Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting

System
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Air Ground Communication

Content source:
EUROCONTROL

Content control:
EUROCONTROL

Definition
Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System.

Description
ACARS (pronounced AY-CARS) is a digital data link system for the transmission of messages
between aircraft and ground stations, which has been in use since 1978. At first it relied exclusively
on VHF channels but more recently, alternative means of data transmission have been added which
have greatly enhanced its geographical coverage. There has also been a rapid trend towards the
integration of aircraft systems with the ACARS link. Both have led to rapid growth in its use as an
operational communications tool.
Modern ACARS equipment now includes the facility for automatic as well as manual initiation of
messaging. ARINC guidelines have been defined for all the various avionic components of ACARS.
Message Content
ACARS messages may be of three types based upon their content:
 Air Traffic Control (ATC)
 Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC)
 Airline Administrative Control (AAC)
ATC messages include aircraft requests for clearances and ATC issue of clearances and instructions
to aircraft. They are often used to deliver Pre-Departure, Datalink ATIS and en route Oceanic
Clearances. However, whilst the ACARS system is currently fulfilling a significant 'niche' role in
ATC communications, it is not seen as a suitable system for the more widespread ATC use of
datalink referred to as Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC).
AOC and AAC messages are used for communications between an aircraft and its base. These
messages may be of standard form or as defined by users, but all must then meet at least the
guidelines of ARINC Standard 618. Any message content is possible including such examples as:
 upload to the aircraft of final load and trim sheets;
 upload of weather or NOTAM information;
 download from the aircraft of status, position, eta, and any diversion;
 download of spot weather observations from aircraft sensors:
 download of technical performance data including automatically triggered exceedance or
abnormal aircraft system status information, and
 'housekeeping' information such as catering uplift requirements, special passenger advice and
ETA.
Free Text messaging is also possible.

The ACARS System

When ACARS was first developed as an ATN component, it was modeled on the existing Telex
System. As a consequence, the system architecture is based on three main components:

The Aircraft Equipment

ACARS equipment onboard an aircraft is called the Management Unit (MU) or, in the case of newer
versions with more functionality, the Communications Management Unit (CMU). This functions as a
router for all data transmitted or received externally, and, in more advanced systems internally too.
The ACARS MU/CMU may be able to automatically select the most efficient air-ground
transmission method if a choice is available. A flight deck printer will be provided and a cabin crew
terminal may also be available. Flight Crew access to the ACARS system is usually via a CDU
which, in more advanced systems, can be used to access up to seven different systems such as
the FMS, besides the MU/CMU. Each system connected to the CDU generates its own display pages
and accepts keyboard input when selected. Some EFBs may be used as a substitute for access via the
CDU.

The Service Provider

A Datalink Service Provider (DSP) is responsible for the movement of messages via radio link,
usually to/from its own ground routing system. ACARS messages are transmitted using one of three
possible data link methods:
  VHF or VDL (VHF Data Link) which is line-of-sight limited
 SATCOM which is not available in polar regions
 HF or HFDL (HF Data Link) which has been added especially for polar region
communications
The main primary DSPs are ARINC and SITA. Until quite recently, each part of the world was
covered by a single DSP but competitive offerings are now increasingly available.

The Ground Processing System

Ground System provision is the responsibility of either a participating ANSP or an Aircraft Operator.
Aircraft Operators often contract out the function to either DSP or to a separate service provider.
Messages from aircraft, especially automatically generated ones, can be pre-configured according to
message type so that they are automatically delivered to the appropriate recipient just as ground-
originated messages can be configured to reach the correct aircraft.

Related Articles
Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC)

Article Information

Category:

Air Ground Communication

Content source:

SKYbrary

Content control:

EUROCONTROL

Introduction
This article gives an overview of Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). It describes the
main principles, the different data link services and the basics of CPDLC operations, including related
phraseology. The goal is to provide background information for understanding the safety issues related
to this technology.

Definition

Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) is a means of communication between controller
and pilot, using data link for ATC communications. (ICAO Doc 4444: PANS-ATM)

Description

CPDLC is a two-way data-link system by which controllers can transmit non urgent 'strategic messages to
an aircraft as an alternative to voice communications. The message is displayed on a flight deck visual
display.

The CPDLC application provides air-ground data communication for the ATC service. It enables a number
of data link services (DLS) that provide for the exchange of communication management and
clearance/information/request messages which correspond to voice phraseology employed by air traffic
control procedures.

The controllers are provided with the capability to issue ATC clearances (level assignments, lateral
deviations/vectoring, speed assignments, etc), radio frequency assignments, and various requests for
information.

The pilots are provided with the capability to respond to messages, to request/receive clearances and
information, and to report information. A “free text” capability is also provided to exchange information
not conforming to defined formats.

The CPDLC is being globally implemented and currently is in different implementation stages. The global
communication procedures are detailed in the ICAO Provisions: Annex 10 Volume III Part 1 Chapter 3.
The CPDLC message set is contained in ICAO Doc 4444: PANS-ATM, Annex 5.

The implementation of CPDLC for the European airspace users operating above FL285 and ANSPs is
addressed in the Data Link Services Implementing Rule.

Data Link Services Implementing Rule

The Data Link Services Implementing Rule (DLS-IR) was adopted on 16 January 2009 by the European
Commission and published as Regulation 29/2009 - Data link services for the Single European Sky. The
DLS-IR is legally binding and applies directly to Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and to Aircraft
Operators.

Air navigation service providers and operators have reported technical issues when implementing
Regulation (EC) No 29/2009, particularly disconnections, known as Provider Aborts (‘PAs’), of existing
air-ground data communications enabling the operations of data link services (‘DLS’) and which are
beyond acceptable performance levels. For that reason certain air navigation service providers took
mitigation measures, consisting of the restriction of DLS operations to aircraft equipped with specific
avionics through so-called ‘white lists’, so as to address potential safety impacts of those PAs in the
operations of data link service.
At the request of the Commission, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) conducted an
investigation to identify the root cause or causes of those technical issues and to recommend measures
to address them. The investigation revealed that the random PA occurrences could not be attributed to
a single, predictable cause but rather to a combination of factors related to the radio frequency
environment and to the current single frequency implementation of the data link infrastructure. It was
found that this excessive rate of random PAs causes a degradation in the network performance
potentially presenting aviation safety risks by increasing the pilots and controllers' workload and
creating confusion leading to a loss of situational awareness.

EASA concluded in its investigation report that acceptable data link performance levels can only be
established by deploying a multi-frequency infrastructure, which is also to be optimised for radio
frequency interference prevention. It recommended establishing and implementing a plan of actions to
further investigate the identified technical issues and to validate the necessary technical solutions.
However, these measures require time and EASA therefore recommended to reconsider the date of
application of Regulation (EC) No 29/2009 and the timeframes of that Regulation.

Therefore, particularly due to the observed technical difficulties and shortcomings in the performance of
the deployed DLS infrastructure and their potential impact on aviation safety and given that the
necessary studies and actions to identify and remedy them are expected to be completed during the
course of 2018, the date of application of Regulation (EC) No 29/2009 has been deferred to 5 February
2018 as stated in Regulation 310/2015 amending Regulation No 29/2009 on data link services for the
SES.

Data Link Services

The following data link services are available:

 Data Link Initiation Capability (DLIC) – this service provides the necessary information to make
data link communications possible between an ATSU and aircraft. The DLIC service is executed
prior to the first use of any other data link application.

 ATC Communications Management Service (ACM) – this service provides automated assistance
to flight crew and controllers for the transfer of ATC communications (voice and CPDLC).

 ATC Clearances Service (ACL) – this service allows flight crews and controllers to conduct
operational exchanges – flight crews can send requests and reports and controllers can issue
clearances, instructions and notifications.

 ATC Microphone Check Service (AMC) – this service allows controllers to send an instruction to
all CPDLC capable aircraft on a given frequency (at the same time) to verify that their voice
communication equipment is not blocking a given voice channel.

