Architecture of ATC Systems

OVERVIEW

1 - DATA COMMUNICATION
Communication Gateways (FPLs, OLDI, radar, datalink, etc)
2 - CORE DATA PROCESSING
SDPS (Surveillance Data Processing System)
FDPS (Flight Data Processing System)
3 - DATA PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION
Controller Working Position
Operational & Technical Monitoring and Control
STCA (Short Term Conflict Alert) and other “safety nets” & tools
ATFCM/ASM systems
Other systems
4 - VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
5 - FALLBACK SYSTEMS
6 - CENTRE SERVICES
7 – INCIDENT MANGEMENT
 Networks:
• SITA Primary Systems
• ARINC Communication Core Data Processing Data Processing VCS
and Distribution Voice
• RAPNET, Communication
RENAR, STCA Systems
Short-Term Conflict
CAPSIN FDPS Alert
Man-Machine
• AFTN/CIDIN Flight Data
Interfaces
Processing CWP
• PENS Data Gateways Controller
System
• Surveillance Working Position
• Flight Data
Technical
• ATFCM Monitoring and
• Datalink SDPS Control
Surveillance Centre Services
• … • UPS
Data Operational
• Building
Monitoring and
Processing • Diesel
Control
System Generators
(e.g: • …
ARTAS) ATFCM/ASM
systems
• Flight Plan messages
• OLDI messages Support systems
• Radar data (ASTERIX) Support LAN
• MET messages
• Datalink
Primary LAN

Protocols: Firewal
• AFTN/CIDIN
Fallback Systems
l
• AMHS Fallback Data Fallback - Fallback -
• TCP/IP Gateways FDPS CWP
• VOIP • Surveillance
• Flight Data Fallback - Fallback - Fallback -
• … SDPS STCA VCS

Direct radars Fallback LAN

 1 - DATA COMMUNICATION

Data Gateways (a.k.a Front-end Processors FEPs)

• Connection to the external world

• Routing, distribution and multiplication of messages
• Format conversion
• Blocking of erroneous messages
• Queuing of messages (to avoid overload of internal systems and for
recovery)
• Firewall service
• Local data presentation facility
• Local supervision and management
 2 - DATA PROCESSING

Basic Operational Data:

– Radar (surveillance) Data: Plots which correspond to the aircraft

position (X, Y, Z) and identification (squawked SSR code) as seen
by a radar. Using these plots, the Surveillance Data Processing
System (SDPS) constructs Tracks.

– Flight Data: all data which describe the “flight”: data entered by
the Aircraft Operator, Pilot and Controllers as well as data
calculated by the Flight Data Processing System.

– Flight Data is coupled with Track Data via the correlation

process, using the squawked SSR code in combination with
geographical proximity checks. This enables the construction of
an air situation display, showing for each track the corresponding
flight ID and other flight data derived information.
 2 - DATA PROCESSING

SDPS (Surveillance Data Processing System):

• Delivers the uncorrelated “air situation picture”

• Consists of the core tracking sub-system and a data
wrapper providing the required functions to interface
with other sub-systems.
• The core tracking sub-system used in many
European countries is the EUROCONTROL ARTAS
tracker.
 2 - DATA PROCESSING

FDPS Tasks:

The FDPS primary tasks are:

– to manage and provide access to the flight data

– to process flight plan related messages and inputs, and create, update or delete the
corresponding flight data
– to calculate the sectors that will be in charge of the flight
– to distribute the appropriate flight data at the right time to the correct Controller Working Positions,
other internal subsystems and external partners
– to manage the pool of SSR codes and to assign them to incoming flights as necessary
– to perform the correlation of track data and flight data
– to support automated co-ordination and transfer – internal as well as with adjacent centres
– to calculate the trajectory of the flight
– to monitor the flight’s adherence to the expected trajectory, and to provide a warning to the
appropriate Controller in case of deviations
– to support sectorisation changes
– to support Air-Ground Data Link applications
– to predict future separation infringements between aircraft and propose resolutions (MTCD)
– to support the highlighting of flights on the basis of on-line defined SSR Codes (SSR Bright)
– to process meteorological information and to distribute a subset to the CCTV subsystem
 2 - DATA PROCESSING

FDPS - Correlation:

