Skybridge Spectrum Foundation & Telesaurus LLCs - Sky-Tel - Berkeley California USA December 2009 This following is a compilation of articles and brochures from leading authorities and equipment companies on current and developing Multilateration TDOA location systems used both for tracking of aircraft in flight (take offs and landings mostly) and also for tracking of ground vehicles and aircraft at airports. These are republished, including on Scribd, by Skybridge Spectrum Foundation and Telesaurus LLCs (Sky-Tel) (Berkeley, California). Sky-Tel holds 200 and 900 MHz FCC licenses (CMRS and PMRS) nationwide in the US for C-HALO (Cooperative High Accuracy Location) and tightly integrated communications for Smart Transport, Energy, and Environment Radio (STEER) systems, with no-charge core services for highway safety and flow, better energy systems, and environmental monitoring and protection. C-HALO employs various methods of advanced Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT). Sky-Tel C-HALO will commence with use of GPS-GNSS with N-RTK, and in a second phase, multilateration (whose transmitters are sometimes called pseudolites), INS, and other mobile location techniques. As the following shows, Multilateration has expanded dramatically in form, function, and applications in the last two decades, as is now being widely deployed. It is very reliable and cost effective. Its accuracy for the above-noted airport vehicle use, coupled with corrected-GPS (N-RTK will improve over what airports now use) is sufficient for the purposes described herein below. Sky-Tel will need to improve the accuracy for C-HALO lane-based roadway applications, and that appears possible with improvements in synchronization now available (even without Chip Scale Atomic clocks and tightly integrated MEMS INS, etc.—see the Sky-Tel material on Schrib on that topic). Thus : GNSS (GPS and other GNSS combined) with Network RTK (N-RTK) will form the foun- dation for C-HALO for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and the broader STEER. This will need further augmentation in urban and rural “canyons” due to the blockage of GNSS satellites and RF multipath created in those environments that cause GNSS even with N-RTK to be insufficiently accurate and reliable. Even heavy traffic in multiple lanes, given large trucks and busses passing by, can cause blockage and multipath. This further augmentation will be provided by Multilateration , INS, CSAC, AoA from nearby ITS roadside communication sites, multi-vehicle positioning coordination (MVPC: at a given time, one or more vehicles in proximity will not be subject to blockage and multipath, and can inform others, to resolve multipath and blockage) and other means. Multiple location techniques are also essential in mission-critical ITS and STEER for redundancy and higher consistency for the same reasons that is essential for aircraft as described in a Sky-Tel compilation on aircraft and airport Multilateration below.
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(Sky-Tel) Multilateration- Aircraft & Ground Vehicles, Compilation, For C-HALO
Dec 2009 complied. Multilateration tracking for aircraft & ground vehicles. Compilation for by Skybridge Spectrum Foundation and Telesaurus LLCs (Sky-Tel).
Sky-Tel holds 200 and 900 MHz FCC licenses (CMRS and PMRS) nationwide in the US for C-HALO (Cooperative High Accuracy Location) and tightly integrated communications for Smart Transport, Energy, and Environment Radio (STEER) systems, with no-charge core services for highway safety and flow, better energy systems, and environmental monitoring and protection.
Sky-Tel C-HALO will use GPS-GNSS with N-RTK as a first phase, followed by multilateration pseudolites, INS, and other mobile location techniques).
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Skybr idge Spectrum Foundat ion & Te lesaurus LLCs - Sky-Te l - Berkeley Cal i fornia USA
December 2009
This following is a compilation of articles and brochures from leading authorities and
equipment companies on current and developing Multilateration TDOA location systems
used both for tracking of aircraft in flight (take offs and landings mostly) and also for
tracking of ground vehicles and aircraft at airports.
These are republished, including on Scribd, by Skybridge Spectrum Foundation and
Telesaurus LLCs (Sky-Tel) (Berkeley, California).
