1. TCAS Resolution Advisory Monitoring System (TRAMS)
Carl B. Jezierski
Airborne Team AJP-651
Research & Technology Development
15 October 2008
Aerospace Control and Guidance Systems Committee Meeting #102

2. Topics A Brief History of TCAS TCAS Theory of Operation
TCAS and the ATC Mode S Radar Environment
Purpose and Requirements for TCAS Monitoring
TRAMS Architecture
TRAMS Data Collection and Processing
TRAMS Data Flow
TRAMS Deployment
The Engineering Development Services Group provides technical expertise to identify and evaluate candidate technical solutions to support the evolution of the NAS Enterprise Architecture (EA). Personnel with expertise in surveillance, navigation, and airborne/avionics systems perform system engineering and development activities for a wide range of ATO customers. Technical validation activities are conducted to assess the efficacy of technology alternatives, develop system requirements, develop and validate domestic and international standards, and assist in providing recommendations to support key decision points outlined in the EA infrastructure roadmaps. In support of these activities the group designs and develops prototypes and configures ground and airborne test beds to evaluate enabling NextGen technologies and applicable operational procedures. The Engineering Development Services Group works in close partnership with the FAA project management offices and operating services, the military, industry, academia, foreign aviation authorities, and standards setting organizations such as RTCA and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The group's efforts are primarily focused on supporting research, development, evaluation, and testing of GPS augmentation systems (LAAS) and other navigational aides (LORAN, TLS), including approach procedures design and validation initiatives; TCAS safety enhancements and resolution advisory (RA) monitoring conformance; Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and associated Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) applications including Flight Deck Merging and Spacing ; development, operation, and maintenance of the ADS-B Broadcast Services Ground Stations; and subject matter expertise to national and international standards bodies for the development of system performance specifications and standards.

3. A Brief History of TCAS TCAS V6.04(a) TCAS V7.0 RTCA DO-185A
Recent Logic Changes (1)
V7.1 RTCA DO-185B
RA Reversal Logic “SA01”
AVSA
Recent Logic Changes (2)
Hybrid Surveillance
TRAMS – TCAS Resolution Advisory Monitoring System
RTCA SC-218 (Future ADS-B/TCAS Relationships)
Systems engineering analysis plan – September 08
Perform systems engineering analysis – July 09
TCAS on UAS

4. TCAS Theory of Operation
Airborne Platform
Transponder-based
TCAS I Traffic Alerts (TA) Only
TCAS II TA and Resolution Advisory (RA) Generation
Coordination of vertical maneuvers with other aircraft
18 second RA broadcast transmitted

5. Purpose and Requirements for TCAS Monitoring
The TCAS RA Monitoring System (TRAMS) is a new distributed ground-based system that will capture airborne RA communications and related surveillance data in real-time and transmit this information daily to a central facility for analysis and archive. The overall goal of TRAMS is to enable analysis of TCAS performance and facilitate changes in the airspace. Specifically, the mission objectives are to:
Comply with the Safety Management System requirement to monitor new systems introduced into the NAS environment to protect against NAS performance degradation.
Provide a database of actual Resolution Advisories (RA) and associated surveillance data for post analysis of TCAS operational performance.
Provide a database of selected surveillance data for future research.

6. TCAS and the ATC Mode S Radar Environment
Types
Terminal radar (60 nm, 360° every 4.75 seconds)
Enroute radar (200 nm, 360° every 12 seconds)
Default Programming
Ground site interrogates the aircraft’s transponder to determine equipage
Site Specific Programming
If RA broadcast detected, interrogate the transponder for the RA specifics

7. Resolution Advisory (RA)
TRAMS Architecture
FAA Technical Center
TRAMS Central Site
TRAMS
Remote Site
Collision
Event
Resolution Advisory (RA)
and
Surveillance Data

8. TRAMS Architecture 20 TRAMS Remote Sites
Sensor
Airport
# Ops/Install
BUR
Bob Hope 5
HPN
Westchester County 12
NUQ
San Jose Intl 8
STB
St. Louis Intl 9
PDX
Portland 13
FLL
Ft. Lauderdale 14
OAK
Oakland Intl 7
STC
Seattle-Tacoma 19
LGB
Long Beach 6
EWR
Newark Liberty Intl 11
Sensor
Airport
# Ops/Install
JFK
John F Kennedy Intl 2
DTWA
Detroit Metro 17
LAXN
Los Angeles 3
DFW
Dallas-Ft. Worth 4
PHX
Sky Harbor Intl 18
DEN
Denver Intl 15
LAS
McCarren Intl 20
PHL
Philadelphia Intl 1
QXM
O’Hare 16
ATL
Hartsfield Intl 10
20 TRAMS Remote Sites
Denver is the only TRAMS Remote Site based at an enroute radar

9. (Public Switched Telephone Network)
TRAMS Architecture (Remote Site Configuration)
NTP Time Server *
GPS Antenna
Data
Processor
Secure
Modem
PSTN
(Public Switched Telephone Network)
Channel A
Channel B
Surveillance
Comm-B
Ethernet - CAT 5e
RS-232
SCAP Boundary
TRAMS
Central Site
Other
Devices
TDIC-B
Switch
Network
Hub
(Linux)
Recorder
Mode S
Data Processors
Ground Station
Surveillance Network
Remote Site Network
UDP

10. TRAMS Data Collection and Processing
Remote Site Data Collection
Equippage (transponder & TCAS types)
For tracks declaring a RA and tracks not declaring an RA but would otherwise be reasonably expected to:
The RA message
Surveillance data
3rd party surveillance data
Surveillance data for tracks exhibiting altimetry anomalies
Remote Site Processing (Daily Summaries)
Flight operations by equipage
Environmental density by equipage & altitude bands
Estimates of TA and RA rates for collision risk assessments

11. TRAMS Architecture (Remote Site Configuration)

12. (2 lines with provision for an additional line)
TRAMS Architecture (Central Site Configuration)
GPS Antenna
PSTN
(2 lines with provision for an additional line)
Ethernet – CAT 5e
RS-232
TRAMS
Central Processor
Secure Modems 1 2 3
SCAP Boundary
Line #1
Line #2
Expansion Line #3
NTP Time Server
USB
Converter To
DVD / CD-ROM
Burn Capability
Initial data analysis of TRAMS collected data
Quick look – visualization of selected tracks
Autoanalysis – isolation of “interesting” RA tracks

13. TRAMS Data Flow

14. TRAMS Deployment Three test sites.
PHL (April 2008)
JFK (July 2008)
LAX (November 2008)
SCAP testing December 2008 – February 2009
TRAMS Deployment begins in Mar 08 at DFW.
New site installed about every 3 weeks thereafter.
Continuous data collection and analysis up to and including FY 2011.
Permanent data collection and daily summaries beyond FY 2011.
TCAS certified to Level B – We provide data and analyze data coleected by a avioincs manufacturer delivered to us by the ACO for analysis.

15. Backup Slides

16. A Brief History of TCAS (2)