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Six-sector antenna for the GPS-squitter en-route ground station

May 31, 1996
  |
Project Report
Author:
Michael L. Burrows
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-248
Topic:
GPS
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Summary: A six-sector antenna for a pole-mounted GPS-Squitter en-route ground station was designed, built, and tested. The fan beam of each of the six sectors of the antenna covers a 60- degree azimuthal sector. Together, the six uniformly-spaced, contiguous 60-degree sectors cover the complete 360 degrees of azimuth at the two Mode S frequencies, 1030 and 1090 MHz. When equipped with its receivers, the antenna achieves a maximum operational squitter reception range in excess of 200nmi. Physically, the antenna consists of six vertical 12-element linear arrays spaced uniformly round the circumference of an imaginary vertical circular cylinder and lying parallel to its axis. Six reflectors in the form of parabolic cylinders are mounted behind the linear arrays, one per array, to define the six separate sector beams. The complete radome-enclosed assembly is a cylinder eight feet tall and 23 inches in diameter. It weighs 250 pounds.
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Summary

Summary: A six-sector antenna for a pole-mounted GPS-Squitter en-route ground station was designed, built, and tested. The fan beam of each of the six sectors of the antenna covers a 60- degree azimuthal sector. Together, the six uniformly-spaced, contiguous 60-degree sectors cover the complete 360 degrees of azimuth at the...

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Six-sector antenna for the GPS-squitter en-route ground station

Beacon radar and TCAS interrogation rates: airborne measurements in the 1030 MHz band

May 2, 1996
  |
Project Report
Author:
William H. Harman III
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-239
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Airborne measurements were made of the rates of beacon-radar interrogations and suppressions in the 1030 MHz band. These measurements were undertaken in order to provide a basis for interference analysis of the proposed system of GPS-Squitter. The measurements were made during a flight along the East Coast, including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. Measurements were also made at Atlanta and in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Results were given in a form that shows the rates of interrogations and suppressions as a function of time and location of the aircraft. Interrogations are also separated into those that were transmitted by ground-based interrogators and those that were transmitted by airborne TCAS equipment. Mode S interrogations were also separated from other modes. The number of TCAS aircraft in the vicinity was also measured during the flights. The results indicate that the rates of interrogations and suppressions were consistent in most respects from location to location. The rates Mode A and C interrogations from the ground were consistently less than 100 per second with two brief exceptions. Previous measurements had indicated a trend of decreasing interrogation rates with time since the early 1970's. The new measurements support this observation and indicate that the trend has continued.
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Summary

Airborne measurements were made of the rates of beacon-radar interrogations and suppressions in the 1030 MHz band. These measurements were undertaken in order to provide a basis for interference analysis of the proposed system of GPS-Squitter. The measurements were made during a flight along the East Coast, including New York...

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Beacon radar and TCAS interrogation rates: airborne measurements in the 1030 MHz band

GPS antenna multipath rejection performance

August 7, 1995
  |
Project Report
Author:
Anne-Marie Dinius
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-238
Topic:
GPS
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A GPS antenna multipath rejection performance evaluation was conducted at Lincoln Laboratory. Ground reference station antennas and aviation patches were tested for their ability to reject a muitipath signal. Different types of ground plane structures were used such as choke rings, ground planes, and mock sections of fuselage. Frequencies transmitted were L1 (1575 MHz), L2 (1227 MHz), and the median GLONASS frequency (1609 MHz ). Receive amplitude and phase were measured on each antenna. Subsequently, these data were converted to absoIute gain for a right-hand and Ieft- hand circularly polarized signal as a function of satellitte elevation angle. (Not Complete)
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Summary

A GPS antenna multipath rejection performance evaluation was conducted at Lincoln Laboratory. Ground reference station antennas and aviation patches were tested for their ability to reject a muitipath signal. Different types of ground plane structures were used such as choke rings, ground planes, and mock sections of fuselage. Frequencies transmitted...

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GPS antenna multipath rejection performance

Automatic dependent surveillance broadcast via GPS-squitter: a major upgrade to the National Airspace System

April 18, 1995
  |
Conference Paper
Author:
Ronnie D. Jones
…
Published in:
SPIE, Vol. 2464, Air Traffic Control Technologies, 18-19 April 1995, pp. 2-13.
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

GPS-Squitter is a technology for Surveillance of aircraft via broadcast of their GPS-determined positions to all listeners, using the Mode S data link. It can be used to provide traffic displays, on the ground for controllers and in the cockpit for pilots, and will enhance TCAS performance. It is compatible with the existing ground-based beacon interrogator radar system and is an evolutionary way to move from ground-based-radar surveillance to satellite-based surveillance. GPS-Squitter takes advantage of the substantial investment made by the U.S. in the powerful GPS position-determining system and has the potential to free the Federal Aviation Administration from having to continue maintaining a precise position-determining capability in ground-based radar. This would permit phasing out the ground-based secondary surveillance radar system over a period of 10 to 20 years and replacing it with much simpler ground stations, resulting in cost savings of hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Summary

GPS-Squitter is a technology for Surveillance of aircraft via broadcast of their GPS-determined positions to all listeners, using the Mode S data link. It can be used to provide traffic displays, on the ground for controllers and in the cockpit for pilots, and will enhance TCAS performance. It is compatible...

