AIS-P
A: Automatic (you don't need to do anything)
I: Independent (from anything else)
S: Surveillance (of the equipped aircraft around you)
P: Privacy (security - spoofing an attacker)This is built and demonstrated system was auditioned at EAA AirVenture 1999 technical symposium, a tape recording available from dcyeoman@juno.com #128. Also a reviewed technical paper at the 45th Annual Air Traffic Control Association in their Conference Proceedings, Fall 2000, page 1, available from that organization and on the web. The successfully completed objective to provide dual independent systems for collision avoidance - a prevention device to eliminate midair collisions and runway incursions. Also works for maritime and vehicular applications. It is the only system that provides any of (it provides all of) 1. cost effective, 2. not require any ground equipment or ground personnel, 3. works everywhere, 4. no additional threat to the aircraft equipped, 5. approximately six orders of magnitude larger NAS capacity than ADS-B on VDL mode 4 (million times more airplanes capacity), 6. dual independent system of sensors. This is good enough for every aviation application. This is done for peanuts - $500 existing transponder repair, $500 automated receiver (to drive a cockpit display device), $500 for a reliable GPS (fully automated, containing countermeasure to "single string mode").
We have demonstrated the concept of cockpit based collision avoidance without ID. It is good enough to do the whole job for commercial and military, and GA.
This is NOT ADS-B. We did it right, so we don't have any of those disadvantages and limitations. Because of the use of modern full custom large scale integrated circuit technology, we also don't have the ADS-B cost. AIS-P is what would you do if you could do it right.
What it is:
Transmit side:
1. 56 bit Mode S "all-call", but with a different DF# built into a TSO C74c correction that makes a transponder work with ATC equipment, without any need for a continuing biennial alignment requirement.
2. A transponder chip (integrated circuit), which implements a whole transponder "brain". All you need to build your own transponder is a 1090 MHz transmitter, a 1030 MHz receiver, a power supply, some panel switches for operator I/O, and this SoC VLSI chip.
3. By putting the chip on a "fixkit" board, existing transponders can be salvaged. This comprises a little approximately 2x2 inch PCB, with the chip and a few support circuitry parts, which is used to repair an existing transponder.
4. If you want to make your own transponder, we provide the chip and consulting advice, which allows us to debug your efforts and assure compliance to required specifications.Receive side:
5. A receiver chip (integrated circuit), which implements most of a whole collision avoidance system. All you need to build your own TCAD/TCAS/ADS-B/ASR is a 1090 MHz receiver, a power supply, an IBM PC equivalent computer (desktop, notebook, palmtop, PDA, ...), a display driver software to allow that to produce a picture, and this SoC VLSI chip. We also make the receiver, with the chip, so all you need is the display.
6. If you want an evaluation display moving map software and driver, we provide the latter for Delorme Street Atlas. However, that only provides moving map data for the US, with collision avoidance from other airplanes and runway incursion avoidance. Other vendors have added such as VFR and IFR aviation charts, terrain avoidance, obstruction avoidance (tower clearance) to their software for common Windows display platforms.
7. If you want to make your own display driver software, we provide a simulator (a hardware item) and consulting advice, which allows us to debug your efforts and assure compliance to required specifications.Let's be clear:
This is the only proper operation in the NAS for an ATCRBS transponder, which, then, repairs and activates "radar", and at the same time provides the only dual redundant collision avoidance technology viewable on any display device. You get two independent systems for collision avoidance, ATCRBS and TailLight (AIS-P on Mode S). This is the only option which provides that capability. And it does this with an approximate 1,000,000 times capacity of ADS-B on VDL mode 4. And it does this with an MTBF error rate that is unmatched. And it does this cost effectively. There is no other option that even comes close to any parameter.
Why:
ADS-B is a protocol which says much more than is necessary, much of that posing a danger to the aircraft. This dominates the frequency. This limits capacity. Think of a classroom, and how many can talk at the same time and still have no errors in understanding. AIS-P says only what is necessary, which is really brief, so it does not dominate the frequency.
VDL mode 4 is a data link which talks slowly. With the same amount of data to dispose of, that dominates the frequency. That limits capacity. Think of a pilot on the ATC frequency with the slowest southern drawl you have ever heard. Mode S talks extremely quickly, which does not dominate the frequency.
ADS-B is a protocol which has little in the way of redundancy. This opens up exposure to errors in transmission. Think of two packets, which overlap in one bit, or a pop noise burst. AIS-P transmits every bit twice, then adds error detection, that twice. That comes out to a Masters degree thesis which shows how one should expect only one error every about 30 years with AIS-P, which would take 2 seconds to clear, and which is overridden in the redundant display.
Add up all of the AIS-P advantages, and you get the approximately six orders of magnitude capacity ratio (TailLight is the winner), with a marked improved reliability issue (one error every thirty years), and a dual redundant system (TailLight comes with repaired ATCRBS). Now factor in the cost advantages of AIS-P and you have about an 8 orders of magnitude increase in price-performance over the FAAs favorite alternative.
Now, to deal with ADS-B on VDL mode 4 requires the whole world to all agree on a new standard, where TailLight uses the already existing ICAO Mode S standard which the whole world has already agreed upon.
QED