Future Aeronautical Communication Infrastructure Technology Investigation

222 Pages·2008·32.55 MB·English

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20080015837 2019-03-29T09:58:08+00:00Z
NASA/CR—2008-215144 TR07040
Future Aeronautical Communication Infrastructure
Technology Investigation
Tricia Gilbert, Jenny Jin, Jason Berger, Steven Henriksen
ITT Corporation, Herndon, Virginia
April 2008
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NASA/CR—2008-215144 TR07040
Future Aeronautical Communication Infrastructure
Technology Investigation
Tricia Gilbert, Jenny Jin, Jason Berger, Steven Henriksen
ITT Corporation, Herndon, Virginia
Prepared for the
International Civil Aviation Organization, Working Group of the Whole
sponsored by the Aeronautical Communications Panel
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, April 21–25, 2008
Prepared under Contract NNC–05CA85C
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Glenn Research Center
Cleveland, Ohio 44135
April 2008
Trade names and trademarks are used in this report for identifi cation
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either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
This work was sponsored by the Fundamental Aeronautics Program
at the NASA Glenn Research Center.
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Preface
The following National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Contractor Report
summarizes and documents the work performed to investigate technologies that could support long-term
aeronautical mobile communications operating concepts, and includes the associated findings and
recommendations of ITT Corporation and NASA Glenn Research Center to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) as of the end of December 2007. This work was completed under a NASA
contract extension to the third and final phase of a multiyear technology assessment in support of an
FAA/EUROCONTROL Cooperative Research Agreement (Action Plan 17 (AP–17)), commonly referred
to as the Future Communications Study. A separate NASA contractor report (NASA/CR—2008-214987)
on the third phase of the technology assessment, entitled “Additional Technologies and Investigations for
Provision of Future Aeronautical Communications” was completed before sufficient information about
two final technologies proposed by EUROCONTROL was made available. This final report includes an
assessment of the final five candidate technologies, and also provides an overview of the entire
technology assessment process, including final recommendations. All three phases of this work were
performed in compliance with the Terms of Reference for the AP–17 agreement and with the general
guidance of the FAA and EUROCONTROL available throughout this study.

NASA/CR—2008-215144 iii

Executive Summary
E.S.1 Background and Introduction
The Future Communication Study (FCS) is a cooperative research and development program of the
United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), and EUROCONTROL. This study has several technical themes supporting the definition of a
future globally interoperable communications system to support air traffic management (ATM) operations
in the timeframe of 2020 and beyond. One of these themes calls for “investigation of potential
communications technologies operating inside the very high frequency (VHF) band and outside the VHF
band to support the long-term mobile communication operation concept considering terrestrial and
satellite base infrastructure.”
E.S.2 Objectives and Approach
The focus of this report, Final Report on Technology Investigations for Provision of Future
Aeronautical Communications, is to address the FCS technical theme noted above. Specifically, work
has been performed to investigate technologies that can support the long-term aeronautical mobile
communications operating concept. The study was organized and carried out in three phases from 2004
through 2007: Technology Prescreening (Phase I, completed in December 2004), Technology Screening
and Indepth Studies (Phase II, completed in May 2005), and Additional Technologies and Investigations
for Provision of Future Aeronautical Communications (Phase III, completed in October 2007).
As decision making in the aeronautical environment can be complex, a structured methodology that
accommodates stakeholder inputs was defined and applied in this study. This approach is shown in
figure ES.1.

Figure ES.1.—FCS technology investigation methodology.
NASA/CR—2008-215144 v
E.S.3 Study Outputs
E.S.3.1 Evaluation Criteria
The first set of activities in the evaluation process (Steps 1A and 1B) included derivation of
evaluation criteria and metrics. Addressing stakeholder direction, a structured analysis of the
Communications Operating Concept and Requirements (COCR) for the future radio system (FRS) was
conducted to ensure traceability of criteria to requirements. This structured analysis, along with
consideration of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommendations for future
communication systems captured in consensus documentation, was used to derive technical and viability
evaluation criteria. The technical criteria account for functional and performance needs of aviation and
safety in the aeronautical domain. The viability criteria address cost and risk elements associated with
implementation of a technology in the future communication infrastructure. In all, eleven evaluation
criteria were defined, as shown in figure ES.2.
For each evaluation criterion, a set of defined metrics gauged technology performance specific to the
criterion. The general approach applied was to utilize a trilevel rating system, sometimes called a “stop
light” rating system, where performance and compliance are assessed to be green, yellow, or red. Generic
metric definitions for this rating system are shown in figure ES.3.
This trilevel rating system was selected for the technology evaluation for its low complexity and
easy-to-understand barometer of performance and applicability of technology to the future aeronautical
communication concept. For individual criteria, the rating values reflect specific performance
requirements of the COCR, specific implementation needs (e.g., implementation timeframe based on the
FCS roadmap), or factors that support relative comparison of technology performance and applicability.

Figure ES.2.—FCS technology investigation evaluation criteria.

