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IPC design validation and flight testing final report

March 31, 1978
  |
Project Report
Author:
John W. Andrews
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-85
Topic:
air traffic control
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A series of flight tests were conducted to evaluate the collision avoidance system known as Intermittent Positive Control (subsequently re-named Automatic Traffic Advisory and Resolution Service, ATARS). These tests involved both professional test pilots and subject pilots selected from the aviation community. This report includes analysis of the collision avoidance algorithm, pilot visual acquisition performance, and pilot reaction to avoidance instructions.
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Summary

A series of flight tests were conducted to evaluate the collision avoidance system known as Intermittent Positive Control (subsequently re-named Automatic Traffic Advisory and Resolution Service, ATARS). These tests involved both professional test pilots and subject pilots selected from the aviation community. This report includes analysis of the collision avoidance...

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IPC design validation and flight testing final report

Simulation of surveillance and processing algorithms proposed for the DABS mode of BCAS

February 16, 1978
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Project Report
Author:
Patricia H. Mann
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-82
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Surveillance Processing Algorithms for the DABS Mode of BCAS have been implemented in software for the non-real time processing of air-to-air link data. The data to be processed may be either AMF recorded air-to-air data, or data derived from simulated flight encounters. Examples of simulation trials for a specific collision encounter are presented with illustrate the impact of increased ATCRBS fruit levels upon the performance of the surveillance processor. This document also provides detailed definitions of the surveillance processing algorithms.
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Summary

Surveillance Processing Algorithms for the DABS Mode of BCAS have been implemented in software for the non-real time processing of air-to-air link data. The data to be processed may be either AMF recorded air-to-air data, or data derived from simulated flight encounters. Examples of simulation trials for a specific collision...

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Simulation of surveillance and processing algorithms proposed for the DABS mode of BCAS

Automating radars for air traffic control

February 2, 1978
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Conference Paper
Author:
Charles E. Muehe
…
Published in:
Electronic Show and Convention, Electro, Boston, MA, 23-25 March 1978.
Topic:
air traffic control
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Developments in digital signal processing over the past few years have improved the detection and false alarm properties of air surveillance radars to such an extent that automatic radar tracking of all aircraft within the radar's coverage volume has become a reality. This paper derives the radar requirements to support tracking in a fully automated air traffic control system.
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Summary

Developments in digital signal processing over the past few years have improved the detection and false alarm properties of air surveillance radars to such an extent that automatic radar tracking of all aircraft within the radar's coverage volume has become a reality. This paper derives the radar requirements to support...

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Automating radars for air traffic control

Verification of DABS sensor surveillance performance (ATCRBS Mode) at typical ASR sites throughout CONUS

December 20, 1977
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Project Report
Author:
Walter I. Wells
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-79
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A Transportable Measurement Facility (TMF) incorporating antenna, r-f, and reply processing elements of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor has been sited at, and in the vicinity of, several FAA terminal ASR's throughout the United States. Data collected at these sites have been thoroughly analyzed to verify the design of the DABS sensor and to establish the need for design refinements. This report presents the results that pertain to DABS and ATCRBS Mode range and azimuth accuracy and to the total ATCRBS Mode reply processing performance, It is shown that both range and azimuth accuracies for the DABS sensor are a factor of four to five better than those provided by existing ARTS (BI-4) interrogators, and that the average blip/scan ratio is 98% or better, dropping only a few percentage points in crossing track situations.
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Summary

A Transportable Measurement Facility (TMF) incorporating antenna, r-f, and reply processing elements of a Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS) sensor has been sited at, and in the vicinity of, several FAA terminal ASR's throughout the United States. Data collected at these sites have been thoroughly analyzed to verify the design...

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Verification of DABS sensor surveillance performance (ATCRBS Mode) at typical ASR sites throughout CONUS

Uplink coverage measurements in the Los Angeles Area for passive BCAS

November 7, 1977
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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.
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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...

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Uplink coverage measurements in the Los Angeles Area for passive BCAS

Proposed technical characteristics for the Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS)

September 30, 1977
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Project Report
Author:
Jerry D. Welch
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-71
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

This report parallels the Proposed U. S. National Aviation Standard for the Discrete Address Beacon System. However, in addition to the material contained in the Proposed Standard this document provides a more detailed performance specification for the DABS transponder including specifications on transponder receiver sensitivity and performance in interference. It includes specifications for a proposed digital datalink interface and defines message and control fields associated with experimental transponder data applications. It also includes guidance material on the performance of an optional transponder antenna diversity scheme.
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Summary

This report parallels the Proposed U. S. National Aviation Standard for the Discrete Address Beacon System. However, in addition to the material contained in the Proposed Standard this document provides a more detailed performance specification for the DABS transponder including specifications on transponder receiver sensitivity and performance in interference. It...

