Beacon Radar and TCAS Interrogation Rates: Airborne Measurements in the 1030 MHz Band.
Abstract
Airborne measurements were made of the rates of beacon radar interrogations and suppressions in the 1030 MHz band. These measurements were undertaken in order to provide a basis for interference analysis of the proposed system of GPS-Squitter. The measurements were made during a flight along the East Coast, including New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. Measurements were also made at Atlanta and in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Results are given in a form that shows the rates of interrogations and suppressions as a function of time and location of the aircraft. Interrogations are also separated into those that were transmitted by ground based interrogators and those that were transmitted by airborne TCAS equipment. Mode S interrogations were also separated from the other modes. The number of TCAS aircraft in the vicinity was also measured during the flights. The results indicate that the rates of interrogations and suppressions were consistent in most respects from location to location. The rates Mode A and C interrogations from the ground were consistently less than 100 per second with two brief exceptions. Previous measurements had indicated a trend of decreasing interrogation rates with time since the early l970's. The new measurements support this observation and indicate that the trend has continued.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 02, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA308600
Entities
People
- Martin J. Brennan
- William H. Harman
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology