General

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VERA - A
The Czech Passive Surveillance System for Air
Traffic Control
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Introduction

• Radar support for ATC - SSR radars
• ATC community is looking for new (non-radar)
  methods to increase airspace throughput and air
  traffic safety
• Automatic Dependence Surveillance GPS/GNSS
• Precise Landing Systems DGPS
  Local Area Augmentation System LAAS
• Other methods ...Passive Systems

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Passive Surveillance System

• principle multilateration TDOA (Time Difference
  Of Arrival)
• processed signal SSR replies (1090 MHz)
  mode 3/A, C,
• mode S (short and long)
• millitary modes 1, 2, 4 (IFF)
• PSS provides real-time Air Picture
• X,Y coordinates
• barometric altitude (from C mode replies)
• mode A identity
• track quality
• other replys modes S, 1, 2, IFF flag
  

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PSS VERA outline
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PSS structure
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PSS parameters

• range min. 400 km
• azimuth sector min. 120o
• accuracy (X,Y) order of 10 - 100 m
• accuracy altitude 100 feet
• track capacity 300 aircraft
• output data X,Y, altitude, mode A
  identity, track quality, other
  replys modes, Asterix format, 5s period
• manning 1 operator at Situation Display

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Benefits

• independent position monitoring
• exploit existing SSR environment
• no additional aircraft equipment
• high accuracy
• low exploitation requirements
• high reliability
• low cost

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Area of application

• Backup system for ATC radar network
• En route and terminal area surveillance
• Precision approach monitoring
• Airport surface movement monitoring and
  identification
• Ground based complement of ADS-B
• Real time check of radar (RASS tool)

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Design and technologiesdesign objectives

• compactness, minimum dimensions and weight
• high climatic resistence
• electromagnetic coexistence (EMC)
• (communication towers, radioTV broadcast
  towers)
• high reliability (1 year operation without any
  fault)
• fully unattended operation
• up-to-date technologies

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Side receiving station
weight 25 kg, power consumtion 20 W
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Receiver and uw link
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Central processing station (CPS)
A part of signal preprocessor
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Airspace picture displayed by CPS
left window - 700x700 km, right window-zoom of
160x160 km area
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Airspace picture (zoom)
Aircraft tracks with 250-second history (each
dot represents 5 seconds position), 160x160 km
area displayed
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PSS VERA Situation display
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PSS VERA Situation display
The PSS VERA situation display (left workplace)
as a part of the Czech Air Force Search and
Rescue (SAR) center
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Surveillance area of two PSS systems
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Data fusion surveillance area (two syst.)
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Location accuracy
Static accuracy test - ground based SSR
transponder on distance 100 km far from PSS VERA
system
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Tracking accuracy - PSS vers. GPS
Record of the flight trajectory of the test
aircraft. GPS trajectory - blue, PSS VERA
trajectory - green, red circle - zoomed area,
200x150 km area
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Tracking accuracy - detail
GPS position data with 10 sec interval (blue),
PSS VERA position data with 5 sec interval
(green), 1x1 km grid, trajectory at 170 km range
far from PSS VERA system
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Climatic and EMC resistence
winter conditions - electronic block plus
microwave link antenna
Receiving stations placed on TV and radio
broadcast tower
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PSS versions

• Long-range 2D and 3D systems (400 km)
• for wide area/en-route surveillance
• Mid-range 3D system (70 km)
• for terminal area/airport surveillance
• Airport Surface Control System
• Mode S multilateration tracking and
• identification/labeling system

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VERA - A
The Czech Passive Surveillance System for Air
Traffic Control
OMNIPOL a.s. Nekázanka 11 112 21 Prague 1 Czech
Republic Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
2241