Sky-Tel holds 200 and 900 MHz FCC licenses (CMRS and PMRS) nationwide in the US for
C-HALO (Cooperative High Accuracy Location) and tightly integrated communications for
Smart Transport, Energy, and Environment Radio (STEER) systems, with no-charge core
services for highway safety and flow, better energy systems, and environmental
monitoring and protection. C-HALO employs various methods of advanced Position,
Navigation and Timing (PNT).
Sky-Tel C-HALO will commence with use of GPS-GNSS with N-RTK, and in a second
phase, multilateration (whose transmitters are sometimes called pseudolites), INS, and
other mobile location techniques.
As the following shows, Multilateration has expanded dramatically in form, function, and
applications in the last two decades, as is now being widely deployed. It is very reliable
and cost effective. Its accuracy for the above-noted airport vehicle use, coupled with
corrected-GPS (N-RTK will improve over what airports now use) is sufficient for the
purposes described herein below. Sky-Tel will need to improve the accuracy for C-HALO
lane-based roadway applications, and that appears possible with improvements in
synchronization now available (even without Chip Scale Atomic clocks and tightly
integrated MEMS INS, etc.—see the Sky-Tel material on Schrib on that topic). Thus:
GNSS (GPS and other GNSS combined) with Network RTK (N-RTK) will form the foun-
dation for C-HALO for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and the broader STEER.
This will need further augmentation in urban and rural “canyons” due to the blockage
of GNSS satellites and RF multipath created in those environments that cause GNSS even
with N-RTK to be insufficiently accurate and reliable. Even heavy traffic in multiple lanes,
given large trucks and busses passing by, can cause blockage and multipath.
This further augmentation will be provided by Multilateration, INS, CSAC, AoA from
nearby ITS roadside communication sites, multi-vehicle positioning coordination (MVPC:
at a given time, one or more vehicles in proximity will not be subject to blockage and
multipath, and can inform others, to resolve multipath and blockage) and other means.
Multiple location techniques are also essential in mission-critical ITS and STEER for
redundancy and higher consistency for the same reasons that is essential for aircraft as
described in a Sky-Tel compilation on aircraft and airport Multilateration below.
Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) is an attractive new surveillance [location tracking] technique for Air
Traffic Control [and also for ground vehicle tracking at airports]. A network of distributed sensors receives
transponder signals from a target of interest, and forwards the received signals with precise timing information
to a Multilateration Server. There the time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) technique is used for computing the
position of the target.
Multilateration (MLT) has a number of compelling advantages. The actual sensors are compact, purely passive,
and have minimal requirements for power and network connectivity. As an example, COMSOFT's Quadrant
MLT and ADS-B sensor needs about 10W of electrical power, weighs approximately 20 kg and is the size of a
laptop backpack. Once a site offers electricity and network connectivity, the installation of a ground station
requires just a couple of hours with minimum preparation. The ground station provides self-adjustment to the
RF environment and thus can be used operationally right after installation.
The sensor is designed from the ground up to be essentially maintenance-free. Due to their resistance to adverse
weather conditions and their minimal impact on the environment, sensors can easily being mounted in most
locations, making it possible to obtain an obstacle-free omnidirectional view. The multilateration controller is a
commercial-off-the-shelf server running in the benevolent operating conditions of a control centre. Accurate
time stamping at the ground stations ensures that network latency plays only a minor role for the integrity of the
surveillance function.
Low cost for the initial investment and infrastructure combined with the minimal ongoing operating expenses
make WAM networks appealing where the lifetime costs of a radar cannot be justified or afforded.
But not only the cost factor is compelling. Multilateration sensors take advantage of the squitter signals
transmitted by aircraft transponders, as well as of Mode-S and Mark-X secondary radar replies. They typically
offer an update rate well in excess of one per second, and with a suitable sensor configuration they offer a much
higher precision than secondary radar technology.
Principles of Multilateration
The TDOA technique takes advantage of the different travel times of signals from a target to spatially separated
sensor locations. Since electromagnetic signals propagate with the known speed of light c, the time difference of
arrival of the signal at different sensors translates into range difference between the target and the sensors (cf.
figure 1).
