VoIP in Ground Control Conferencing Systems

1
VoIP in Ground Control Conferencing Systems

• Stéphane Ménard
• System Engineering Support Services

2
Ground Control Conferencing System Concept

• General Concept
• Groupware technology which allows synchronous
  communication among groups of people spatially
  distributed.
• Multiple mission operators
• Multiple locations (rooms, building, cities,
  countries)
• Purpose
• Coordinate efforts on a moment to moment basis in
  response to constantly changing circumstances.

3
Voice Conferencing System Equipment

• Voice or Audio Matrix
• Centrally located.
• Voice Conference (loop) summation.
• Multiple matrices can be interconnected together
• Voice Terminal or Keyset
• Operator driven tool.
• Monitor and Talk conference selection.
• Typically allows monitoring and speaking on
  several conferences at one time.
• Typically a dedicated hardware device on
  operators console.

Systems Engineering Support Services
4
Voice Transport Overview

• Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)
• ISDN, E1/T1, E3/T3
• Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
• Good audio quality
• Inflexible and hard to adapt
• Generally expensive
• Synchronous dedicated voice circuits
• Packet
• Typically IP encapsulate transported over
  Ethernet, ATM, E1, T1, etc
• LAN, WAN, Internet
• Variable audio quality from poor to good
  depending on network design
• Very flexible and adapts to almost any network
• Generally cheaper technology (High volume sales)

5
Voice Over IP (VoIP)

• Packet Based
• Switched or Routed variable size packets
• Voice sampled transported using RTP
• Variable bit rate
• Low bit rate, high overhead, small packet, large
  delay
• High bit rate, low overhead, large packet, small
  delay
• Choice of multiple CODECs (6kbps to 64kbps)
• H.323 and SIP
• Convergent Technology
• One network for voice, video and data
• Ability to deploy new applications (Text, Video)
• Ability to go wireless
• Distributed in Local or Wide area Networks

Systems Engineering Support Services
6
Quality Of Service (QoS)

• Issues
• Packet routing and CODEC Delay
• Traffic congestion
• Jitter
• LAN, WAN and Internet
• QoS aware IP switches and routers
• Virtual LAN (VLAN)
• Prioritization of traffic
• Traffic Classes
• Addressing schemes
• Type Of Service (TOS) bits

Systems Engineering Support Services
7
VoIP in Ground Control

• Convergent infrastructure
• Voice and data using the same cabling.
• Text based conferences.
• Paves the road for the addition of Video.
• Future Proof architecture
• Reduced necessary hardware
• Simplified network core
• Software Keyset
• Cost benefits
• Industrial Carrier grade hardware

Systems Engineering Support Services
8
System Overview
9
Software Keyset

• Generic IP Platform
• Portable and flexible
• multiple operating systems support
• multiple hardware platform such as PC, Panel PC,
  Tablet PC and PDA.
• Versatile Infrastructure (Wired or Wireless)
• Seamless upgrades
• Parallel and future Multi-Mission
• Multimedia Integration
• Text conferencing and messaging
• Conference Scheduling
• Live and recorded video streaming
• File and picture exchange

Systems Engineering Support Services
10
Carrier Platform

• Standardized Hardware
• Leveraging Industrial Capabilities
• High Availability
• High Quality (Five nines).
• Advantages
• Feature Rich
• Engineering efforts concentrated in area of
  expertise
• Adaptable and standardized
• Seamless upgrades
• Cost effective

11
Remote Connections

• Remote Keyset
• PC Based
• Dial-In
• Virtual Private Network (VPN)
• Matrix to Matrix
• Dynamic Conference Sharing
• Oversubscription
• Reduced Communication Cost
• Interchangeable Low bandwidth CODECs
• Possible use of the Internet
• Internet Broadcast

Systems Engineering Support Services
12
Infrastructure

• Convergence
• Reduced equipment requirements
• Legacy system integration
• Reduce maintenance costs
• Physical Layers
• High Bandwidth
• Fiber, Copper or wireless

13
Security

• Authorization and Authentication
• SIP and H.323 VoIP Standards
• Proprietary
• Encryption
• Voice Signal
• Secure RTP (SRTP)
• Virtual Private Network (VPN)

14
Summary

• Overall control center simpler with only one
  network for voice, data and video.
• Generic host platform software based Keyset
• Greater upgrade capabilities
• Allows integration of new technology
• Improve keyset and matrix communication for
  greater flexibility
• Cost effective infrastructure
• Future proof network

Systems Engineering Support Services