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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1845.PDF
652 FLIGHT International, 17 October 1963 AVIATION ELECTRONICS Schematic diagram of an experimental radar data processing system made for RRE by AT&E and proposed for joint civiljmilitary ATC POSITIONS STORES DATA INJECTION AND DISPLAY POSITIONS POSITIONS COMPUTER POSITIONS STORES DATA INJECTION AND ELECTRONIC! TABULAR I DISPLAYS JOYSTICKS R.R.E. EQUIPMENT DIGITAL DATA LINKS SEWY AUTOMATIC HEIGHT FINDER PRIMARY RADAR MARKS VIDEO ETC MIXER LABEL PLAN DISPLAYS P.P.I. RADAR DISPLAYS RADAR SIMULATOR AT&E—already have very considerable experience of this type of control system by virtue of extensive military work. The first two and Cossor have for some time offered equivalent civil data- handling systems based on radar. Now, the civil and military experience is being directly combined in the form of an adaptation of all the available equipment for the purpose of producing the joint system. AEI are proposing their formerly exclusively military volumetric radar for civil use and AT&E showed at Malvern their data processing system in the joint civil/military application. Considerable advances are also in progress in the development of more effective radar transmitter/receivers, with particular emphasis on low-noise receivers and swept-frequency systems with a number of objectives. Concurrently, much is being done to develop data links, both air-to-ground and ground-to-ground, to accompany the various information-gathering devices. As noted in a leading article in Flight International for October 3, there is an increasing tendency to think of control as an isolated ground-based function, separate from airborne navigation. It seems to have been left to Eurocontrol to consider the whole Decca AR-I aerial feed system for frequency diversity and remote- controlled circular polarization navigation/ATC problem as a single issue with a truly co-ordinated solution. Typical of the transference of military experience into the civil field is the AEI type 4502 volumetric radar which, by pulse compres sion and circular polarization techniques is able to provide gap-free coverage between 5,000ft and 75,000ft on 1.5 sq m targets at ranges up to 150 n.m., with the ability to detect even at short ranges small targets at high altitudes. Use of stacked beams by means of multiple- horn feed allows the elimination of permanent echoes and the real time indication of the height of each aircraft. The displays can be split into height bands. Shown integrally with the type 4502 was the secondary radar system for which AEI produced the aerial and S.T.C. the SGR.l transmitter/receiver. The latter is fully transistorized except for the output stage, meets ICAO requirements and can be remotely con trolled over GPO lines. It is a dual system with the minimum of common parts. The aerial can either be mounted on the primary aerial or synchronized with primary radars on a remote site. Also at Malvern were components and practical demonstrations of the Automatic Telephone and Electric Co XL2 computer and data processing system for joint civil and military ATC. This is a large- scale system developed for MoA, probably related to existing tactical control centres, and employing large-scale e.d.p. systems. An important factor is the inclusion of self-checking facilities to such an extent that only low-grade maintenance effort is required and need for replacement of faulty units is indicated on a mainten ance control board. Redundant units, particularly spare computers, are incorporated. AT&E have closely investigated component reliability and quality control. A few years ago, a system of this elaboration would have been considered prohibitively expensive for civil use. More manageable equipment and a more pressing oper ational requirement have overcome such objections. In the operational system, an example of which is installed at RRE, both civil and military raw radar and digital height informa tion is brough in by data links and supplied to both civil and mil itary control elements—to the one for ATC work and to the othei for defence purposes. Track extraction and data insertion operations are performed, initially manually, but with increasing automation, and processed by the central computer, the results being auto matically routed to the appropriate civil or military controller, with flight-plan updating information where appropriate. Synthetic displays will show information-coded and track-indicating traces, together with tabular and electronically controlled information panels; and there will be facilities for conflict detection and reso.u- tion. _ Elements of the input and output sections of the Elliott Eucna experimental ATC system were shown by RRE, Elliott themselves
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