1. FIXM – What’s it all about?
28/03/2017
FIXM – What’s it all about?
A briefing on the Flight Information eXchange Model
This briefing is intended to introduce the FIXM initiative. To explain its objectives, its scope, how it relates to the Flight Object, and the current planning.
It is based on initial discussion held with the FAA in September Details of the plan will undoubtedly change as things progress….
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2. Is it the same as the Flight Object?
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
What will it look like?
Who will use it?
FIXM
What’s the plan?
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
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3. Is it the same as the Flight Object?
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
What is FIXM?
What will it look like?
Who will use it?
FIXM
What’s the plan?
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
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4. The Flight Information eXchange Model
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
The Flight Information eXchange Model
Flow Management
Event Specification
Security
AMDB
FPP
FIXM
Flight Data
FIXM stands for the Flight Information eXchange Model. It will be a data model for the exchange of flight data in much the same way as AIXM is for aeronautical data and WXXM is for weather data. The different models should all ‘dovetail’ together i.e. they should not overlap, but will depend on each other to complete the definitions. For example the FIXM model may refer to pieces of information that are fully defined in the AIXM model (an ATS route for example). The dependencies between FIXM and AIXM are expected to be greater than the dependencies between AIXM and WXXM, and there is not thought to be much direct relationship between FIXM and WXXM (but this will become clear as FIXM develops, and should be possible in any case).
The model will consist of a core, which is intended to be globally standardised through ICAO, and a set of extensions to the core model which will be specific to a particular domain. Extensions may be defined by particular communities for particular needs. Some examples of current AIXM extensions are: a) The Event Specification which is used to define Digital NOTAM messages, b) AMDB the airport mapping database extension which is defined jointly by RTCA/EUROCAE, and c) the FPP Flight Procedures Process which is an FAA extension.
Similarly the FIXM model will support the concept of extensions. The core model will be restricted to those pieces of flight data that can be globally harmonised (see next slide). Example FIXM extensions might be: a) A European Flow Management extension to capture flight data related to the way Flow management is done in Europe, or b) security information which may contain US specific required data for security purposes. Some types of data may start life as an extension, but once commonly agreed might migrate to become a part of the FIXM core.
The combination of FIXM, AIXM and WXXM is expected to cover the majority of data that needs to be exchanged within ATM.
To allow greater interoperability between different data domains the models are expected to be based on common foundations. This may not be achievable immediately but should be the aim.
WXXM
Weather Data
AIXM
Aeronautical Data
Common Foundations (basic data types/concepts)
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5. What is the initial scope of FIXM?
28/03/2017
What is the initial scope of FIXM?
V1: Inter-regional Exchanges
V2: Airspace User Exchanges
In an ideal world the FIXM core would contain all flight data that needs to be exchanged by any stakeholder throughout the world. In practice it is not going to be possible to define and agree such a model in the foreseeable future. So we need to start by limiting the initial scope of the FIXM core to being the data that needs to be globally standardised. In the long term the scope of the FIXM core may grow but we should start by concentrating on exchanges with stakeholders that operate at a global level. So the initial proposed scope of FIXM is any exchanges involving airlines and exchanges between regions e.g. between the FAA and Europe, or between the FAA and Canada or Mexico etc. Note the FAA think of this latter exchange as between ANSPs but in the European case, exchanges between EUROCONTROL member state ANSPs are not considered to be within the initial scope.
The initial planning for FIXM is that FIXM Version 1 will address the exchange between regions and FIXM Version 2 will address the exchanges with airspace users. The major airlines obviously operate on a global level and so any new standard for exchanging information with them should be defined at a global level.
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6. Is it the same as the Flight Object?
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
Who will use it?
What will it look like?
Who will use it?
FIXM
What’s the plan?
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
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7. 28/03/2017
Who will use FIXM?
The need for FIXM has been identified by the ICAO ATM Requirement and Performance Panel (ATMRPP). A new data format will be required to support the future flight planning concept as described by the FF-ICE concept (Flight and Flow Information for a Collaborative Environment) published by the ATMRPP in October This concept is expected to be form the basis for more detailed concepts developed by SESAR in Europe and Nextgen in the USA, and thus FIXM should be used by those programmes in any related work.
FIXM will be used to define the payloads for data exchanges defined either through services or via more traditional message exchanges.
As FIXM develops and matures it is expected that other users will adopt it on an opportunistic basis, and in the longer term regulation to support its implementation is not ruled out.