Sky-Tel 14 of 45
Figure 1: TDOA technique in wide area multilateration networks
A time difference ∆t = t2−t1 between the reception of the signal at sensor 1 and sensor 2 thus constrains the
position of a target to the set of points such that the distance from the target to sensor 2 is c·∆t smaller than the
distance from the target to sensor 1. As an example, if the signal arrives at both sensors at the same time, ∆t = 0
and the target has to be located somewhere on a plane perpendicular to the line connecting the two sensors and
equidistant from both (cf. figure 2).
In the general 2-dimensional case, the set of points compatible with a given time difference forms a particular
mathematical curve called a hyperbola, shown in figure 2 in blue. Depending on which sensor is closer to the
target, one or the other branch of the hyperbola applies. In the 3-dimensional case the set forms a curved surface
called a hyperboloid. While in the 3-dimensional case, two sensors confine the target position only to such a
surface, three sensor detections restrict it to the intersection of two hyperboloids (i.e. a single curve), and adding
a fourth sensor allows the unambiguous determination of the target position.
Figure 2: Possible target geometry for different TDOA values
Sky-Tel 15 of 45
While theoretically any four distributed sensors are sufficient to pinpoint a target, in practice the resolution and
accuracy of the measurements are finite. If this is taken into account, the geometry of the sensor configuration
has a major effect in determining the actual accuracy of the multilateration solution. If all sensor locations are at
similar directions from the target, even small uncertainties in the time measurement lead to large uncertainties in
the position. Thus, sensors are typically distributed over much of the area of interest. However, if the distance
between the sensors becomes too large, the risk that the more remote sensors completely miss a particular signal
increases. In general, the distance between any two sensors that are expected to contribute to a given solution
lies somewhere between 10 and 100 NM.
Most practically deployed sensor networks will use a minimum of five distributed sensors. This has two
advantages. First, having 5-fold coverage introduces an element of redundancy. Even if one sensor becomes
non-operational, the remaining network can be used to derive a full multilateration solution, thus providing
much higher availability than possible with a non-redundant network. Secondly, having redundant coverage
allows the central controller to select the subset of sensor detections with the most favourable geometry
providing the most accurate position result.
A further advantage of WAM systems is the nearly unlimited scalability of the concept. Additional sensors can
be added, either to overcome line-of-sight restrictions, to improve the geometry in certain areas, or to increase
the overall surveillance volume.
The planning of a multilateration system deployment needs to be supported by careful analysis and modelling.
Powerful tools allow the modelling of the coverage of individual sensors as well as the combined coverage of
sensor networks. A suitable analysis also predicts which level of accuracy can be achieved in different volumes
of interest (e.g. different altitudes) for a given sensor configuration.
Extending coverage with ADS-B
Multilateration determines the position of an aircraft based on the detection of its transmitted signals at multiple
receivers. As described above, the quality of the solution depends on the geometry of the sensor network as well
as on the position of the target with respect to it. In particular, positional uncertainty increases as targets move
outside the borders of the sensor network.
A multilateration solution also requires signal reception at four or more sensors. However, since sensor coverage
is restricted by the requirement for a clear line-of-sight, 4- or 5-fold coverage with a favourable geometry may
be hard to achieve, especially in areas with difficult terrain or in the presence of obstacles.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) [which is based on GPS- GNSS] is another attractive
new technology to provide ATC surveillance. ADS-B equipped aircraft periodically broadcast their own
position, determined via their navigation system and ultimately derived from GPS. The signal is collected by
ADS-B receivers, decoded, and used directly to build an air situation picture, either for ATC on the ground, or
to improve the situational awareness in the cockpit of other aircrafts.
ADS-B complements multilateration in a number of ways. Since the position is determined and encoded by the
aircraft, the accuracy is the same regardless of the concrete location of the aircraft in the coverage area.
Moreover, since only a single sensor is needed, it is much easier and cheaper to achieve full coverage over large
or complexly structured regions.
