VHF Radio  -  Line of Sight Communications ?

Its not at all what we expected but ....

We recently installed 6 extra PAGN (ACARS data link) ground stations for Jetstar Airlines' private ACARS ground station network in some of the more remote locations on the Australian mainland.  The range of one of those is particularly interesting.

The ground station at EUCLA on the southern coast of West Australia is positioned to give maximum coverage for aircraft flying from Melbourne or Sydney to Perth.  But we see real-time communications between the Eucla ground station and aircraft that are as much as 1000nm distant.   There is regular communications over 450nm.  These magnificant distances are being achieved over the ocean - some when the aircraft are very close to the island state of Tasmania.  The aircraft are typically at 37,000 feet.

Of course we can't take credit for these unusually impressive propogation characteristics - but as RF and data link engineers - its great to see !

ADS and Airtel-ATN at ATCA 2009

Thanks to those who visited us at the recent 54^th Annual ATCA Conference, October 4- 7 (Stand #127) in National Harbor, MD. In collaboration with Airtel-ATN, we demonstrated a comprehensive set of test and validation software to test airborne and ground ATN data link systems.

Airtel-ATN’s Ground Validation Suite software is used to test ATN enabled ATC centre end-systems. The software emulates airborne systems providing support for several hundred aircraft as well as an ATN air-ground router and the emulation of an ACSP ground-ground router connection.

Validation Suite over VDL radios was on display using the ADS AVLC stack and Mini-VDR low-power transceivers. Our AVLC stack is a Portable VDL2 application (PVDL) providing VDL Mode 2 operation of both aircraft and ground stations with strong and meaningful graphics displays and logging database. PVDL can be operated as either a fully interactive system engaged in data link activity or as a monitor-only system.

ADCC Adds to their Data Link test Capability.

Beijing, China -  Aviation Data Communication Corporation - China's data link network service provider (DSP) has added to their existing range of our data link test systems with the purchase of additional PC.ACARS, VDL Mode 2, D-ATIS and DCL test and emulation hardware and software systems.

ADCC operates the national network of aviation data link ground stations that cover all major domestic air routes within China and have been a highly valued customer of ADS since 2001.  

For general information about the MVDL and PVDL emulation systems please see PVDL or contact us.

MVDL for Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company.

Shanghai, China -  Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company manufacturers of the twin turbofan ARJ-21 regional airline family of aircraft has acquired the MVDL system for testing VDL Mode 2 and ACARS equipped aircraft.  The portable MVDL system emulates a data link ground system enabling aircraft testing without taking up valuable flight test time. 

For general information about the MVDL and PVDL emulation systems please see PVDL or contact us.

Rohde & Schwarz acquires PVDL-ASA System.

Munich, Germany -  Rohde & Schwarz are the latest customer of the PVDL-ASA emulation system.  PVDL-ASA provides emulation of both VDL Mode 2 and ACARS equipped aircraft.  This will enable Rohde & Schwarz to perform laboratory testing of data link ground station radios and systems without need for an actaul aircraft system to provide the airborne entity in end-to-end systems testing.

The PVDL-GS system is also available which emulates the ground station entity to facilitate the testing of avionics data link systems.
For general information about the PVDL emulation systems please see PVDL or contact us.

PVDL Upgrade Available for A631-5

Melbourne, Australia - We are pleased to announce the availability of the PVDL software application upgrade to include changes introduced by Arinc 631 Supplement 5. Upgrades are available for both the aircraft (PVDL-AS) and ground station (PVDL-GS) emulation packages.

The main changes relate to use of the Frequency Support List (FSL) in conjunction with the setting of the Air/Ground Bit, introduction of bit 7 to the AVLC Specific Options parameter, and the ability -  in PVDL-GS - to generate GSIF's on more than one channel frequency.

Please contact us   for more details on this upgrade.

AVICOM Japan acquires MVDL System.

Tokyo, Japan -  AVICOM Japan has taken delivery of their first MVDL system for use as a test tool in both the VDL Mode 2 and ACARS data link environments.

The software options chosen by AVICOM allow them to monitor, log and replay ACARS and VDLM2 RF traffic data.  The comprehensive graphics displays provided by the MVDL test platform allows detailed analysis of the complex air-to-ground data communications protocols.

AVICOM Japan is the aviation data link service provider (DSP) for Japan.

