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1 Transponders 140401230719 Phpapp01
1 Transponders 140401230719 Phpapp01
AFD 31202
AV2240
AIRCRAFT PULSE
AVIONICS SYSTEMS
CHAPTER 1
Transponders
Table of Contents
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
INTRODUCTION
PRINCIPLES OF ATC TRANSPONDER
ATC RADIO BEACON TRANSPONDER
SSR Interrogation and Identification Code
Transponder Reply Signals
Transponder Control Panel
TRANSPONDER CIRCUIT THEORY
TRANSPONDER OPERATION
S-TEC TDR950
Bendix/King KT-76A/78A
Subject Code: AFD 31202
Issue No : 000
FOR TRAINING PURPOSE ONLY
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
State the principle of Air Traffic Control Transponder.
State the use of a pulse system in navigation systems.
Describe the operation of ATC transponders as radar devices for
identifying aircraft on radarscopes in tower stations and control centers.
Explain the two types of ATC transponder systems, such as:
Primary surveillance radar (PSR)
Secondary surveillance radar (SSR)
Describe the concepts of transponder reply signals
Explain the operation of transponder control panel.
Explain the transponder circuit theory.
Explain the transponder system operation.
Subject Code: AFD 31202
Issue No : 000
FOR TRAINING PURPOSE ONLY
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
Introduction
Air Traffic Control (ATC) Transponder is one of the navigation systems which
use pulse system in it operation.
The ATC transponders were developed as radar devices for identifying
aircraft on radarscopes in tower stations and control centers.
Upon request, the pilot can relay the aircraft's position and altitude to the ATC
center by means of the VHF communication system.
The ATC center uses a ground-based radar surveillance system to
automatically monitor the location of all aircraft within the control area without
cluttering up the radio communication channels.
With this information constantly displayed on the ATC radar scope, the
controller is able to:
Make timely decisions regarding handing over aircraft to the approach or
departure control center,
Vectoring aircraft to avoid collision courses,
Maintaining safe altitude separation between aircraft, and
Locating and directing aircraft that are lost.
There are two types of radar systems installed at each Air Traffic Control
(ATC) Transponder ground station.
Primary Surveillance Radar
Secondary Surveillance Radar
Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR), operates on the principle of transmitting
a narrow beam of energy, which is reflected from the aircraft and returned to
the PSR antenna.
Its measured distance by noting the time lapse between the radar pulse
transmission and its received echo. Does not require any response from
the aircraft.
It provides the air traffic control ground station operator with a symbol on
his surveillance radar scope for every aircraft in his area.
The aircraft transponder reply can include a special code which identifies
that particular airplane on the scope.
If the pilot receives instructions from the ground station to do so, he presses
his "IDENT" button on his control panel.
This causes the display on the radar scope to change, so that the
ground station operator can be positive of his particular location on the
radar scope.
The transponder can also transmit aircraft altitude information, which can
then be displayed to the ground station operator.
The ATC transponder system is an outgrowth of the war-time identification
"friend or foe", and all commercial aircraft presently use it.
The ATC system allows controllers to track airplane movement on ground
radar displays.
Data received from the PSR and SSR are used in conjunction to develop the
total air traffic situation display on the controller's radar scope.
This enables the controller to identify Transponder-equipped aircraft in
addition to determining the range and direction of all aircraft within the
control area.
The PSR sends out radio waves in a very narrow beam.
The ground antenna is made to rotate so that the position of the narrow beam
of energy can be directed.
When the directed beam strikes an object or target, some of it is reflected
back to the radar antenna.
This reflected signal is detected and processed to provide a display
(indicated by a bright "pip") on the ATC PPI, which shows the location of
the target (i.e., aircraft).
Since the reply signal from the airborne Transponder is stronger than the
reflected PSR signal, it will reinforce the "pip" on the PPI to provide positive
aircraft identification.
At the ATC radar ground station:
Received radar video and antenna azimuth information signals are
relayed from the radar site to the air traffic control center,
The signals are processed and displayed on plan position indicators.
Since radar coverage of each site includes a large area, several controllers
are assigned to various segments of the area covered.
Each controller's segment of the area is displayed on his respective PPI.
The PPI presents the operator with a maplike view of the space surrounding
the area covered by the ATC radar antenna.
Subject Code: AFD 31202
Issue No : 000
FOR TRAINING PURPOSE ONLY
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
Simplified block diagram of the aircraft transponder system Subject Code: AFD 31202
Issue No : 000
FOR TRAINING PURPOSE ONLY
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
The code selector switches provide the Transponder with the capability to
send any one of a possible 4,096 identification codes.
The Transponder replies to Mode C interrogations by generating pulses in the
reply signal that corresponds with the aircraft's altitude.
The received altitude information is then displayed directly on the controller's
PPI.
This information is not selected by the code switches on the control head, but
is obtained directly from an encoding altimeter or altitude digitizer.
These devices commonly use an optical encoder which is driven from an
aneroid mechanism that is sensitive to variations in altitude.
The encoder outputs a 10-bit parallel data code to the Transponder for the
generation of Mode C replies.
For example, the pulse arrangement in Figure bellow is assigned a reply code
of 1324.
The first digit (1) consists of the A1 pulse (=1)
The second digit (3) consists of the B1 + B2 pulses (=3)
The third digit (2) consists of the C2 pulse (=2)
The fourth digit (4) consists only of the D4 pulse (=4).
The assigned reply code 0000 would cause no pulses to appear between the
framing pulses.
The code 7777 would result in all 12 pulses to be present between F1 and F2.
