1. Eurocontrol Software Tools for Frequency Management
1- Background
2- Databases
3- MANIF for day-to-day
4- PLANIF for Block Planning
5- SENSI for VHF voice forecast & simulation
6- PLANAIDS for Navaids forecast & simulation

2. 1 - Background: Beginning of the ninety’s
Find a technical solution against the European VHF congestion
=> Preference to 8.33 kHz;
Introduced in October 99 in 7 Initial States for FL>245
Need for a robust and reliable
assignment database & frequency software
=> COM table database (Oracle database) &
ODET (Oracle Database Exchange Tool) for their maintenance
=> MANIF (day-to-day frequency tool) &
PLANIF (Block Planning frequency tool)

3. 1 - Background: End of the ninety’s
8.33 kHz in the 7 Initial States For FL>245?
Enough?
Beneficial?
Alternate solution?
=> SENSI (forecast & simulation tool)
Requirements & strategy of the Navaids frequency band.
=> PLANAIDS (forecast & simulation tool)

4. 2 - Databases: => downloads for PLANAIDS At present, COM2 Table
COM3 Table => downloads for MANIF
COM4 Table
COM2 Table => downloads for PLANIF & SENSI
COM3Table
DEMETER
=> downloads for PLANAIDS
In the future,
SFMS => downloads for MANIF, PLANIF, SENSI & PLANAIDS

5. 3 - MANIF for States day-to-day frequency management of:
COM2 table i.e. Voice communication ( MHz)
COM3 table i.e. ILS Localiser, VOR & GBAS ( MHz)
ILS Glide path ( MHz)
DME ( MHz)
MLS ( MHz)
COM4 table i.e. NDB and Locator (130 – 5235 kHz)
COM5 table i.e. List of COM3 and COM4 Ident. code

6. 3 - MANIF Functions:
ICAO COM tables import functions,
Assignment database management,
Polygon database management,
Frequency compatibility check,
Frequency search,
Including Shifting existing frequencies
Graphic display of coverage and protection areas.

7. 3 - MANIF Planning & Compatibility criteria:
MANIF Planning & Compatibility criteria in line with the EUR Frequency Management Manual that takes into account of :
Coverage (including max FL) of the services (circ/sectors), i.e. DOC
Power of desired and undesired transmitters,
Frequency gap between desired and undesired services,
Pairing (double/triple pairing : VOR-DME, ILS-DME, MLS-ME,…
Harmonic level (used for VOR/VOR adjacent channel separation),
Problems due to existence of unpaired DME or TACAN
in the line of sight of an unpaired VOR.

8. The objectives of the planning process:
4 - PLANIF for the supporting the bi-annual block planning meetings for the VHF band Voice com services
The objectives of the planning process:
States’
Requirements
Be efficient in spectrum allocation
=>use of an optimization strategy
COM2 table
checked and
corrected
ARB Assessment &
Final list of
requirements
PLANIF
RUN
Minimize the shifts for
the whole block planning
Limit the maximum shifts
for each individual requirement
Maximum solutions
but ! priority level
RESULTS
PLANIF Planning & Compatibility criteria in line with
the EUR Frequency Management Manual

9. 4 - PLANIF for the VHF block planning meetings
PLANIF’s Optimization Strategy:
1. A weight is given to each existing assignment
=> equal to the number of available frequencies
=> each existing assignment get an EASY or NONEASY status
2. Each Need is processed
=> Available frequencies
=> Weight
=> EASY or NONEASY status
3. Needs are processed from the most NONEASY to the EASIest

10. 4 - PLANIF for the VHF block planning meetings
PLANIF’s Optimization Strategy:
4. The "best" solutions are those corresponding to frequencies :
=> already used by another need,
=> with a minimum number of remaining needs capable to use the frequency,
=> implying a minimum of shifts.
5. New frequencies are searched for requested shifts (No shift for them).
6. If all requested shifts can not be satisfied, a "Feed-back" is done :
=> Unsatisfied shifts are considered as non shiftable and the planning
process restarts from step 2.

11. Estimation of the future demand (from the last BPs)
5- SENSI for the analysis of the VHF spectrum capacity from the medium to the long term
Estimation of the future demand (from the last BPs)
SENSI for forecast = execute a loop of BPs
SENSI for simulation = execute modification
- in database & needs
- in Planning criteria & compatibility
COM2 table
Apply RUN1
Apply RUN2
Apply RUNX
Apply
modification
Results
Estimation of
the future demand
SENSI

12. 5 - SENSI for VHF band forecast and simulation
Different scenario have been made to assess the impact
On the VHF Spectrum MhZ when :
8.33 introduction, horizontal and vertical extension,
modification of separation criteria,
limitation of DOC,
withdrawal of services,
reduction/increase of available bands

13. 5 - SENSI for VHF band forecast and simulation
Example : extract from
VERTICAL EXPANSION STUDY – Group Outcome 26/3/2002

14. => Propose strategies for the future
5 - SENSI for VHF band forecast and simulation
Example : extract from
VERTICAL EXPANSION STUDY – Group Outcome 26/3/2002
=> Propose strategies for the future

15. Estimation of the future demand
6 - PLANAIDS : for the analysis of the NAVAIDS spectrum capacity from the medium to the long term
Estimation of the future demand
PLANAIDS for forecast = execute a loop of BPs
PLANAIDS for simulation = execute modification
- in database & needs
- in Planning criteria & compatibility
COM3 table
Apply RUN1
Apply RUN2
Apply RUNX
Apply
modification
Results
Estimation of
the future demand
PLANAIDS

16. => Propose strategies for the future
6 – PLANAIDS simulations
Different scenario have been made to assess the impact on Navaids spectrum when :
modification of separation criteria,
withdrawal/addition of services,
introduction of new services such as GBAS,
reduction of available band
(e.g. DME band in the perspective of GNSS)
impact of the DME pairing constraints.
=> Propose strategies for the future