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A-SMGCS Experimental system in Braunschweig

Airport BS with test equipment

Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System

The DLR provides an experimental A-SMGCS, that means a  test range with a complete infrastructure for testing and verifying Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems or parts of it on the Research Airport Braunschweig.

The whole test environment is an open system, so that a large variety of sensor types can be integrated. For linking the sensor data there is an intelligent data fusion system that combines and significantly enhances the sensor data information.

The temporary A-SMGCS for the projects DEFAMM, TARMAC, BETA and EMMA on the airports Köln/Bonn, Zürich, Hamburg and Prag are developed with this test environment.

• Technical equipment and installations on the airport :

  Test Vehicle and Aircraft

  
  • Six locations (container) where sensors can be installed
    and work can be organised protected from the weather.
  • All these locations are equipped with power supply,
     air-conditioning, copper data cables,
     a high speed data network(based on optical-fibre cable),
     intercom, antenna mountings, etc.
  • One central control office for leading and monitoring of the tests.
  • Installed sensors: 
       NRN (Near range Radar Network can be installed)
       ARMI (Aircraft Registration Mark Identification)
                 based on a TV camera system
       ASCS (Airport Surface Control System) 
           SSR Mode S multilateration system for the position determination
           and identification of aircraft with SSR Mode S transponders
       DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System)
  
• Objectives :
  • to develop new solutions, system components 
    and procedures for an integrated A-SMGCS
  • to validate the A-SMGCS concept as an
    efficiency and safety improvement approach
  • to deliver validated parameters for the standardization bodies
  • to create solutions to the user's problems
  • to develop, test and optimise key elements of an A-SMGCS
  • to verify economic configurations for all categories of airports

Demonstration environment for A-SMGCS research and development

This environment consists of a networking of computers and monitors for the data acquisition of sensor systems installed, data matching, data processing, and the possibility of presentations of the single sensor and total system characteristic.

The core of this development environment is an intelligent data fusion system for linking all sensor data. A large variety of sensor types can be integrated. The data fusion provides an integrated multi sensor system for continuous automatic determination of the traffic situation at the airport. This means tracking and identification of all objects within the approach area, runways, taxiways and aprons as well as high level description of the operational state of the objects and conflict assessment.

The demonstration centre connected is suitable to demonstrate the capabilities of all single sensor sets as well as the function of a multi sensor system based on the data fusion system.

•  Technical equipment
  • PC's based on Windows NT
  • FDDI- and Ethernet-network connections
  • Sensor data fusion system
  • Monitors and large screen displays for demonstration purposes
  
•  Objectives
  • Development of new solutions, system components
     and procedures for an integrated A-SMGCS
  • Validation of the A-SMGCS concept as efficiency
     and safety improvement approach
  • Improvement and optimisation of a sensor data fusion
  • Sensor performance verification
  • Control of reference system
  • Management of field tests

Experimental vehicle and aircraft

Additional to the test environment the DLR is in possession of an experimental vehicle (Test Van) and aircraft (DO 228). Both are almost identically equipped so that test surface movements can also be carried out economically with the test van.
The following description concerns only the equipment and the field of the test van.

•  Technical equipment :
  • Inertial Navigation System (LTN-90), with ARINC 429 data bus 
     Outputs: heading, attitude, inertial acceleration, velocity and position
  • SAPOS (Satelliten Positionierungsdienst der deutschen Landvermessung)
     High precision differential GPS, 
     1 Hz update rate and 1cm accuracy with data recording.
  • GP&C  Global Positioning and Communication system
     with 2m accuracy and VHF communication channel
  • Mode S Transponder
  • A new type of airborne display assisting the pilot by surface movements
  • Data recording and Telemetry
    On board data recording and a data link to the ground control room.
    The data link is suitable for a network (TCP/IP).
  
•  Objectives :
  • Application as test and reference vehicle/aircraft
  • As reference system for verification of position accuracy determination
    of all types of relevant ATM-sensors
  • Target simulation for passive/active radar sensors