Figure ES.3.—Generic evaluation criteria metric definitions.
NASA/CR—2008-215144 vi
E.S.3.2 Technology Screening
Using the defined evaluation criteria, the next step in the evaluation process (Step 2) was to identify
the most promising technology candidates. The technology screening process included an inventory of
over 50 technologies. A screening process that applied a small set of key technical and viability
evaluation criteria at a high level was performed. An initial screening of the technology inventory was
conducted during the FCS Phase II study, which included the use of COCR Version 1 performance
measures as reference values in the screening process. The screening process was reapplied during the
FCS Phase III study to accommodate changes and updates in the COCR Version 2.
Results of the screening process included the identification of technologies for further consideration as
general air/ground (A/G) communication solutions for continental airspace (airport (APT), terminal, and en
route (ER) airspace) and technologies for further consideration in specific airspace domains with unique
operating requirements (oceanic/remote and airport). Table ES.1 shows results of the screening process.
Of the candidates identified in table ES.1, two of the general solution candidates (i.e., candidates for
provision of services in the APT, terminal maneuvering area (TMA), and ER domains) are currently
being defined by EUROCONTROL. These technologies, named by EUROCONTROL as broadband–
aeronautical multicarrier communications (B–AMC) and all-purpose multichannel aviation
communication system (AMACS), were evolutionary extensions into the aeronautical L-band of
technology concepts and definitions originally defined for VHF implementation. Since the technical
details and supporting tests and simulations for these two technology concepts were still under
development at the time of evaluation for this study, these two technologies were evaluated based on the
information available at the time.
In March 2006, EUROCONTROL presented its current technology shortlist at the ICAO
Aeronautical Communication Panel (ACP) Working Group C–10 (WG–C10) meeting (ref. 1). This
shortlist (with slight revision) was presented again at the ICAO ACP/1 Meeting in May 2007 (ref. 2). It is
instructive and informative to compare these screening results to the technology shortlist developed by
EUROCONTROL. This comparison is provided in figure ES.4. It shows a significant overlap in

TABLE ES.1.—UPDATED TECHNOLOGY SCREENING RESULTS
Domain Screened technologies
General Continental domains (APT, TMA, ER, etc.) • TIA–902 (P34)
• LDL
• WCDMA
• B–AMC
• AMACS
Domain Oceanic/remote domain • Inmarsat Swift Broadband
specific • Custom Satellite System
(e.g., SLDS)
Airport domain IEEE 802.16e

Figure ES.4.—Comparison of screening results to EUROCONTROL technology shortlist.
NASA/CR—2008-215144 vii
recommendations for the shortlist of technologies to consider for the FRS. This overlap is significant as
member participants of the FCS and the ICAO ACP work toward harmonized technology solutions for
the future communication infrastructure (FCI).
E.S.3.3 Supporting Assessments
A considerable number of indepth analyses were performed to support the technology evaluation
process and to gain a better understanding of the applicability of the most promising technologies to the
future aeronautical communication environment. Indepth studies were conducted as part of the FCS
Phase II and Phase III study efforts. A full set of the indepth analyses and associated references are
provided in table ES.2. Also indicated is a reference that identifies where the full study is documented. As
technologies B–AMC and AMACS were still under development during the FCS Phase III study, no
independent detailed indepth analysis was carried out by NASA/ITT for these two technologies.

TABLE ES.2.—FCS TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATION INDEPTH STUDIES
Indepth study topic Location of study documentation
(objectives, methodology, and results)
1 L-Band Air/Ground (A/G) Communication FCS Phase II interim report (“Identification of
Channel Characterization Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical
Communications,” NASA/CR—2006–214451, ITT Corp.,
July 2006), Section E.1.1
2 Project–34/Telecommunication Industry FCS Phase II interim report (“Identification of
Association (TIA) 902 Series Standards (TIA–902 Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical
(P34)) Technology Performance Assessment Communications,” NASA/CR—2006–214451, ITT Corp.,
July 2006), Section E.1.2 and E.1.4
3 TIA–902 (P34) Technology Intellectual Property FCS Phase III interim report (“Phase III Additional
Assessment Technologies and Investigations for Provision of Future
Aeronautical Communications,” NASA/CR—2008–
214987, ITT Corp., May 2007), Section 4
4 L-Band Digital Link (LDL) Technology FCS Phase II interim report (“Identification of
Performance Assessment Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical
Communications,” NASA/CR—2006–214451, ITT Corp.,
July 2006), Section E.1.3 and E.1.4
5 Wideband Code Division Multiple Access FCS Phase II interim report (“Additional Technologies and
(WCDMA) Functional Assessment Investigations for Provision of Future Aeronautical
Communications,” NASA/CR—2008–214987, ITT Corp.,
May 2007), Section 3
6 L-Band Technology Cost Assessment for Ground FCS Phase II interim report (“Identification of
Infrastructure Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical
Communications,” NASA/CR—2006–214451, ITT Corp.,
July 2006), Section E.1.8
7 L-Band Interference Testing FCS Phase III interim report (“Phase III Additional
Technologies and Investigations for Provision of Future
Aeronautical Communications,” NASA/CR—2008–
214987, ITT Corp., May 2007), Section 2
8 Satellite Technology Availability Performance FCS Phase II interim report (“Identification of
Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical
Communications,” NASA/CR—2006–214451, ITT Corp.,
July 2006), Section E.2
9 IEEE 802.16e Performance Assessment in FCS Phase II interim report (“Identification of
Aeronautical C-Band Channel Technologies for Provision of Future Aeronautical
Communications,” NASA/CR—2006–214451, ITT Corp.,
July 2006), Section E.3

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