The Special Position Identification Pulse (SPIP), initiated upon request of the
controller, is generated by momentarily depressing the IDENT button located
on the Transponder control head.
The SPIP causes a special effect on the controller's PPI that aids in
determining the aircraft's position.
This pulse occurs 4.35 microseconds after the last framing pulse (F2) and is
transmitted with each Mode A reply for 15 to 20 seconds after releasing the
IDENT button.
The clock pulses from both generators are applied to shift registers within the
LSI device that perform the decoding and encoding functions.
When an interrogation signal is determined valid, the LSI device enables the
encoder clock generator that applies timing pulses to a one-shot multivibrator
contained in the modulator section.
The multivibrator drives the modulator that pulses the transmitter.
The transmitter will be energized whenever a modulation pulse occurs.
Reply pulse spacing is controlled by the encoder clock generator.
The reply pulse pattern is controlled by the LSI encoder.
When triggered by the encoder clock generator and enabled by the encoder,
the modulator will produce pulses required to drive the transmitter.
When driven by the modulator, the transmitter will produce an RF reply pulse
train at 1,090 MHz that is sent through the low-pass filter to the antenna.
The transmitter is a cathode-pulsed, single-tube L-band oscillator.
For each reply, the LSI produces a 34-microsecond, positive-going pulse that
is applied to the reply rate limiter.
The reply rate limiter averages these pulses and causes a decrease in IF gain
when the rate of reply exceeds 1,080 pulses per second.
The 34-microsecond reply pulse is also processed and used to activate the
lamp driver which turns on the reply lamp.
The SPIP (IDENT pulse) is initiated by depressing the IDENT button on the
front panel which places the IDENT input to the decoder/encoder low (logic 0)
for a 22-second duration determined by the time constant of a resistor across a
capacitor forming a RC network.
During the 22 seconds the IDENT pulse is being sent with replies, and the reply
lamp on the front panel will remain steadily illuminated.
Selecting the test function disables the pulse width discriminator circuit, which
establishes a clear path for noise present at the output of the ditch comparator
to the LSI device.
Distributed randomly throughout the noise present at the LSI input are pulses
which will be interpreted by the LSI device as valid interrogation pulses.
These pulses will be decoded, which in turn causes 34-microsecond reply
pulses to be generated.
Transponder Operation
S-TEC TDR950
The function selector controls the application of primary power to the unit and
the mode of operation.
There is a 20-second delay from the time primary power is applied until the
operation of the Transponder is obtained.
This 20-second delay allows the transmitter tube to warm up and stabilize.
Selection of the ON or ALT position enables the Transponder, causing it to
become an active part of the ATCRBS.
Reception of a valid interrogation in either of these two switch positions
initiates the generation of a reply pulse train.
In the ON position, the configuration of the reply pulse train is determined by
the front panel code selector switches and the mode of the SSR interrogation
signal.
The self test feature is a confidence check on the unit and provides a valid
indication of the operating condition by causing the REPLY lamp to illuminate.
When the IDENT button is depressed, an additional SPIP is added to the
normal reply pulses resulting in a unique identification pattern display on the
ATC PPI.
This SPIP is transmitted for approximately 20 seconds longer than the time
during which the IDENT button is depressed.
The IDENT button is depressed only when the ATC requests the aircraft to
"squawk ident”.
The reply lamp serves as an IDENT transmission monitor by remaining
steadily on for the period of the SPIP transmission.
Bendix/King KT-76A/78A
The King KT-76A/-78A is another example of a typical airborne Transponder. It
is similar in operation to the S-TEC TDR-950.
Interrogation pulses from the SSR are received at the Transponder and are
directed through the low-pass filter and duplexer to the 1,030-MHz bandpass
filter and mixer.
Here it is mixed with the local oscillator output and inserted in the IF
amplifier.
The LO frequency of 970 MHz, when mixed with the 1,030-MHz received
signal, gives an IF frequency of 60 MHz.
The IF amplifier takes a signal input over a dynamic range of 50 dB and
compresses the video output to a dynamic range of 15 dB.
This is accomplished by successive detection of the amplified IF signal.
A second input to the IF amplifier is the output from the Automatic Overload
Control (AOC).
This input line reduces the gain of the IF in an overload condition, so that only
a specific portion of the interrogation received causes a reply.
The detected video output from the IF is amplified in the video amplifier.
The noise suppression circuit rejects any pulse with a width less than 0.3
microseconds.
The ditch digger and video switch circuits function together in comparing the
amplitude of P1 and P2 to determine if the interrogation is from the main beam
of the radar or a side lobe.
The ditch digger produces a linearly decaying voltage behind P1 into which P2
falls.
The LSI chip timing is derived from a 22.069-MHz crystal oscillator. This
frequency is divided by eight to provide a two-phase clock at 2.758625 MHz.
This divider is reset following an interrogation to synchronize the reply with
the interrogation.
The external suppression output of the LSI chip to the AOC circuit is a pulse
35 microseconds wide during each reply.
These pulses are averaged and used to sense an overload condition.
The receiver is desensitized to limit the reply rate to approximately 1,200
replies per second.
The Reply Lamp Driver switches the reply lamp on and off for each time the
ANNUNCIATE line from the LSI chip goes high.
A cockpit light level sensor automatically dims the reply lamp for lower cockpit
lighting levels.
Additionally, placing the function switch in the TEST position turns on the
REPLY light.
The modulator takes the coded serial data and switches the transmitter cavity
on and off accordingly.
The oscillator RF output passes through the low-pass filter to the antenna
where the power is radiated.
The purpose of the low-pass filter is to attenuate higher harmonics of the
1,090-MHz transmission.