The Quadrant MLT and ADS-B sensor has the ability not only to detect telegrams in the 1090MHz Mode-S
downlink format and transmit them with a precise time stamp to a multilateration server; the sensor also decodes
the embedded ADS-B messages and translates them into an ASTERIX category 21 data stream describing the
air situation picture. With this capability, even single-sensor coverage is sufficient to determine the position and
attributes of ADS-B equipped aircraft. Thus, the same sensor network is able to deliver two independent
Sky-Tel 16 of 45
surveillance streams, one based on independent measurements, the second based on the reported position of the
aircraft.
High-Integrity ADS-B
The concept of ADS-B is impressive due to its simplicity. Instead of maintaining a complex and expensive
ground infrastructure to accurately determine the position of an aircraft, the aircraft downlinks its position,
together with unambiguous identifier, current course, speed and vertical movement. Since the information is
directly obtained from the avionics, ATC and pilot share and use the same information. There is only one
noteworthy drawback: If the GPS based positioning differs significantly from the actual position, there is no
means to detect this by an independent system.
To ensure a higher level of integrity, ADS-B [GPS-GNSS technique] can be combined with the TDOA
[multilateration] technique. As described above, it allows two sensors to restrict the position of an aircraft to a
hyperboloid, i.e. a very limited range of positions. An erroneous ADS-B position is very unlikely to fall onto
this hyperboloid, and hence can usually immediately be flagged as implausible. Even if a single ADS-B plot is
accidentally compatible with the TDOA derived restrictions, each new position report will be tested against a
different hyperboloid. Thus, the ADS-B position can be verified to a high degree of integrity using only two
sensors - a requirement much easier to meet than the 4-fold coverage needed for full multilateration.
This approach combines the simplicity and accuracy of ADS-B with an independent confirmation of the
announced position, resulting in a highly trustworthy surveillance system with less strict sensor placement
constraints than required for a full multilateration network.
In figure 3 the coverage results at flight level FL55 for a network of six sensors is visualized. The aim was to
cover the whole country of Slovenia with a minimum number of sensors positioned at specified sites. The
challenge is posed by the inhomogeneous terrain, with valleys at 1500ft elevation surrounded by mountains
reaching 5000ft, and occasional peaks rising up to 7000ft. Within the geographical confines of the network, full
multilateration coverage can be achieved. Sensor coverage is even redundant in most of the central region.
However, by additionally employing ADS-B, a much larger area to be covered. Even high-integrity ADS-B
already offers a valuable extension. While at flight level FL100 and up, nominal multilateration coverage is
achieved for a much larger region, the ADS-B coverage at FL55 is remarkable. Moreover, while the quality of
multilateration solutions degrades with distance from the sensor network, ADS-B reports have uniform high
quality, regardless of the position of the aircraft.
[Go to next page.]
Sky-Tel 17 of 45
Figure 3: Calculated MLT and ADS-B coverage at FL55 for a network of 6 sensors
Optimized Deployment Strategies
The flexibility of combined MLT and ADS-B sensors enables the exact tailoring of a surveillance solution to
individual needs. At a first level, single ADS-B sensors can be installed to complement existing radar solutions.
They can serve as fall-back systems and gap-fillers, by providing additional surveillance coverage in situations
where radar is restricted by line-of-sight.
Alternatively, current multilateration systems can be used as superior and more cost-effective drop-in
replacements for existing or planned secondary radar installations. This will result in a much improved
cost/performance ratio even without considering the additional capabilities of the system.
Such a network will offer significant side benefits. The ADS-B and high-integrity ADS-B reports will increase
the surveillance area, by providing high-quality surveillance data in cases where radar and MLT are restricted by
line-of-sight, or where the large distance from the target introduces inaccuracy for systems based on direct
measurements. As long as ADS-B is not mandatory, this information is especially useful for providing enhanced
situational awareness and as a planning tool.
Sky-Tel 18 of 45
Several large airspaces are on the road to a full ADS-B mandate. Moreover, national and international
organizations are working on regulatory standards to support the use of ADS-B as a replacement of radar. This
will immediately increase the value of existing and future WAM/ADS-B installations. In this case, radar-like
separation and similar services can be offered in the area covered by high-integrity ADS-B, with single-
coverage ADS-B serving as a high-quality fallback. Full multilateration will allow additional surveillance
options for the core area of interest, and the even wider coverage of pure ADS-B can support long-term traffic
flow planning, safe and convenient transfer of aircraft to and from neighbouring ATC regions, and a host of
informational services.