 Departure Clearance (DCL) - this service provides automated assistance for requesting and
delivering departure clearances to aircraft.

 Downstream Clearance Service (DSC) - this service is provided for flight crews who are required
to request and obtain clearances from ATS units that are not yet in control of the aircraft when
they cannot get the clearance information via the current ATS unit through unit to unit
coordination.
The DLS-IR mandated the implementation of the the first four services only, notably DLIC, ACM, ACL and
AMC.

Expected Benefits of CPDLC

 Less communication on the ATC frequency;

 Increased sector capacities;

 More pilot requests can be dealt with simultaneously;

 Reduced probability of miscommunication (e.g. due call sign confusion);

 Safer frequency changes, hence fewer loss of communication events.

Main Principles of CPDLC Exchange

The following underlying principles are applicable to the use of CPDLC:

 Voice and data link shall co-exist as a means of ATS communication. Implementation of CPDLC is
intended as a supplementary means of communication to the use of voice communication.

 CPDLC shall only be used in the context of non-time-critical communications. Time-criticality is

mainly determined by the following factors: ATC traffic situation, end-to-end performance
(systems and flight crew/controller response time) and recovery time. Users should be aware
that while a voice response is generally expected in a few seconds the latency of CPDLC is
usually much longer (up to several minutes).

 The decision to use either voice or CPDLC shall be at the discretion of the controller and/or pilot
involved.

 The provisions regarding the use of CPDLC shall respect the following standard as provided in
ICAO Annex 11, Chapter 3, par. 3.5.1: “A controlled flight shall be under the control of only one
air traffic control unit at any given time”.

CPDLC Operations

Flight planning. Operators of CPDLC capable aircraft shall insert the letter J and a corresponding number
(1 for ATN VDL mode 2, 2-7 for different FANS implementations) in Item 10 and COM/CPDLC in Item 18
of the ICAO flight plan form. More than one of these can be inserted depending on the aircraft
equipment (e.g. J1J2 means the aircraft is equipped with both ATN VDL mode 2 and FANS 1/A HFDL).

Transfer of CPDLC. If an aircraft is transferred from an ATS unit where CPDLC is not available to an ATS
unit where CPDLC is available, the aircraft uses DLIC to log on to the unit that is CPDLC equipped. The
procedures and timings are detailed in the respective AIP.

If both adjacent ATS units are using CPDLC the transfer of voice communications and CPDLC commences
concurrently. The transferring unit being the Current data authority (CDA) designates the receiving unit
as Next data authority (NDA). The purpose of this designation is to reduce the possibility of logging on to
an improper data authority (which is equivalent to switching to the wrong radio frequency in voice
communications).
If an aircraft is transferred from an ATS unit where CPDLC is available to an ATS unit where CPDLC is not
available, CPDLC termination commences concurrent with the transfer of voice communications.

Use of CPDLC. The extent to which CPDLC can replace voice communications is largely subject to local
implementation choices. Although the technology allows a wide array of complex messages the most
commonly used are:

 Change of SSR code;

 Transfer of control and communication;

 ATC clearances (e.g. level changes, vectoring, direct routing, speed control) that are not time-
critical;

 Response to aircraft CPDLC requests;

CPDLC message composition.The messages are composed in standard format, in plain language or in
abbreviations and codes, as prescribed in Annex 10, paragraph 3.7. Plain language should be avoided
when the length of the text can be reduced by using appropriate abbreviations and codes. Nonessential
words and phrases, such as expressions of politeness, are not to be used. Sets of mandatory and
optional uplink (ground-to-air) and downlink (air-to-ground) messages have been developed for each
data link service. It is therefore possible that either the airborne or the ground system supports a larger
array of messages. Proper handling of unsupported messages (e.g. responding with appropriate error
messages) is an essential part of CPDLC system development and implementation.

CPDLC messages can be single element or multi-element. A maximum of 7 elements in one message is
allowed according to ICAO ATN SARPs and the EUROCAE-Document ED-110B. Systems compliant to the
EUROCONTROL Specification [1] should allow downlink messages, containing maximum 2 elements.

