MODULE 4

aircraft Communication Systems

MOHAMED SAMEER T K Aero Dept. JCET

aircraft Communication Systems

Radio communication systems for aircraft are primarily for the purpose of air traffic control.

However, commercial aircraft also utilize a range of high frequencies for communicating with ground stations and other aircraft for business and operational purposes.
Communications for air traffic control are in the VHF band in the range between 118 and 136.975 MHz

High- frequency (HF) Communication Systems

The high-frequency (HF) communication systems operate in the frequency range of 2.0 to 30 MHz

This frequency group consists of ground waves; therefore, HF communication systems are used for long-distance radio transmissions.
The HF system on an airplane is used to provide two-way voice communication with or digitally coded signals for ground stations or other aircraft.
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High- frequency (HF) Communication Systems

The HF radio control panel is located where it is easily accessible to the pilot or copilot. A typical panel is shown in Figure.

It includes a frequency selector, RF gain control, and a mode selection switch.

High- frequency (HF) Communication Systems

The complete HF transceiver is installed in an electronic equipment rack and is remotely controlled from the control unit on the flight deck. The system consists of the HF receiver-transmitter, the HF control unit, the antenna coupler system, and the antenna. The data communication system is known as air-ground data link, or data link.

High- frequency (HF) Communication Systems

HF communication systems are long-distance communication systems and are not employed on all aircraft. Airlines may or may not utilize these systems, depending on their particular requirements. HF systems are not usually found in light aircraft.

Very High- frequency (VHF) Communication Systems

VHF communication systems are employed largely for controlling air traffic.

These systems are installed in all types of aircraft so the pilot may be given information and directions and may request information from air traffic control centers, control towers, and flight service stations. On the approach to any airport with two-way radio facilities, the pilot of an aircraft calls the tower and requests information and landing instructions.
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Very High- frequency (vHF) Communication Systems

In airline operations and all instrument flights, the flight of an aircraft is continuously monitored by air traffic control (ATC), and the aircraft's crew is given instructions as necessary to maintain conditions of safe flight.

VHF communication systems operate in the frequency range of 118 to 136.975 MHz. For international operations the frequencies may extend to 151.975 MHz.
The nature of radio-wave propagation at these frequencies is such that communication is limited to line-of-sight distances.
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Very High- frequency (vHF) Communication Systems

The advantage of VHF communication, however, is that the signals are not often distorted or rendered unintelligible by static and other types of interference. VHF communication radios are currently available with 720, 760, or 360 channels. The 720- or 760-channel radio is preferred by most pilots owing to its versatility in frequency selection. VHF communication equipment for light aircraft is typically combined with a VHF navigation radio system.
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Very High- frequency (vHF) Communication Systems

The control panel for VHF communication system is located in the flight deck contains the frequency selectors and the digital displays for the main and standby frequencies.

VHF communication transmitters provide AM voicecommunication transmission between aircraft and ground stations or between aircrafts.
Transmission is on the same number of channels and frequencies as provided in the receiver.
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Very High- frequency (vHF) Communication Systems

Because of the nature of VHF radio signals, the average communicating distance from aircraft to ground is approximately 48 km when the airplane is flying at 1000 ft and approximately 217 km when the airplane is at 10,000 ft.

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Block diagram of a typical VHF communication system for a large aircraft

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Selcal Decoder
The word Selcal is derived from the term selective calling. The Selcal decoder is an instrument designed to relieve the pilot and copilot from continuously monitoring the aircraft radio receivers. It is an automatic monitor that listens for a particular combination of tones that are assigned to the individual aircraft. Whenever a properly coded transmission is received from a ground station, the signal is decoded by the Selcal unit, which then alerts the pilot to an incoming radio transmission.
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Selcal Decoder
The system automatically activates the correct radio for the flight crew.

Ground stations equipped with tone-transmitting equipment call individual aircraft by transmitting two pairs of tones that will key only an airborne decoder set to respond to the particular combination of tones. When the proper tones are received, the decoder operates an external alarm circuit to produce a light, or buzz, or a combination of such signals.
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Selcal Decoder
A ground operator who wishes to contact a particular aircraft by means of the Selcal unit selects the four-tone code that has been assigned to the aircraft. The tone code is transmitted by a radio frequency wave, and the signal can be picked up by all receivers tuned to the frequency used by the transmitter.

