Real-Time Ground-Based Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorder: Implementation Scenarios and Feasibility Analysis

Real-Time Ground-Based Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorder Unique text determining the feasibility for implementation and manufacture of ground-based black box systems Real-Time Ground-Based Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorder helps familiarize the reader with the nature of issues surrounding existing black box technology integrated on aircrafts and to understand the benefits and importance of proposed real-time ground-based alternative solutions. These are based on predicting aircraft problems while in flight, including understanding the feasibility of using the already existing space and ground-based wireless technologies infrastructures for this purpose. The authors discuss expense reductions in the crash investigation when implementing the new concepts in this book as compared to existing procedures when aircraft accidents occur. The text also opens new research ideas for future investigations. Simulation codes are included to allow for further independent exploration into the covered concepts and ideas. Topics covered in the book include: Satellite Data Transfer Implementation, including basics of the technology, channel data rate, PSTN-based satellite implementation, and expected availability of spectrum Very High Frequency Digital Link (VDL), including modes, sublayers, data transfer, packet and frame structure, and number of channels needed to support a certain number of airplanes Modern Airplane Communication Technologies (including direct air-to-ground communication using 5G) and terahertz band communications; and their integration into aviation communications Black box final architecture and connectivity, including ground and UAV connectivity, and general black box wireless communications challenges For aviation industrial engineers and technical staff, managers, and aerospace and academic researchers, Real-Time Ground-Based Flight Data and Cockpit Voice Recorder is a valuable guide to existing and future technology to successfully predict aircraft problems during flight.

