General Aviation TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System) Avionics (GATCAS)

Abstract

Experimental Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) avionics developed for the FAA at M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory are described. The objective of the program under which this equipment was developed was to assess the feasibility of providing a small, low-cost unit for general aviation usage. The experimental general aviation TCAS (GATCAS) avionics incorporates a new system architecture using a microprogrammed sequencer, a 16-bit microprocessor and a low-power, solid state transmitter appropriate to the class of aircraft expected to employ GATCAS. The general aviation unit is designed to operate below 10,000 feet in densities of up to 0.02 aircraft/nmi2, and to provide a pilot warning time (TAU sub R) of 25 seconds. Assuming a track acquisition time of 10 seconds and a maximum closing speed of 300 knots, the required theoretical range of GATCAS is 3.4 nmi. The report includes (as an appendix) a cost analysis for general aviation TCAS avionics.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 17, 1984
Accession Number
ADA139145

Entities

People

  • D. I. Underwood
  • D. J. Callahan
  • J. Dibartolo
  • R. L. Briggs

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Algorithms
  • Amplifiers
  • Amplitude Modulation
  • Central Processing Units
  • Circuit Boards
  • Collision Avoidance
  • Computer Programming
  • Computers
  • Databases
  • Detectors
  • Message Processing
  • Modulation
  • Modulators
  • Molecular Orbital Theory
  • Operating Systems
  • Power Supplies

Readers

  • Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management
  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.