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8. FIXM What is FIXM? What will it look like? Who will use it?
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
What will it look like?
Who will use it?
FIXM
Both Europe and the USA have the concept of a Flight Object as being a common shared reference for information about a particular flight, and have started to implement the Flight Object in their regions. In Europe the definition of the Flight Object is captured by EUROCAE ED133 which specifies how the Flight Object concept is to be implemented for ATC Flight Data Processing systems for En-route and Terminal control. An important aspect of ED133 is the definition of how Flight Objects are to be managed within the network of Flight Object Servers to ensure that there is a single system responsible for maintaining the Flight Object at any time (called the Flight Data Manager Publisher) and ensuring its distribution to all interested parties.
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
What’s the plan?
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
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9. Is it the same as the Flight Object?
28/03/2017
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
European Flight Object
Network: ED133
ATC
FOS
CFMU
FAA Flight Object
Network
FOS
ED133 Data Format
FIXM Extension?
FAA Data Format
Overall architecture, services/messaging protocols etc.
Other issues need addressing:
Airspace Users
FIXM Data Format
The Flight Object is more than a data model. It is the concept of a single common source of flight data to be used as a common reference, and its implementation involves defining an architecture of Flight Object Servers, requirements for how those servers must interact, plus the definitions of a set of services to be offered, and the payload they carry. FIXM is a data format, and as such is much narrower in scope than the concept of the Flight Object. It could be used as the format for the payload to be exchanged by services defined to support the Flight Object implementation, but that is not currently the case.
To date in Europe the ED133 definition of the Flight Object considers ATC-ATC interactions, and the ATC-CFMU interactions are being studied under SESAR project The implementation of the Flight Object concept for airspace users has not yet been considered. The format of the data to be exchanged in ED133 is defined as a set of XML schemas in ED133. The data format to be exchanged with airspace users and between regions would be FIXM. Whether or not the ED133 payload format is changed to be defined as a FIXM extension is to be decided later. It is not planned to be in the initial scope of the FIXM.
FIXM will define the data format to be used as the payload for future flight messages, but to implement the actual exchanges a number of other issues still need to be addressed, inter alia, the overall technical architecture (which systems will connect to which systems), the set of services to be used or the message exchange protocols to be used, and how to use them. These issues are not a part of FIXM but will need to be addressed in order to implement the data exchanges required. We need to decide within SESAR which projects will work on this and how they will coordinate their work with the FAA (at the level of the concept, overall system architecture, and service definitions).
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10. Is it the same as the Flight Object?
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
What will it look like?
Who will use it?
FIXM
The FAA are the driving force behind this initiative, but would like to develop the model in collaboration with Europe, in much the same way as was done for AIXM and more recently WXXM. It has been agreed that SESAR will cooperate with the FAA and this comes under coordination plan 3.1 led by Christiano Baldoni from ENAV. The specific work to support the development of FIXM falls under the scope of the Project (Information Modelling Flight Data Domain) led by EUROCONTROL.
Other work to develop the architecture and service definitions etc will need to involve other SESAR work packages (as yet TBD).
What’s the plan?
What’s the plan?
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
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11. The Initial Plan – Short Term
28/03/2017
The Initial Plan – Short Term
TBD…
Airspace
Users V2
…and grow
Inter-
regional
V1.x
and grow
2012 Flight plan
+ GUFI,NAS FPL, ED133
V1.0
Start small…..
An initial plan has been tentatively agreed between the FAA project leader and the project leader. It is agreed that the work needs to cover both the development of the FIXM model as well as the supporting engineering that will be required to achieve interoperability (i.e. the architectural issues, messaging protocols etc.) The agreement is to start with a relatively narrow scope so that the general modelling and working practices can be tried out before tackling a larger scope of data.
The same subcontractors that worked on WXXM are also working on FIXM for the FAA (Lincoln Labs) and so they are well placed to ensure consistency of approach between the different XM models.
The initial versions of FIXM planned are as follows:
Version 1: Inter-regional exchanges
V1.0: Flight Plan 2012 data model. GUFI, NAS Flight Plan and Elements of ED133 data model
V1.1/V1.2: Inter-regional Tactical and Strategic Information Exchanges
Version 2: Airspace Users
Version 3 etc.: TBD
A more detailed plan has been tentatively agreed for FIXM V1.0. The main points are as follows:
Agree development plan (Oct 21st)
Agree modelling practices (Nov 30th)
Develop data model (FIXM, FIXM, FIXS and Data dictionary – see next slide for details) Aug 31st 2012
For the architectural questions there is no specific joint plan at this time. The FAA have produced a number of working papers and plan to create more, but how these subjects are to be agreed is TBD.