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Proposed technical characteristics for the Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS)

A hardware implementation of the ATCRBS reply processor used in DABS

September 19, 1977
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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.
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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...

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A hardware implementation of the ATCRBS reply processor used in DABS

L-Band air-to-air multipath measurements

September 6, 1977
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Project Report
Author:
Albert R. Paradis
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-77
Topic:
L-band
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A series of air-to-air earth-scattered L-Band multipath measurements are described and experimental results presented. During these measurements RF pulses were transmitted between two instrumented general aviation aircraft flying coaltitude, diverging paths over a variety of terrain and water surfaces. Multipath data was collected over grazing angles ranging from ~5?? to ~75??. The objectives of these measurements were the: 1. Characterization of the multipath environment in which beacon based airborne collision avoidance (BCAS) equipment would operate. 2. Investigation of the merits and limitations of various degrees of antenna diversity in the rejection of multipath.
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Summary

A series of air-to-air earth-scattered L-Band multipath measurements are described and experimental results presented. During these measurements RF pulses were transmitted between two instrumented general aviation aircraft flying coaltitude, diverging paths over a variety of terrain and water surfaces. Multipath data was collected over grazing angles ranging from ~5?? to...

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L-Band air-to-air multipath measurements

Interferometer design for elevation angle estimation

August 21, 1977
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Journal Article
Author:
Robert J. McAulay
Published in:
IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst., Vol. AES-13, No. 5, September 1977, pp. 486-503.
Topic:
air traffic control
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Radars that are developed for the purpose of monitoring aircraft landings in the terminal air traffic control system can be designed to exploit the relatively high signal-to-noise ratio that characterizes the power budgets calculated for such a link. An interferometer using a pair of low gain antennas can be used to obtain passive coverage over a target azimuth and elevation sector. A large baseline can be used to obtain the desired elevation angle estimation accuracy. In this paper an optimal tradeoff between the width of the subarray aperture and the width of the interferometer baseline is performed that achieves a specified elevation angle estimation error while minimizing the overall height of the interferometer configuration. The algorithm searches through the class of antenna patterns that can be synthesized from so-called finite impulse response, linear phase digital filters. For the specific problem of designing an elevation sensor for monitoring landing aircraft on final approach, the elevation angle can be estimated with no more than 1-mrad rms error when the aircraft is within 60 azimuth, 2.5 to 40 elevation, using two 7-wavelength subarray antennas spaced 8 wave-lengths apart. The design of a separate sensor for resolving the interferometer ambiguities is formulated as a hypothesis testing problem and solved using statistical decision theory. A bound on the probability of an ambiguity error is derived that accounts for the effects of ground reflection multipath and receiver noise.
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Summary

Radars that are developed for the purpose of monitoring aircraft landings in the terminal air traffic control system can be designed to exploit the relatively high signal-to-noise ratio that characterizes the power budgets calculated for such a link. An interferometer using a pair of low gain antennas can be used...

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Interferometer design for elevation angle estimation

DABS coverage

August 16, 1977
  |
Project Report
Author:
Steven I. Krich
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-75
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

DABS sensors are to be installed at FAA ASR and ARSR sites throughout continental U.S. as a part of the evolutionary upgrading of the third generation ATC Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS). It is therefore important to establish: (1) the degree of 3D coverage which would be provided by such deployment; and (2) a reasonable balance between number of installations, sensor maximum range, and coverage. This paper reports on a coverage study in which DABS coverage within CONUS was projected on a statistical or "percent coverage" basis by purely geometrical considerations. Results are given for CONUS, the eastern half of the U.S., and for the Golden Triangle. Profile coverage ("line-of-sight coverage down to...") is given for the Boston-NYC-Washington corridor.
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Summary

DABS sensors are to be installed at FAA ASR and ARSR sites throughout continental U.S. as a part of the evolutionary upgrading of the third generation ATC Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS). It is therefore important to establish: (1) the degree of 3D coverage which would be provided by such deployment...

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DABS coverage
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