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Automatic dependent surveillance broadcast via GPS-squitter: a major upgrade to the National Airspace System

GPS-squitter experimental results

October 30, 1994
  |
Conference Paper
Author:
Robert E. Boisvert
…
Published in:
13th AIAA/IEEE Digital Avionics Systems Conf., 30 October - 3 November 1994, pp. 521-527.
Topic:
airborne surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

GPS-Squitter is a system concept that merges the capabilities of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) and the Mode S beacon radar. The result is an integrated concept for seamless surveillance and data link that permits equipped aircraft to participate in ADS or beacon ground environments. This offers many possibilities for transition from beacon to ADS-based surveillance. This paper briefly defines the GPS-Squitter concept and its principal applications. The thrust of the paper is the presentation of surface and airborne surveillance measurements made at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts and at the Logan International Airport in Boston. In each case the measurements show the excellent surveillance performance provided by this concept.
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Summary

GPS-Squitter is a system concept that merges the capabilities of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) and the Mode S beacon radar. The result is an integrated concept for seamless surveillance and data link that permits equipped aircraft to participate in ADS or beacon ground environments. This offers many possibilities for transition...

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GPS-squitter experimental results

Airport surface surveillance using differential GPS and the Mode S data link

June 6, 1994
  |
Conference Paper
Author:
Robert E. Boisvert
…
Published in:
Proc. 50th Annual Mtg. of the Institute of Navigation, 6-8 June 1994, pp. 335-344.
Topic:
GPS
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A new concept for providing surface surveillance of aircraft and ground vehicles has recently been tested at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts. This concept, known as GPS-Squitter, combines the capabilities of differential GPS for navigation with those of the Mode S data link for communications. Together these systems provide accurate surveillance data along with a positive identification of surface traffic, both very important for an effective surface meillance system. The GPS-Squitter concept is based on the use of the Mode S squitter. The current squitter is a 56bit Mode S all-call reply message spontaneously broadcast by all aircraft Mode S transponders at a 1Hz rate. This message provides the unique Mode S address of an aircrsft and is used by TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System) for acquisition of nearby aircraft. In the Hanscom testing, this squitter was extended to include GPS-based surveillance information. Two target vehicles participated in the experiments - one aircraft and one ground vehicle. They determined their position, heading, and speed using differential GPS and automatically broadcast that surveillance information to ground transmit/receive stations using the modified squitter. Differential GPS pseudorange and pseudorange rate corrections were formed by a reference station located at Hanscom Field and were transmitted by the ground transmit receive stations to the target vehicles. This paper describes the configuration of the target vehicles, the ground transmit/receive stations, and the differential GPS reference station. Results of the surface surveillance testing are provided including: system coverage, surveillance update rate, and differential GPS data quality. Ongoing testing at Logan International Airport is also discussed.
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Summary

A new concept for providing surface surveillance of aircraft and ground vehicles has recently been tested at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts. This concept, known as GPS-Squitter, combines the capabilities of differential GPS for navigation with those of the Mode S data link for communications. Together these systems provide accurate...

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Airport surface surveillance using differential GPS and the Mode S data link

Demonstration of GPS Automatic Dependent Surveillance of aircraft using spontaneous Mode S broadcast messages

June 1, 1994
  |
Journal Article
Author:
Edward T. Bayliss
…
Published in:
Navig. J. Inst. Navig., Vol. 41, No. 2, Summer 1994, pp. 187-206.
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A new Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) system concept combining GPS-based positions with Mode S data communications is described. Several potential applications of this concept are presented with emphasis on surface surveillance at airports. The navigation and data link performance are analyzed. Compact ADS position formats are included. The results of the first tests at Hanscom Field, demonstrating the feasibility of the spontaneous broadcast of ADS positions using Mode S messages are presented. Test aircraft, vehicles, avionics equipment and the ground system configuration are described. Avionics standards and GPS interface requirements are discussed. Multipath and airport surface coverage issues are addressed. Further testing in an operational environment is continuing at Logan Airport.
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Summary

A new Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) system concept combining GPS-based positions with Mode S data communications is described. Several potential applications of this concept are presented with emphasis on surface surveillance at airports. The navigation and data link performance are analyzed. Compact ADS position formats are included. The results of...