Wide Area Multilateration Conclusion
Multilateration and ADS-B are two compelling new technologies for cost-effective and future-proof surveillance
solutions. The current generation of combined ADS-B and multilateration sensors supports flexible deployment
and enables attractive applications even now. Since the same hardware is used to implement several different
surveillance solutions, systems can be scaled and extended as newly installed systems gradually take over more
and more responsibilities from conventional radars - starting with initial installations for increased situational
awareness, moving to gap-filling applications and wide-area multilateration as backups for secondary radar
systems, and finally to full radar replacement.
Article Co-author - Dr Susanne Och
Susanne Och studied Physics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. She received her PhD in 1997
after spending also two years at a European research facility in Munich. With experience in Radar remote
sensing and software engineering she joined Comsoft's department for Surveillance Applications in 2007. Dr.
Och works in the field of ADS-B product development with focus on site analysis and implementation.
Sky-Tel 19 of 45
Mode S Based Vehicle Locator
VeeLoNextGenTM
With air travel on the rise, airport surface vehicle congestionis increasing, raising the risk of runway incursions. To address this, airports equipped with multilateration, A-SMGCS or ADS-B systems can easily integrate vehiclelocators into their surface surveillance picture.
Sensis VeeLo NextGen™, a Mode S based vehicle locator,incorporates an improved WAAS-enabled GPS receiver andbroadcasts its location and identity using the Mode SExtended Squitter ADS-B message format to accurately andreliably detect, track and identify airport surface vehicles inthe same manner aircraft are tracked. The small, light-weightunit can automatically end transmission when the vehicleleaves the movement area. VeeLo NextGen connects directlyto the vehicle’s accessory power outlet.
VeeLo NextGen contains a 24-bit ICAO address and cansupport a user defined alpha-numeric code (e.g., radiocallsigns). The unit installs on the external surface of anyairport vehicle and can be easily configured via PC.
Tracking and identification of airport surface vehicles
VeeLo NextGen as detected by Sensis A-SMGCS
Benefits WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and Mode S Extended Squitter ADS-Btransmitter for highly accurate, reliable positioning
Ability to automatically disable transmission when the vehicle leaves movement area
Low power consumption for connection to accessory power outlet
Field configurable via PC
Detect theDifference
Sky-Tel 20 of 45
Mode S Based Vehicle Locator
VeeLoNextGenTM
Sensis Global Headquarters 85 Collamer Crossings East Syracuse, NY 13057 USA
User is responsible for ensuring usage in accordance with local aviation and communication regulations.
VeeLoNextGen
VeeLoNextGen
MDS/ADS-B
MDS/ADS-B
MDS/ADS-B
MDS or ADS-B sensors collect signals from VeeLo NextGen and transponder-equipped aircraft to provide situational awareness.
While every effort is made to ensure data accuracy, please note that data may be subject to change.
Sky-Tel 21 of 45
SRA is committed to delivering proven solutions for the world’s most
challenging air traffic management needs. Headquartered in Fairfax,
Va., with a strong history of government contracting success, SRA is
an established solutions provider and proven partner to the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA).
With more than 100 government, commercial and military air traffic
control customers throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, South America and Asia, SRA is an established world leader in
next-generation surveillance and flight tracking solutions and serves the
global Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) community with industry-
leading multilateration and ADS-B (automated dependent surveillance-
broadcast) technologies.
Complex SyStemS IntegratIon engIneerIngThe FAA requires proven industry partners positioned to advance its
most challenging goals. For example, in order to provide the most
efficient air traffic management service in the future while maintaining
the highest levels of safety today, the FAA must seamlessly
transform legacy ATC systems into NextGen-capable solutions,
while simultaneously managing current airspace operations. Civil
government and defense customers have relied upon SRA’s systems
integration solutions to successfully engineer complex systems.