Aug 2012
TBD
TBD
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12. Is it the same as the Flight Object?
28/03/2017
What is FIXM?
What will it look like?
What will it look like?
Who will use it?
FIXM
What’s the plan?
Is it the same as the Flight Object?
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13. FIXM Terminology & Technology
28/03/2017
FIXM Terminology & Technology
FICM: Flight Object Conceptual Model :
High level, implementation independent flight object concepts and the relationships between the concepts.
FIXM: Flight Object Logical Model :
Exchange model based on the information model
Implementation independent with more details for the concepts and relationships
Identifies relevant standards
FIXS: The Flight Object Schema :
Machine-generated implementation of the FIXM model and any associated data model standards
Level of the AIRM
Unified Modeling Language
(UML)
Level of the SDM
Unified Modeling Language
(UML) + Standards
The contents of this slide are from a presentation given by Lincoln Labs.
“FIXM” will actually comprise of a number of different models.
FICM is a conceptual model that should be integrated into the AIRM.
FIXM is a UML model that shows the structure of the data to be exchanged. It is at the same level as the proposed Service Data Model, and should ultimately replace it where their scope overlaps.
FIXS is a set of schema that will be used by WP14 to define the payload of interfaces at the wire level.
It is also proposed to deliver a data dictionary that will provide a definition for all the terms used in the model. This can then be used to help populate the ATM lexicon for SESAR and the FAA Data Registry.
Level of Message Definition
XML Schema
XML Documents
** Common terminology used: FIXM conceptual model, logical model and schema.
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14. ? FIXM Layers GML? CMS ASDI ICAO Message MSG-Meta Data Flight Aircraft
28/03/2017
FIXM Layers
Example Messages (not part of FIXM)
FxMsgExt
CMS
ASDI
ICAO ?
Message
MSG-Meta Data
Base Messages:
FxMsg
Flight
Aircraft
Equipage
Facility
General
Flight
Domain: Fx
This slide is based on some slides from a Lincoln Lab presentation.
The FIXM model will be layered to support modularity, extensibility, reusability and interoperability with the other XM models.
It will use ISO standards to form the foundations. The same standards that have been used in AIXM and WXXM, and are also being used in the AIRM.
The base types should also be largely common with AIXM,WXXM.
There are a couple of issues with this structure which are to be further discussed.
Lincoln Labs are also proposing to include a basic message definition as part of the FIXM standard at the moment, but this is not yet agreed. There is a need to define a set of messages using FIXM, and it seems quite sensible to include these message definitions as extensions of the FIXM (i.e. not part of the core, globally standardised model), and they argue that therefore we should include a basic message structure as part of the FIXM core which can then be extended in the specific extensions. However this is questionable. The primary goal of the FIXM core model is to define a globally agreed data model to support the exchange of information. How FIXM is to be used is to be decided by the system implementers and those that define the interfaces. The messages that define these interfaces may be documented as extensions to the model (to keep it all in one place), but there does not appear to be a need to define any kind of common structure to these messages, this can probably be left to each individual extension to decide. If, or when, a set of FIXM messages are defined to replace the current ICAO messages (in support of FF-ICE) then that particular extension can be referenced in any supporting ICAO documents – this does still not require a basic message structure to be agreed across all users of FIXM.
Lincoln Labs are also promoting the use of OGC standards including GML. GML introduces quite a substantial increase in the size of the messages created, and so there is a trade-off to be considered between the efficiency of the encoding and the advantages of the easier integration of data from different sources, if they are all encoded using GML.
Personnel
Trajectory
Freight
Base:
FxBase
Core Measures
Data Types
Units
ISO 19103
(Basic)
ISO 19107
(Spatial)
ISO 19108
(Temporal)
ISO 19115
(Metadata)
Standards
GML?
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15. Summary FIXM is AIXM / WXXM for Flight Data
Scope is initially limited to Inter-region exchanges and Airspace Users exchanges
Will start small …FIXM V1.0 scope is 2012 FPL, GUFI, NAS Flight plan data and some elements from Ed133..
P8.1.9 will work on FIXM information modelling
Need to also work on other aspects – architecture, services etc.