor at RF. Support documentation for ARIES, of which this is the second volume, consists of: Volume 1: Principles of Operation Volume 2: Appendices to the Principles of Operation Volume 3: Programmer's Manual The Appendices to the Principles of Operation is comprised of a set of technical articles providing (a) explanations of design and programming aspects of the ARIES system not covered in the main volume, (b) detailed data format and data structure definitions, (c) detailed explanations of the meaning of ARIES error messages, and (d) an analysis of certain effects to be expected when more than one ARIES simulator are interconnected.
READ LESS

Summary

The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES) makes possible the performance assessment of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor under its specified maximum aircraft load. To do this ARIES operates upon a taped traffic model to generate simulated aircraft replies and fruit, feeding them to the sensor at...

READ MORE
The Aircraft Reply and Interference Environment Simulator (ARIES), volume 2: appendices to the principles of operation

Uplink ATCRBS environment measurements along the Boston-Washington corridor, volume 2: interrogator characteristics

February 28, 1979
  |
Project Report
Author:
Ferenc Nagy Jr
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-83,II
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Airborne measurements of the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) 1030 MHz uplink environment due to ATC ground interrogators are described. The measurements were made using a special purpose airborne sensor-recorder during a flight from Boston to Washington (at 8500 feet) and back (at 17,500 feet) on 16 December 1977. Data were recorded at 24 locations between Boston and Washington. Volume 1 of this report summarized the measured distributions of pulse, interrogation, and suppression rates with received power. This volume presents specific characteristics of the sources of the interrogations observed from the air dUring this flight. These characteristics include the identities of 46 of the interrogators, the approximate locations of 22 unidentified interrogators, the interrogation repetition interval (PRI), scan period, and mode interlace of all interrogators, and the radiated P1, P2, and P3 levels in the form of antenna patterns for six selected interrogators. It was found that approximately 40% of the interrogators employ the standard AAC or 2ACA mode interlaces while 20% transmit no Mode C interrogations. The distributions of PRI's and scan periods were found to be relatively free of bunching which would cause undesired synchronization effects. The antenna plots measured from the air show relatively large scan to scan variations due to aircraft motion. In addition, some of the interrogator sites were found to suffer from reflections and sidelobe punch-through effects.
READ LESS

Summary

Airborne measurements of the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) 1030 MHz uplink environment due to ATC ground interrogators are described. The measurements were made using a special purpose airborne sensor-recorder during a flight from Boston to Washington (at 8500 feet) and back (at 17,500 feet) on 16 December...

READ MORE
Uplink ATCRBS environment measurements along the Boston-Washington corridor, volume 2: interrogator characteristics

Uplink ATCRBS environment measurements along the Boston-Washington Corridor, volume 1: the RF environment

June 27, 1978
  |
Project Report
Author:
Ferenc Nagy Jr
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-83,I
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Airborne measurements of the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) 1030 MHz uplink environment due to ATC ground interrogators are described. The measurements were made using a special purpose airborne sensor-recorder during a flight from Boston to Washington (at 8500 feet) and back (at 17,500 feet) on 16 December 1977. Data were recorded at 24 locations between Boston and Washington and processed to obtain distributions of pulse, interrogation, and suppression rates with received power. The most numerous contributors to the uplink pulse environment are omnidirectionally radiated suppression pulses. The overall average suppression rate is approximately 600 per second. The suppression rate is relatively independent of altitude but there are wide variations in the suppression rate from one location to another. Interrogation rates increase with altitude but do not vary significantly from location to location except near interrogators without sidelobe suppression. The overall average rate of receipt of Mode A plus Mode C interrogations is approximately 75 per second at an altiude of 8500 feet and 100 per second at an altitude of 17,500 feet.
READ LESS

Summary

Airborne measurements of the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) 1030 MHz uplink environment due to ATC ground interrogators are described. The measurements were made using a special purpose airborne sensor-recorder during a flight from Boston to Washington (at 8500 feet) and back (at 17,500 feet) on 16 December...

READ MORE
Uplink ATCRBS environment measurements along the Boston-Washington Corridor, volume 1: the RF environment

Uplink coverage measurements in the Los Angeles Area for passive BCAS

November 7, 1977
  |
Project Report
Author:
Ferenc Nagy Jr
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-81
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Uplink (1030 MHz) measurement results are presented, based on data recorded by the Airborne Measurement Facility of the M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory during normal landings and take-offs at the LAX, Van Nuys, and San Diego airports. The data presented are relevant to current investigations of passive beacon-based collision avoidance systems and include: (1) the interrogator environment as received; (2) its division between FAA and other interrogators; (3) its dependence on aircraft height during landings and take-offs; and (4) the availability of P2 pulses of sufficient strength for PRF (pulse repetition frequency) tracking. The number of interrogators was found to increase with the aircraft height at the rate of 2.5 to 3 interrogators per 1000 ft. P2 pulse tracking appears to be feasible down to 2000 ft. at LAX, and lower at San Diego.
READ LESS

Summary

Uplink (1030 MHz) measurement results are presented, based on data recorded by the Airborne Measurement Facility of the M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory during normal landings and take-offs at the LAX, Van Nuys, and San Diego airports. The data presented are relevant to current investigations of passive beacon-based collision avoidance systems and...

READ MORE
Uplink coverage measurements in the Los Angeles Area for passive BCAS

A hardware implementation of the ATCRBS reply processor used in DABS

September 19, 1977
  |
Project Report
Author:
Richard G. Nelson
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-78
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A special-purpose digital hardware processor, which implements the ATCRBS Reply Processing algorithms designed for use in the Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) has been developed and used in two DABS-related programs. This report gives a detailed functional description of this processor as implemented by Lincoln Laboratory. With minor modifications it could serve as the ATCRBS Reply Processor for a Beacon Collision Avoidance System.
READ LESS

Summary

A special-purpose digital hardware processor, which implements the ATCRBS Reply Processing algorithms designed for use in the Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) has been developed and used in two DABS-related programs. This report gives a detailed functional description of this processor as implemented by Lincoln Laboratory. With minor modifications it...

READ MORE
A hardware implementation of the ATCRBS reply processor used in DABS

Radar detection of thunderstorm hazards for air traffic control volume II: radar systems

October 7, 1976
  |
Project Report
Author:
Steven M. Sussman
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-67,II
Topic:
weather
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Radar systems are investigated for the acquisition of weather data to support detection and forecasting of hazardous turbulence associated with individual storm cells. Utilization of the FAA Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) is explored. The issues of antenna polarization and Sensitivity Time Control (STG) that impact on shared operation for aircraft and weather detection are addressed. Candidate system configurations employing a common RF channel and dual orthogonal polarization channels are discussed. Ground clutter discrimination by coherent Doppler and noncoherent (Doppler spread) processing methods is described. An interim procedure is suggested for obtaining fixed reflectivity contour data from a Moving Target Detector for use in the all-digital ARTS. A preliminary design is presented for a new joint-use, long-range weather radar to support enroute air traffic controllers and to meet the data requirements of the National Weather Service and the Air Weather Service.
READ LESS

Summary

Radar systems are investigated for the acquisition of weather data to support detection and forecasting of hazardous turbulence associated with individual storm cells. Utilization of the FAA Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) is explored. The issues of antenna polarization and Sensitivity Time Control (STG) that impact on shared operation for aircraft...

READ MORE
Radar detection of thunderstorm hazards for air traffic control volume II: radar systems
31-40 of 66