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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 2037.PDF
AIRLINER AVIONICS 500-series analogue equipment are planned also. HF DATALINK The ARINC communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS), and its international equivalent, SITA Aircom, is a datalink used widely by airlines for company communications. ACARS/ Aircom is a line-of-sight system using VHF radio (equipment manufacturers in clude AlliedSignal Aerospace, Rockwell- Collins, Sundstrand and Teledyne Controls) and, as airlines increase their international operations, many have ex tended the datalink's reach by using satellite communications. Now, HF radio is being developed as a cheaper alternative to satcom for ACARS messaging, position-reporting for auto matic dependent surveillance and the forthcoming ATN. Using HF for long- range data transmission overcomes many of the weather-related propagation prob lems encountered using the frequency band for voice communications. Operational trials began in late 1992 and several airlines are now evaluating HF datalink equipment manufactured by Rockwell-Collins, Sundstrand Data Con trol and Rhode & Schwartz. Collins has introduced the HFS-900D voice/data radio. This features an adaptive modem which can transmit data at be tween 300 and 1,800 bits/s depending on atmospheric conditions. Other features include automatic link establishment and a fast-tune digital antenna coupler. The HFS-900D will be available in mid-1995, while upgrades to existing Collins HF radios will be ready in mid-1994. Sundstrand has developed an HF data modem which can be integrated with existing ACARS units and HF radios to provide a datalink capability. Trials of the HF=DataLink data unit began in late-1992 in an American Airlines Boeing 767. Teledyne Controls, the leading supplier of ACARS units, with 75% of the market, has signed an agreement to market the XK 516D Dailink HF voice/data radio devel oped by Rhode & Schwartz and DASA. Dutch carrier KLM has ordered the system for its MD-lls and Germany's Lufthansa for its Airbus A340s. Teledyne will market the XK 516D, with its integrated 2,400 bit/s modem, in North America and Japan. SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS With the availability of multi-channel voice and data systems, installation of satcom equipment in airlines is accelerat ing rapidly, driven by the requirements for long-range company and air-traffic- control (ATC) communications and reve nue-generating passenger telephones. Honeywell/Racal began shipping multi channel systems earlier this year, achiev ing certification of the three-channel MCS-3000 on the A310, 747-400 and MD-11 by mid-year. The MCS-3000, which offers one high-rate data and two voice channels, follows the single-channel voice/data Satfone and will be succeeded in mid-1994 by a six-channel system. Collins Air Transport expects to have the first certification of its definitive six-channel SAT-906 voice/data system by late 1993. An interim SAT-901 single- channel voice/data system was introduced in 1992, to bridge the gap between the original single-channel low-rate data-only SAT-900 and the SAT-906. Mil-Com Electronics, trading as C3SAT International, is offering its System 2000, a two-channel voice/data system with growth capability to four or six channels. Japan's Toshiba has certification for its ASAT-1 four-channel voice/data system on the 747-400 and expects to have the ASAT-2 six-channel system available by the end of 1992. To reduce their certification workload, both Boeing and McDonnell Douglas have limited initial satcom installations on new aircraft to one avionics/antenna combina tion — Collins with Ball on the 777 and Honeywell/Racal with Canadian Marconi on the MD-11 respectively. Ball is offering the Airlink system, which uses side-mounted conformal phased-array high-gain antennae. CMC is promoting the CMA-2102 top-mounted low-profile phased-array high-gain an tenna. AlliedSignal Air Transport Avion ics is selling the SAT-48 side-mounted conformal phased-array antenna system, developed by Dassault Electronique, while Japan's Toyocom has developed a top-mounted phased-array design. FlightLink system and has agreements with telecommunications agencies in Can ada, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, the Mid dle East and Brazil, to establish ground- station networks. Unlike the USA with its three compet ing ground networks, Europe is develop ing a single terrestrial flight-telephone system, with a network of ground stations initially covering western Europe. A pre operational service provided by the British Telecom-led Jetphone consortium, and using airborne equipment developed by GEC Sensors, began this year. ATN INTEGRATION The next step in communications is the aeronautical telecommunications network which will bring together airline, passen ger and ATC communications in a single integrated network. The US Federal Avia tion Administration plans to create a government/industry consortium to con duct a 48-month, $22 million ATN dem onstration and development effort. The ATN concept envisages a commu nications management unit, or router, in the aircraft, which takes information from the flightdeck, cabin and aircraft avionics and routes it to a similar unit on the ground via the most appropriate commu nications system: Gatelink, VHF or HF radio, satcom, or Mode S. The ground- based router then directs the information to the appropriate private, public and ATC telecommunications network. The FAA demonstration programme is likely to involve manufacturers Rockwell- Collins, Honeywell, Litton and Teledyne, as well as American and United Airlines. United is already negotiating a memoran dum of understanding on the ATN with Boeing, Collins and Honeywell, as well as ARINC, IBM and Unisys. NAVIGATION INERTIAL REFERENCE Ring-laser gyros (RLGs) are now the PASSENGER COMMUNICATIONS With the advent of digital systems, airborne passenger telephones are gaining popular ity as features such as ground-to-air and air-to-air calling, facsimile services and personal-computer links become available. GTE Airfone launched the passenger telephone in 1984 and is now introducing the digital GenStar —— — svstem which will Virtually worldwide air-to-ground passenger communications are available replace the analogue Airfone network by mid-1996. Claircom Com munications has agreements to equip more than 550 air craft owned by Alaska, Northwest and Southwest Air lines with its Air- One digital passen ger-communications system. In-Flight Phone is equipping up to 400 US-Air aircraft with its 36 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 18 - 24 August, 1993
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