ADOS System Operational

Melbourne, Australia - ADOS ( AMDAR Data Optimization System) is a software system developed by ADS  for the Australian government's Bureau of Meteorology.  AMDAR meteorology data is collected worldwide and feeds into various global weather forecasting models with special application to aviation meteorology. 

The ADOS system makes decisions for Australian airspace - about whether to activate or deactivate the airborne real-time AMDAR reporting functions in individual aircraft -   and sends ACARS uplink commands to control those avionics reporting functions.  

The ADOS system is now fully operational across the entire Qantas fleet.  

Jetstar Airways  Expands PAGN ACARS Ground Station Network.

Melbourne, Australia -  Jetstar has contracted with ADS for the provision of another 6 PAGN VHF ACARS ground stations to extend the total number of Australian ground stations to 14.  This will provide a much more comprehensive coverage of Jetstar's flight routes over domestic Australian airspace for both terminal area and en-route ACARS communications. 

Jetstar, with its fleet of 27 A320, 6 A330 and 1 A321 aircraft, flies directly to over 20 ports within Australia and has an expanding international network which currently includes 18 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region

PAGN allows any airline like Jetstar to become a datalink service provider (DSP) - owning and operating its own ACARS network - including host processor and ground stations - but still retaining connectivity to the major DSP's to support its international operations.  This vastly reduces the on-going service and messaging costs associated with the traditional global DSP's for ACARS services.

     PAGN is  a fully flexible TCP/IP enabled ACARS network - ideal for the regional aircraft operator.
        Jetstar has been a PAGN-ACARS network user since October 2007.
             ADS has been providing aviation data link systems and solutions since 1989.

Honeywell - India - acquires PC.ACARS

Bangalore, India -  We are proud to announce that the Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab located in Bangalore, India has become a user of PC.ACARS electronics module (SDM-17E-1) to integrate into their laboratory testing systems.  This unit operates with ADS's PC.ACARS aircraft or ground station software emulation package (A618 emulation) and also offers software interface for customer software application integration.

Selex Communications adds ATN decoder module to their PVDL emulation suite.

Firenze, Italy -  Selex Communications SPA,  supplier of state of the art telecommunications systems to the aerospace industry, has recently purchased the ATN decoder module to expand the scope of their PVDL VDL Mode 2 emulation system.  This adds the capability of decoding data passing through the ATN stack from 8208 to TP4 layers.  Please contact us if you have any similar requirements.

Belgocontrol orders D-ATIS and DCL Test System.

Brussels, Belgium - Belgocontrol, the organisation responsible for air traffic safety in Belgian airspace, has ordered ADS's aircraft simulation tool for emulating D-ATIS and DCL operations over ACARS data link.

The applications, which are fully compliant with EUROCAE ED85A, ED89A and AEEC 623, operate on ADS's MVDL platform which is capable of providing both ACARS and VDL Mode 2 datalink operations.  

The emulation tool allows the test operator to initiate downlinks to a datalink ground station from the MVDL "aircraft".  The downlinks travel through the normal datalink service provider path to Belgocontrol's D-ATIS / DCL applications.  These applications then generate an appropriate response which is uplinked via the return path to the originating aircraft (the MVDL test platform).  The uplinked data is displayed by the MVDL platform in standard flight deck formats.

ADS and Airtel ATN join forces to introduce VDL2 / ATN test tools

Aviation Data Systems - We are pleased to announce that ADS has combined with Airtel ATN to provide a full VDL2 (provided by ADS) and ATN stack (provided by Airtel ATN) emulation and test solution. These will be incorporated into ADS's existing PVDL (Aircraft & Ground Station) and  MPRT products to provide testing and emulation of Communication Navigation Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), Connection Management (CM), Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependant Surveilance (ADS) applications.

To see these products in action or enquire about solutions we can provide for you, contact us directly to arrange demonstration.

ADS provides IDS S.p.A. with GBAS emulation system.

Pisa,  Italy - IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi S.p.A. –  has contracted with ADS for the supply of the airborne DGPS component of a GBAS simulation system for Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority.  The system to be supplied is based on the Mini-VDR (D8PSK) VHF receiver and will operate software conforming to the signaling requirements of RTCA DO-246.

The Mini-VDR will receive and decode DO-246 (LAAS) uplinks from the VDB Simulator and will perform similar tasks to that of an airborne multi-mode receiver (MMR).

IDS Ingegneria Dei Sistemi S.p.A, headquartered in the city of Pisa, is an engineering system technology company, providing expert research and innovation services.