FDPS
Flig htplans
Correlation

FPL
CWP
Un-correlated

Correlated

FPL/ Track
Tracks

tracks

linkag e

Correlated Tracks

SDPS
Plots/ Tracks External users
Correlated air situation picture
(tracks with Code-Callsig n info)
Code/ Callsig n
association
 3 - DATA DISTRIBUTION
CWP HMI AND PRESENTATION
 3 - DATA DISTRIBUTION
AND PRESENTATION

Operational Monitoring and Control:

provides monitoring and control functions of the main data processing

systems: FDPS, SDPS, CWP

allows for reconfiguration of the system such as re-sectorisation or for

switching to fullback function

allows activation/de-activation of system functions (e.g: MTCD) or change

of operational parameters

• Main users: Operational Supervisors

 3 - DATA DISTRIBUTION
AND PRESENTATION

STCA - Alert Window on the Air Situation Picture:

 3 - DATA DISTRIBUTION
AND PRESENTATION

Technical Monitoring and Control

monitoring and control platform that is used to manage the technical

ATM/CNS infrastructure of an ATC Center, identify problems, faults or
unusual behaviour, and then correct, reconfigure, mitigate and assist in the
resolution of the anomalous situation.

allows System Control (technical supervisors) to manage incidents.

allows for system reconfiguration (e.g. to change the behaviour of the Flight
Data Processing System) or to remedy incidents (e.g. stopping a faulty
device)

supports the distribution and activation of software versions within the

infrastructure.
 3 - DATA DISTRIBUTION
AND PRESENTATION

Example of Technical status indicatiors:

Operational Status State Alarm Status Info Text

Intended Actual
Operationally Ok EN EN ok *
Operationally Degraded EN EN warning *
minor *
major *
Operationally Failed EN DI * *
Not Operational DI DI * *
Unintentionally Operational DI EN * *
 4 - VOICE COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS

VCS:

Ground-to-ground means mutual voice communication by means of a

telephone system between air traffic controllers within the operations room or
between air traffic controllers and other ATM centres.

Ground-to-air means mutual voice communication by means of a radio

system between air traffic controllers and pilots.
 4 - VOICE COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS
VCS Remote Radio Stations (Maastricht UAC):

HUSUM
*

EELDE
BREMEN

AMSTERDAM DEISTER
*

BEEK
 4 - VOICE COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS
VCS System Overview:

CWPn
TX RX
Station Station

Circuit CWP1
Manag ement
Radio Station n Station

TX
Station
RX
Station
V C S
Circuit Radio Telephone

Manag e Interface Interface

ment

System
Circuit
Manag ement
Operational Technical
Radio Station 1 Station
Control Control

Telephone
Network
 5 - Fallback Systems

FLB (FALLBACK):

• FLB-SUP (Fallback Technical & Operational Supervision)

• FLB-FDPS (Fallback Flight Server)
• FLB-SDPS (Fallback Tracker)
• FLB-NTS (Fallback Network Time Server)
• FLB-CWP (Fallback Controller Working Position)
• FLB-RPS (Fallback Recording and Playback System)
• FLB-STCA (Fallback Short Term Conflict Alert)
• FLB-DRFEP (Fallback Direct Radar Front End Processor)
 5 - Fallback Systems

During normal operations, the Controller Working Position (CWP) display

is composed of track data received from the primary SDPS (e.g: ARTAS),
and flight plan and correlation data received from the primary flight data
processing system (FDPS).

FLB-CWP PRI-CWP

FPLs + Correlations

FLB-STCA
ATCO inputs
STCA
Conf lict Data ed
F
la t I
rre
Co
la n
s& R
Tracks
iniP s E
M ck
t ra
W
A
L
Tracks
L
FLB-SDPS FLB-FDPS
PRI-SDPS PRI-FDPS

Correlated tracks

Fallback Partition Primary Partition

 6 - CENTRE SERVICES

UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply):

guarantees continuous electrical power supply to all critical ATM
systems.

Public High Voltage Net

Diesel engine
Generator
Transf ormer

UPS
CRITICAL LOAD
+
=
_
~
NON CRITICAL LOAD
 6 - CENTRE SERVICES

Building Management System example (Siemens):

 7 - INCIDENT MANGEMENT

Incident Management:

allows for Handling, administration and logging of occurrences

severity classification of occurrences (ESARR 2):

• AA Total inability to provide safe ATM services
• A Serious inability to provide safe ATM services
• B Partial inability to provide safe ATM services
• C Ability to provide safe but degraded ATM services
• D Not determined
• E No effect on ATM services
 7 - INCIDENT MANGEMENT

Example (MUAC REMEDY system):