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Demonstration of GPS Automatic Dependent Surveillance of aircraft using spontaneous Mode S broadcast messages

Aircraft surveillance based on GPS position broadcasts from mode S beacon transponders

January 1, 1994
  |
Conference Paper
Author:
Edward T. Bayliss
…
Published in:
Proc. of ION GPS, v 1, 1994, pp. 939-950.
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

Flight testing of a new air surveillance concept, GPS-Squitter, is reported. It integrates GPS receivers with the existing secondary surveillance radar beacon equipment carried by most aircraft. Simple, inexpensive, non-scanning ground stations listen for GPS position reports broadcast by the Mode S beacon transponders on the aircraft and send them on to air traffic control facilities. In addition to its surveillance application, GPS-Squitter presents opportunities for enhancing other important functions such as collision avoidance systems and data link services. System tradeoff studies are comparing range and altitude coverage with the cost and number of stations needed. Other issues are data link interference, multipath, total aircraft capacity, and unambiguous reporting range. The baseline system uses commercial off-the-shelf components such as TCAS (Traffic Alerting and Collision Avoidance System) avionics units, omni-directional DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) antennas, and computer workstations in order to ensure low production costs. The cost/performance tradeoff of minimum modifications such as the addition of a 6-sector antenna, multiple receive channels, or higher transmit power, are being evaluated. The omni-directional baseline system is designed for a range of 50 nmi while the 6-sector system is designed for 100 nmi range. Two aircraft have been equipped with Mode S beacon transponders modified to broadcast (i.e., "squitter") their GPS position twice each second. The numerous test flights have accumulated a significant data base including a demonstration of coverage out to over 100 nmi range. Data have been collected to analyze a number of issues: received power margins, performance of bottom versus top aircraft antenna, ground bounce multipath, propagation over water, and parallel runway approach monitoring. In addition, standard squitter data from commercial aircraft have been recorded and correlated with Mode S tracking to show link margins experienced in practice from aircraft in operational service. More tests are planned, including a demonstration of GPS-Squitter air surveillance in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Summary

Flight testing of a new air surveillance concept, GPS-Squitter, is reported. It integrates GPS receivers with the existing secondary surveillance radar beacon equipment carried by most aircraft. Simple, inexpensive, non-scanning ground stations listen for GPS position reports broadcast by the Mode S beacon transponders on the aircraft and send them...

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Aircraft surveillance based on GPS position broadcasts from mode S beacon transponders

Demonstration of GPS automatic dependent surveillance of aircraft using spontaneous Mode S beacon reports

September 22, 1993
  |
Conference Paper
Author:
Edward T. Bayliss
…
Published in:
Proc. ION-GPS-93 Sixth Int. Technical Mtg. of the Satellite Division of the Institute of Navigation, 22-24 September 1993, pp. 1-13.
Topic:
surveillance
R&D area:
R&D group:

Summary

A new Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) system concept combining GPS satellite navigation with Mode S data communications is described. Several potential applications of this concept are presented with emphasis on surface surveillance at airports. The navigation and data link performance are analyzed. Compact ADS position formats are included. The results of the first tests at Hanscom Field demonstrating the feasibility of the spontaneous broadcast of ADS positions using Mode S messages are presented. Test aircraft, vehicles, avionics equipment and the ground system configuration are described. Avionics standards and GPS interface requirements are discussed. Multipath and airport surface coverage issues are addressed. Plans for further testing in an operational environment at Logan Airport are outlined.
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Summary

A new Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) system concept combining GPS satellite navigation with Mode S data communications is described. Several potential applications of this concept are presented with emphasis on surface surveillance at airports. The navigation and data link performance are analyzed. Compact ADS position formats are included. The results...

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Demonstration of GPS automatic dependent surveillance of aircraft using spontaneous Mode S beacon reports

SGS85--WGS84 transformation - interim results

August 24, 1993
  |
Project Report
Author:
Pratap N. Misra
…
Published in:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory Report ATC-204
Topic:
GPS
R&D area:

Summary

GPS and GLONASS employ different geocentric Cartesian coordinate frames to express the positions of their satellites and, therefore, of their users. GPS uses WGS84; GLONASS, SGS85. Interest in the civil aviation community in using signals from both systems requires that a transformation between the two coordinate frames be determined. We present an estimate of the SGS85--WGS84 transformation.
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Summary

GPS and GLONASS employ different geocentric Cartesian coordinate frames to express the positions of their satellites and, therefore, of their users. GPS uses WGS84; GLONASS, SGS85. Interest in the civil aviation community in using signals from both systems requires that a transformation between the two coordinate frames be determined. We...

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SGS85--WGS84 transformation - interim results
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