Example of a single element message: CLIMB TO [level].

Example of a multi-element message: CLIMB TO [level], CLIMB AT [vertical rate] MINIMUM.'

A single element message response to a multi-element message applies to all message elements. If any
part of a multi-element message cannot be complied with, the pilot shall send an “UNABLE” response
for the whole message (which means that the pilot will not comply with any of the message elements).
This could result in an unnecessarily prolonged communication exchange. Therefore the use of
messages with multiple elements should be avoided where possible. They should be used when it is
necessary to execute the set of clearances or instructions in its entirety (dependent clearances).

Only one open dialogue of the same type with the same aircraft at any given time is allowed. The
possible types are:

 Horizontal profile;

 Vertical profile;

 Speed;

 SSR code.
Examples:

It is possible to have open dialogues for a speed restriction and a level change with one aircraft at the
same time.

It is not possible to have open dialogues for a heading and a direct route with one aircraft at the same
time.

Reverting from CPDLC to Voice

Usually when a controller or pilot communicates via CPDLC, the response should be via CPDLC. When a
controller or pilot communicates via voice, the response should be via voice. The following
circumstances describe potential situations where the air ground communications should revert to
voice:

 When it is required to clarify the meaning or the intent of any unexpected, inappropriate or
ambiguous CPDLC message;

 When it is necessary to ensure the timely execution of an instruction issued by CPDLC;

 When corrective actions are required with respect to unintended messages that have been sent
using CPDLC;

 When a system generates a time-out or an error for a CPDLC message.

CPDLC Related Phraseology

 When voice communication is used to correct a CPDLC message the following phrase is used:

(call sign) DISREGARD CPDLC (message content or type) MESSAGE, BREAK, (corrected message).

Example: BTD123 DISREGARD CPDLC CLIMB MESSAGE, BREAK, CLIMB FLIGHT LEVEL 310.

 When receiving an alert for a single CPDLC message failure, the controller or pilot either
confirms via voice the actions that will be undertaken with respect to the related dialogue,
prefacing the information with the phrase '“CPDLC MESSAGE FAILURE” or uses CPDLC to reissue
the message that failed.

 When receiving an alert that CPDLC has failed the controller or pilot should revert to voice, and
inform the other side using the phrase “CPDLC FAILURE”.

 In case of a complete CPDLC ground system failure the controller should use a general call: ALL
STATIONS CPDLC FAILURE (unit name).

 When a controller requires all stations or a specific flight to avoid sending CPDLC requests for a
limited period of time, the following phrase shall be used: ((call sign) or ALL STATIONS) STOP
SENDING CPDLC REQUESTS [UNTIL ADVISED] [(reason)]

 The resumption of the normal use of CPDLC shall be advised by using the following phrase: ((call
sign) or ALL STATIONS) RESUME NORMAL CPDLC OPERATIONS

Related Articles
  CPDLC General Safety Considerations

 CPDLC Incorrect Call Sign on Log-on

 Impact of Space Weather on Aviation

 CPDLC (SKYclip)

Further Reading

ICAO

 ICAO Global Operational Data Link (GOLD) Manual, unedited advance edition, 2016

 ICAO Annex 10 Volume III Part 1 Chapter 3.

 ICAO Doc 4444: PANS-ATM, Chapter 14 and Annex 5.

European Commission

 Regulation 29/2009 - Data link services for the Single European Sky

 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/310 of 26 February 2015 amending Regulation

(EC) No 29/2009 laying down requirements on data link services for the single European sky and
repealing Implementing Regulation (EU) No 441/2014

EUROCONTROL

 ATC Data Link Operational Guidance for LINK 2000+ Services

 Link 2000+ Programme Website (Note: The LINK 2000+ Programme is now closed but the
deliverables are available)

FAA

 FAA Advisory Circular 90-117, October 2017

References

1. ^ EUROCONTROL Specification on Data Link Services, Edition 2.1, January 2009.

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