Advancing customers’ service delivery through disciplined research,
systems architecture, applied change management and real-time
engineering is one of SRA’s core missions. Our services include:
Systems Architecture & Engineering•
Operations Research•
Configuration Management•
Navigation & Surveillance Technology•
Facility Engineering•
reSearCh and developmentSRA provides cutting-edge technology support to advance research
and development in the aviation industry. SRA has been a partner to the
FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center since 1987. Because of SRA’s
commitment to our customers, employees and the global community, we
are able to attract and retain leading experts in their field for this type of
specialty research and development. True innovation and advancement
requires very unique and talented individuals respected in their niche
fields. As a FORTUNE 100 Best Employer for 10 consecutive years, SRA
has the track record to meet government’s demands for an industry
partner who values and respects these very talented individuals as much
as the government does.
aviation programsa trusted provider of air traffic management Solutions
SRA provides Metro Washington Airport Authority with the world’s most advanced noise and operations monitoring software, which includes features such as noise measurement, noise modeling and web-based community engagement.
our reSearCh and development effortS
Multilateration for ATM•
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles•
Next-Generation •Surveillance
Human Factors•
Aircraft Fire•
Safety Testing•
Runway•
Pavement Testing•
Sky-Tel 22 of 45
S R A I N T E R N AT I O N A l - A V I AT I O N P R O G R A M S
Sra International, Inc. www.sra.comDS114-270509
SRA considers the environment in all we do
About SRA International, Inc.
SRA and its subsidiaries are dedicated to solving complex problems of global significance for government organizations serving the national security, civil government and global health markets. Founded in 1978, the company and its subsidiaries have expertise in such areas as air surveillance and air traffic management; contract research organization (CRO) services; cybersecurity; disaster response planning; enterprise resource planning; environmental strategies; IT systems, infrastructure and managed services; logistics; public health preparedness; strategic management consulting; systems engineering; and wireless integration.
FORTUNE® magazine has chosen SRA as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for ten consecutive years. The company and its subsidiaries employ more than 6,800 employees serving clients from headquarters in Fairfax, Va., and offices around the world. For additional information on SRA, please visit www.sra.com.
SRA, SRA International, Inc. and the SRA logo are registered trademarks and service marks owned by SRA International, Inc.
alIgnIng InformatIon teChnology wIth your BuSIneSS prIorItIeSMost IT infrastructures were developed in reaction to immediate
business needs without a strategy for long-term productivity. This
piecemeal approach to combining disparate systems and software
has created a complex, underutilized environment that is difficult
and costly to maintain. SRA brings balance to the infrastructure so it
can efficiently adapt to ever-changing business needs. Our experts
consider the people, processes and technologies that contribute to
our customers’ operating environment. This strategic view helps
us uncover ways to better align IT with the business and build a
foundation that will improve productivity, increase service levels and
control costs and risks. This performance-based approach is critical to
optimize the ANSP environment.
a leader In SurveIllanCe and flIght traCkIng SolutIonSSRA is the pioneer and world leader in next-generation surveillance
and flight tracking solutions with proven multilateration and automatic
dependent surveillance — broadcast (ADS-B) technologies. SRA is
providing high-performance and high-reliability surveillance with
hundreds of operational sensors to more than 100 commercial, air
traffic management and military customers in nearly 40 countries
throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South
America and Asia. And we offer trusted mission-critical systems
integration.
for more InformatIon
To learn more about SRA’s services and our capabilities
Sra for the faa natIonal aIrSpaCe SyStem (naS) IntegratIon Support ContraCt (nISC III)Achieving the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or
NextGen, is critically important to our nation’s ability to transport
people, goods and services, and is therefore a lynchpin in our ability
to sustain and grow our economy. The NAS is in the most intense
period of transformation it has ever experienced. The FAA, like most
of America, is faced with workforce challenges and its ability to
attract and retain the engineering talent it needs to transform to
NextGen. SRA has had the unique distinction of being a fortune
100 Best employer for 10 consecutive years. Sra has a history
as a faa support contractor since 1989, has disciplined
systems integration experience, and is an employer of choice.