Table of Contents:
About the Authors xiii Foreword xv Preface xix Acknowledgments xxiii Acronyms xxv 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Motivation 1 1.2 Entities Involved in Air Crash Investigations 5 1.2.1 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 5 1.2.2 National Transportation Board (NTSB) 6 1.2.3 Operator (Airline) 6 1.2.4 Equipment Manufacturer 7 1.3 Existing Traditional FDR/CVR 7 1.3.1 Traditional FDR/CVR History 8 1.3.2 Flight Data Recorder (FDR) 9 1.3.3 The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) 12 1.3.4 Other Types of Recorders 13 1.3.4.1 Deployable Recorders 13 1.3.4.2 Combined Recorders 14 1.3.4.3 Image Recorders 14 1.4 Real-Time Data Transmission as a Solution 14 1.5 System Capacity Requirements 15 1.6 Summary 15 2 State of the Art 19 2.1 Preceding Research 19 2.2 Wireless FDR/CVR Products in Market 22 2.2.1 Honeywell Connected Recorder 22 2.2.1.1 Honeywell Connected Recorder (HCR-25) Specifications 23 2.2.2 FLYHTStream 23 2.2.2.1 FLYHT AFIRS 228 Family Specifications 25 2.3 Wireless FDR/CVR Challenges 26 2.3.1 The Cost Aspect 26 2.3.2 Industry Factors 26 2.3.3 Lack of Regulations 27 2.4 Summary 27 3 Aviation Communication Overview 31 3.1 History 31 3.1.1 Wireless Telegraphy Era 32 3.1.2 Analog Radio Communication Era 33 3.1.3 Digital Radio Communication Era 34 3.1.4 Digital Data Link Era 34 3.2 Communication Traffic Classes 35 3.3 Main Actors and Organizations 37 3.3.1 Aviation Authorities 37 3.3.2 Air Transport Industry 37 3.3.3 Aviation Datalink Service Providers 38 3.3.4 Aviation Stakeholders 38 3.3.4.1 ANSPs 38 3.3.4.2 Airlines 38 3.3.4.3 Meteorological Centers 39 3.4 Spectrum Allocation to Aeronautical Services 39 3.5 Air-to-Air Communications 41 3.5.1 TCAS Communications 41 3.5.2 VHF Communications 42 3.5.3 ADS-B Air-to-Air Communications 42 3.6 Air-to-Ground Communications 43 3.6.1 HF Air-to-Ground Communications 43 3.6.2 Satellite Communications (SATCOM) 45 3.6.3 VHF Data Broadcast (VDB) Communications 46 3.6.4 ADS-B/ADS-R/TIS-B Air-to-Ground Communications 47 3.7 Summary 48 4 Satellite Data Transfer Implementation 51 4.1 The Iridium Satellite System 51 4.2 Iridium First Generation 52 4.2.1 Technical Description 52 4.2.2 Channels 55 4.2.3 Channel Data Rate 56 4.3 Second Generation 58 4.3.1 Orbit 60 4.3.2 Spacecraft 61 4.3.3 Characteristics and Communication Links 62 4.3.3.1 The Subscriber Links 63 4.3.3.2 The Feeder Links 64 4.3.3.3 The Inter-Satellite Links 64 4.3.3.4 The Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding (TT&C) Links 65 4.3.4 Band Frequency Reuse 65 4.3.4.1 TDMA Frame Structure 65 4.4 PSTN-Based Data Transfer Implementation: One Channel per Aircraft 66 4.5 Alternative Satellite Transmission Implementations 68 4.5.1 Fixed Slot Allocation per Aircraft per Burst 68 4.5.1.1 Slots per Burst Data Transfer 70 4.5.2 Single Second Bursts with Variable Slot Assignment per Frame 74 4.5.2.1 Single Second Burst Data Transmission 76 4.6 Data Transfer – Internet Protocol over Satellite Link Data Transmission 79 4.6.1 The Iridium Data Channel 80 4.6.2 Packet and Frame Structure 80 4.6.3 Data Transfer with Internet Protocols 82 4.6.3.1 Setup and Control 82 4.6.3.2 Data Packet Transmissions 83 4.7 Number of Channels Needed to Support 5000 Planes 84 4.8 Expected Availability of Spectrum 86 4.9 Emerging LEO Satellite Constellations 86 4.9.1 Problem Formulation 87 4.9.2 Results 89 4.10 Discussion 90 4.11 Summary 91 5 VHF Digital Link Implementation 95 5.1 VHF Communications System 95 5.2 VDL Modes 96 5.2.1 VDL Mode 0 97 5.2.2 VDL Mode 2 97 5.2.3 VDL Mode 3 98 5.2.4 VDL Mode 4 98 5.3 Data Transfer – VDL Mode 4 Implementation 100 5.3.1 Consecutive Time Slot Bursts 101 5.3.2 Alternative VDL Mode 4 Transmission Scenarios 103 5.3.2.1 No Buffer and Burst 103 5.3.2.2 Two Second Buffer and Burst 104 5.3.2.3 Three Second Buffer and Burst 104 5.4 Data Transfer – Internet Protocol Over VDL Transmission 107 5.4.1 Data Transfer with Internet Protocols 108 5.4.1.1 Setup and Control 108 5.4.2 Packet and Frame Structure 109 5.4.3 Data Packet Transmissions 109 5.5 Number of Channels Needed to Support 5000 Planes 110 5.6 Expected Availability of Spectrum 110 5.7 Summary 111 6 Cooperative Data Transmission Implementations 113 6.1 VDL System-Based Relaying 114 6.2 VHF and Satellite System Cooperation 117 6.3 Aeronautical Ad-hoc Network (AANET) 118 6.4 Software-Defined Networking 121 6.5 Summary 123 7 UAV Wireless Networks and Recorders 127 7.1 UAV Communication Networks 127 7.2 Space-Air-Ground Integrated Network for 5G/B5GWireless Communications 130 7.3 Integrating UAVs Into Aviation Communication 132 7.4 UAV Recorders 132 7.5 Summary 133 8 Future Aviation Communication 135 8.1 SystemWide Information Management (SWIM) 135 8.1.1 SWIM Definition 136 8.1.2 SWIM Principles 137 8.1.3 SWIM Layers 138 8.2 Air-to-Ground (A2G) Future Communication 139 8.3 Advancements in Air-to-Air (A2A) Communication for Aviation 140 8.3.1 Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) 140 8.3.2 Airborne Separation Assurance Systems (ASAS) 140 8.3.3 L-DACS1 A2A Mode 141 8.3.4 Free-Space Optical (FSO) Communications 141 8.4 Emerging Technologies Shaping Aviation Communication 141 8.4.1 Single-Pilot Operations (SPOs) 141 8.4.2 Troposcatter Communications 142 8.4.3 Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) Communications 142 8.5 Machine Learning in Future Communications 142 8.6 Summary 143 References 144 Appendix A 145 A.1 Useful MATLAB Codes 145 A.1.1 Iridium Satellite Constellation Viewer 145 A.1.2 Iridium Satellite Constellation Footprints 145 A.1.3 Large Satellite Constellation Implementation for Ground-Based FDR/CVR Recorders 146 Index 153

About the Author :
Mustafa M. Matalgah received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1996 from the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA, and has extensive industry and academic experience in wireless communications. Since August 2002, he has been with the University of Mississippi in Oxford, USA, where he is now a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Mohammed Ali Alqodah is a Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Mississippi, USA.