The only receiver that can respond to the signal and produce the alert signal for the pilot is the receiver and decoder system that has been set for the particular combination of tone frequencies.
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Aircom system
AIRCOM is an abbreviation for digital air/ground communications services, provided by Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA).
The AIRCOM system was designed to reduce the amount of voice communication on the increasingly crowded communications frequencies. AIRCOM allows ground-to-aircraft communications for operational flight information, such as fuel status, flight delays, gate changes, and departure times. AIRCOM can also be used to monitor certain engine and system 16 parameters.

Aircom system
VHF frequencies are used to transmit AIRCOM information through existing airborne VHF equipment.

AIRCOM is currently used in Europe and Australia.

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ACARS
The ARINC Communication Addressing and Report System (ACARS) is the U.S. counterpart of the AIRCOM system. ACARS is a digital system that operates using the VHF communications equipment on a frequency of 131.550 MHz.

The ACARS airborne equipment contains a control unit, located on the flight deck, and a management unit, located in an equipment bay.
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ACARS

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ACARS
The ground equipment contains antennas and r-t units, a data link via telephone lines to the central facility in Chicago, and a data link to the various airline computer systems. The ground facilities cover the continental United States and portions of Canada and Mexico. Since ACARS operates on only one frequency for the entire United States, all transmitted messages must be as short as possible. To achieve a short message, a special code block using a maximum of 220 characters is transmitted in a digital format.
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ACARS
ACARS operates in two modes: the demand mode and the polled mode.

The demand mode allows the flight crew or airborne equipment to initiate communications. To transmit a message, the management unit (MU) of the airborne system determines if the ACARS channel is free from other communications. If the channel is clear, the message is transmitted; if it is busy, the MU waits until the frequency is available.
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ACARS
The ground station sends a reply to the message transmitted from the aircraft. If an error reply or no reply is received, the MU continues to transmit the message at the next opportunity.

After six attempts (and failures), the air borne equipment notifies the flight crew.

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ACARS
In the polled mode, the system operates only when interrogated by the ground facility. The ground facility routinely uplinks "questions" to the aircraft equipment, and when a channel is clear, the MU responds with a transmitted message. The MU organizes and formats flight data prior to transmission. Upon request, the flight information is transmitted to the ground facility. Information for ACARS is collected from several aircraft systems, including the flight management system (FMS), the aircraft integrated data system (AIDS), and the central maintenance computer system (CMCS).
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satcom
Satellite communication (SATCOM) equipment is typically found on aircraft that make intercontinental flights.

Common HF communication radios will transmit long distance; however, they are very susceptible to interference.
SATCOM equipment frequencies are normally limited to line-of-sight transmission characteristics.

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satcom
During SATCOM operation the RF wave is transmitted from the aircraft radio to an orbiting satellite. The satellite relays the radio signal to the ground-based receiver. This process extends the range of a typical VHF communication radio to cover any area between latitudes 75 north and 75 south.

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The SATCOM system segments

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satcom
A SATCOM system is made up of three subsystems. Ground Earth Station Aircraft Earth Station Satellite System

The aircraft earth station transmits on L-band frequencies between 1530 and 1660.5 MHz. A satellite data unit (SDU) is used to interface information from other aircraft systems that are linked to the SATCOM system.
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satcom
The SDU works in conjunction with the radio frequency unit (RFU), a high power amplifier (HPA), a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a beam steering unit (BSU) to send an L-band signal to the transmitting antenna and on to the satellite.

Satellites that are located in a geosynchronous orbit receive signals transmitted from either a ground earth station or an aircraft earth station.
The satellites receive and transmit in L-band frequencies when communicating with aircraft and in C-band frequencies when communicating with ground stations.
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Federal communications commission regulations(FCC)

Because of the very nature of radio waves and their effect on many activities of modern life, all electromagnetic emissions are controlled by a single government agency. In the United States this agency is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It is the responsibility of this body to supervise all radio transmissions in the United States and its territories. The FCC licenses radio operators, technicians, commercial radio stations, marine radio stations etc. FCC assigns frequency ranges for different types of operations.
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