Si A-SMGCS

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Si stand-alone Advanced Surveillance Movement, Guidance & Control System

Si A-SMGCS is a system to support Air Navigation Service Providers to provide a safe and efficient aerodrome control service. The system can be integrated into most tower environments.

Overview Functionality

The following functionality is included in the Si A-SMGCS:

  • Level 1 where non-cooperative (e.g. Surface Movement Radar) and cooperative (e.g. Multilateration) surface surveillance is fused to system tracks and presented for air traffic controllers and/or airport operators on an Air/Ground situational display.
  • Level 2 adds the additional safety nets for monitoring and control functions to alert the controller when runway incursions or area intrusions occur in the airport maneuvering area.

Tasks and operators

Runway and Ground controllers are the main operators who benefit of A-SMGCS, as they control and guide the traffic on the surface of the airport in various visibility conditions. Their situational awareness is improved by more accurate identification of aircraft and other vehicles on the surface, while alerts inform controllers on necessary action.

Routing and Guidance are further service function levels that can be implemented in the A-SMGCS. Our expertise is to provide interfacing to various 3rd party systems, e.g. light control systems, data link providers, gate management systems etc.

Data Management

Surveillance data is collected from Surface Movement Radar and Multilateration. Using other techniques such as ADS-B and TIS-B identification of vehicles can be made highly accurate, creating the required situational awareness.

Using the runway incursion defined area and the surveillance data, violation of safety rules can be monitored. Various alerts ensure that the right controller receives the right alert to act upon.

ATC Functions

Controller HMI: an air/ground situation display can present both the surface movements as well as incoming approach and en-route traffic via a secondary surveillance window. The system displays the ground situation map and environment whilst presenting mobiles (i.e. aircraft and vehicle) and if necessary safety net alerts.

Alert Function: visible and audio alerts to notify the controller of safety violations.

Routing: cleared and actual completed route visible on the ground situation display with input mechanism for editing routes.

Main Operational Features

  • The functionality supports approach and tower operations
  • Traffic situation can be shown as “tracks” in a geographical window.
  • Flight plan data is presented and operator interaction is performed in lists and labels.
  • The design of these HMI objects is to present only the required data, however, additional data is easy to retrieve, with a click of the mouse
  • Lists and labels are specially designed to support control of the air traffic in a paperless environment.
  • Each flight plan is dynamically updated based upon controller input of clearances/instructions given verbally or as part of CPDLC, e.g. departure clearance (DCL). Input facilities are available in any of the flight’s HMI objects.
  • Internal co-ordination is performed silently through system functions, including that co-ordination between controllers in TWR and APP.
  • Coordination with adjacent centers is performed by means of OLDI/AIDC where such connections are available.
  • The dynamic handling of the operational configuration allows a highly flexible use of the airspace. Reconfiguration of sector jurisdiction is handled in a decentralised manner. The system supports on-line reclassification of sectors.

 

Technical Features

Commercial hardware and software

  • COTS workstations with monitor(s), keyboard and mouse
  • Fault-tolerant servers
  • Redundant LAN
  • Unix / Linux operating system
  • X Window / Motif
  • Application software is in C, C++ and ADA

General Design aspects

  • Client/server concept
  • Open system architecture
  • Distributed processing
  • Fault-tolerant software