For the NISC III contract, SRA will deliver more than 1000 members
of the necessary supplemental workforce to the FAA, enabling
NextGen and helping our country realize its true economic growth
potential.
r e C o g n I Z e d f o r Q u a l I t y
CMMI Level 3•
ISO 9001:2000•
IA-CMM version 3.1•
JFK utilizes SRA’s next-generation surveillance technology for the state-of-the-art billing system.
Sky-Tel 23 of 45
Product Overview
Vehicle Location Tracking
Incursion by ground vehicles into safety critical areas is a significant contributor to the number of reported incidents and is a continued risk to aviation safety, especially in low visibility conditions. Era’s squitter beacon (Squid®) helps airports address this issue by providing an easily installed and standards compliant vehicle-mounted ADS-B transponder. Squid by Era broadcasts the position of each vehicle using exactly the same technology used by aircraft. Squid by Era can be permanently or magnetically mounted to tugs, fire appliances, de-icing equipment and all airside vehicles. This ensures that the complete picture is available to the control tower, with each vehicle clearly and uniquely identified, providing an essential addition to any advanced surface movement guidance and control system (A-SMGCS).
Squid by Era is based on 1090 MHz Mode S spontaneous squitter with a unique Mode S transmission. The Mode S address has a default value, which either the user or Era can adjust. Each unit consists of an electronics unit, an antenna assembly and a cover made out of a composite material. The cable that feeds the unit and ensures data transmission is designed with a water-resistant connector, operating reliably in all weather conditions. Rigorous standards adherence means that Squid by Era devices will work seamlessly with existing ADS-B and multilateration surveillance solutions from other vendors.
To support various ATC surveillance tasks, Squid by Era can be installed on:
UnitedStates1881 Campus Commons Dr. Suite 101Reston, VA 20191
Tel +1 703 637 7283Fax +1 703 637 7245
Era Systems Corporation, an SRA International subsidiary, is the pioneer and world leader in next-generation surveillance and flight tracking solutions with proven multilateration and automatic dependent surveillance — broadcast (ADS-B) technologies. Era systems are providing high-performance and high-reliability surveillance with hundreds of operational sensors to more than 100 commercial, air traffic management and military customers in over 40 countries throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia. Era is based in the U.S. with leading product research and development centers of excellence throughout the country and Czech Republic. SRA has a strong history of government contracting success and possesses the strength and resources to be the trusted partner of the world’s leading air navigation service providers (ANSPs) today and in the future.
Squid by Era is small, lightweight and easy to install on any vehicle. The standard package includes:*
• BeaconcasecomprisingofSquidbyEra electronics and both antennas (transmitting and GPS) • Magneticorfixedholder• Cable• SWmanagementtoolpackage• UserGuide
* Final delivery specifications and mechanical design of Squid by Era can be modified according to the customer requirements.
AppliedStandards
• ICAOANNEX10VolumeIV
PerformanceParameters
Carrier frequency 1090 MHz
Outputpower 18W(pulse)
Outputmessageformat Mode S reply DF 18 (ES/NT) according to Annex 10, Vol.4
Interface Resistant connector on the body of device (one connector both for the power line and bi-directional RS232 link)
GPS data Available separately on the SQUID output, provided GPS data are available from satellites. ProtocolNMEA0183v2.3;WAAS,EGNOSsupported.
DC voltage +9 V to +32 V
Power consumption ~3W
Operatingtemperature -40°C to +70°C
Dimensions diameter 198 mm (7.8 in), height 157 mm (6.2 in)
Serviceability Possibility to connect any computer (via standard interface) with software allowing to change the mode S DF 18 contents or to upgrade the SQUID firmware.
AreasofApplication
• Surfacesurveillance
• A-SMGCS
• Vehicletracking
• ADS-B
Sky-Tel 25 of 45
Wide Area Multilateration
MLAT12 201209Z1842
W130.199, N77.4
Vigilance provides a scalable and flexible solution for wide
area multilateration, height monitoring, airport operations
monitoring and other similar roles.
Vigilance - Multilateration System | Wide Area and Airport Monitoring http://www.multilateration.eu/?utm_source=www-roke-co-uk&utm_med...
1 of 1 12/20/2009 10:47 AMSky-Tel 26 of 45
GROUP AEROSPACE SPACE DEFENCE SECURITY PORTFOLIO
THALES TO DELIVER WIDE AREA MULTILATERATION SYSTEM FORFRANKFURT AIRSPACE TO DFS30 April 2009
Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), the German Air Navigation Service Provider, has awarded Thales a contract for the
delivery, installation, training and commissioning of the PAM-FRA *1 system, the first operational wide area multilateration
(WAM) system in Germany.
Thales will provide a surveillance system that is fully compliant to DFS requirements and international safety standards. It will control
one of the most sophisticated and busiest airspaces in Europe and the world, an area covering 125 by 80 nautical miles. Around the
Frankfurt airport, it will be possible to fix on a target as low as 500 feet above the ground. Over a wider area, which also includes the
Hahn airport, Thales guarantees target acquisition starting at 1,000 feet above the ground. For the remainder of the coverage zone,
detection will commence at 3,000 feet above the ground. By choosing Thales's operational and innovative multilateration technology,
DFS may also benefit from the possibility to receive and process ADS-B messages from the same ground stations.
Paul Kahn, Managing Director of Thales's Navigation & Airport Solutions business, stated: "We are delighted to be working with DFS to
develop and deliver the latest air traffic surveillance technology for improving airspace safety and efficiency."
Dr. Markus Hellenthal, CEO of Thales Deutschland, commented on the contract award as follows: "We are particularly proud of this
success. It will strengthen the very good relationship between DFS and its long-term partner Thales. The implementation and leverage
of this world class ATM solution will significantly support the future wide spread use of this leading German multilateration technology
with other Air Navigation Service Provider within and outside of Europe."
The Thales multilateration system is part of a surveillance product family, to which ADS-B *2, TIS-B *3, FIS-B *4, ADS-R *5 also belong.
This modular product family can be configured for redundancies, multiple data links, multiple output power ratings for transmission, as
well as omnidirectional or sectored antennas, enabling it to be customized and cost optimized for almost all surveillance systems.
Thales is a world leader in multilateration technology and systems and has installations in Australia (coverage of the country's entire
airspace), the United States (in alliance with ITT for the American aviation authority FAA), Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea, Spain and Indonesia.
Notes to editors
*1 PAM-FRA is the DFS' project name for Precision Approach Monitoring Frankfurt air space
*2 ADS-B is an emerging technology that allows aircraft to periodically broadcast GPS position, altitude, speed and identity information.
The broadcast information may be received and processed by other aircraft or ground stations for use in improved situational
awareness, conflict avoidance and airspace management.
*3 TIS-B is an augmentation to ADS-B that facilitates transition from traditional radar surveillance to ADS-B by broadcasting traffic
information for non-ADS-B aircraft to ADS-B aircraft enabling on-board safety and efficiency applications.
*4 FIS-B is an augmentation to ADS-B which transmits graphical weather products, temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), and information
regarding special use airspace to assist the pilot in safe aircraft operations.
*5 ADS-R is an augmentation to ADS-B that facilitates the utilization of multiple ADS-B data links by translating the data received at a
ground station from one data link and re-broadcasting on another data link thus enabling aircraft equipped with different ADS-B data
links to monitor each other.
About Thales
Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide.
Thales's leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and
dêploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. To this end, the group's civil and military businesses develop in parallel and
share common base of technologies to serve a single objective: the security of people, property and nations. The group builds its
growth on its unique multi-domestic strategy based on trusted partnerships with national customers and market players, while leveraging
its global expertise to support local technology and industrial development. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2008
revenues of €12.7 million.
Thales to deliver wide area multilateration System for Frankfurt airspace ... http://www.thalesgroup.com/Pages/PressRelease.aspx?id=7117
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Information about Thales's air systems capabilities can be found at http://wwww.thalesgroup.com/airsystems