Design

Decentralised Communication Performance

The system is composed of a redundant, delay-less network of operator positions and all kind of analogue and digital radio and telephone access interfaces. All hardware modules are hot swappable.

Optimised communication within the system prevents interference between the neighbour’s loudspeakers and the controller’s own voice. To guarantee a reliable radio communication including retransmission, a maximum delay on radio transmission of less than 20ms is guaranteed.

To grant full end-to-end redundancy, we recommend the split the LAN into several, independent networks “Internal A” and “Internal B”. Wherever possible also the WAN should be duplicated by usage of different providers or leased lines.

Dynamic and manual delay evaluation is implemented.

The design of the system is such, that all hardware modules are hot swappable, they can be exchanged in the running system with no influence to other devices. Interfaces which are replaced then automatically fetch the required firmware and configuration from the communication server system. There are no jumpering or manual adjustment needed.

Key factors are: 

• Reliable layer 2 switches used in the protected area to connect the operator positions and communication servers
• Reliable layer 3 switches used on the border to non-VCMS components
• Interconnection of the switches in closed ring structures. A rapid rerouting within the ring structure in less than 20ms enables seamless reliability within each of the two redundant cloud
• Geographical redundancy

Architecture Principles

The ICS 200/60 system is based on the following main components:

• High reliable, redundant network
• Several Full VoIP operator position with redundant power supply and multiple network access
• Several distributed Radio and Phone Server Systems based on reliable, off the shelf servers with redundant power supply and multiple network access
• Access to legacy Phone and Radio via legacy gateways based on proven ICS 200/60 interface subsystem
• PGS via legacy gateways based on proven ICS 200/60 interface subsystem
• Provision recording output according to ED-137C Volume 4 (updated version of ED-137B) for CWPs and radio access
• Based on Debian Linux distribution, free tools and device drivers available
• Software is running on COTS hardware or any compliant spare hardware
• Traffic statistics and other configuration data is stored in a relational database and supports edit, backup, import and export
• System start up time is less than 2 minutes
• Start up without system management supported
• IPv4 and IPv6 are implemented
• Switches and routers

The key factor of the architecture is a reliable, fully redundant network, which gives access to several operator positions as well as several radio and phone servers.

A key factor for reliability is the physical separation of the internal network and the clear separation of the internal and external network.

Distributed Installation

All components support distributed installation based on coper or fibre optical links. Even communication server systems can be distributed in several rooms or buildings.

Access to remote radio sites can either be done via secure leased lines or highly reliable, redundant networks using ED-137B for radio access.

Performance on Demand

The communication servers are based on off the shelf server platforms. Beside the selection of different performance of the communication servers, the architecture supports the dispatching of tasks to several servers which enables voice processing power from smallest tower systems up to the largest centres installed in the world.

Remote Tower Operation

Seamless networking and remote access enables a perfect platform for reliable voice communication for temporary remote tower operation.

Operator Positions

The intelligent operator positions comprehend switching and signal processing to support several headsets, microphones, handsets, speakers, as well as the graphical user interface. The heart of the operator position is the operator communication unit. Besides copper connection via multiple redundant networks, the position offers the integration of SFP modules for direct fibre access. The position can be powered by wide range dual AC as well as by wide range dual DC. Low power design and solid-state disk lead to high reliability.

The full VoIP operator positions enables:

• Flexible, Java based HMI with wide range of screen solutions
• Access to up to 4 physically separated internal networks for: Redundant access to radio and phone servers, Redundant access to recorders and/or management and Direct access to phone and radio networks for emergency communication
• To save bandwidth if deployed remotely constraints may be applied to the amount of simultaneous communications.
• Support of direct fibre access via multimode or single mode fibre links by flexible usage of SFP modules
• Audio connection panels with digital access to operator positions
• Active speaker panels with digital access to operator positions
• Analogue recorder interface for redundant recording
• All headsets, handsets and footswitches are COTS
  

The operator interface is based on a colour TFT LCD touchscreen as a common operating platform for radio and telephone communications. The layout of the user interface can be adapted by configuration to project specific requirements. The layout and the contents of the sub-pages, as direct access keys or radio channel selection keys, are configurable by the configuration program of the ICS 200/60 management system.

The equipment detect of the connected audio devices offers highest flexibility in the parallel usage of different types of audio equipment such as different types of headsets with dynamic or electret microphones within the system and even at the same operator position.

Depending on the system configuration, when reception of telephone and radio channels is directed to the same earphone/loudspeaker and only radio channels are directed to the other earphone/loudspeaker, during active telephone connections, the incoming signals on the monitored channels will be shifted to the other side. This can be required to improve the understanding of telephone partners.

The temporary shift of radio reception will be revoked during radio transmission when it is configured that the incoming telephone speech of an active telephone connection shall not be heard by the user performing radio transmission with PTT.

Each operator is able to configure its own ringer melody. The operator has at least 10 fix-installed melodies available.

Audio access units are equipped with dedicated analogue legal recording outputs to enable legal recording as direct as possible at the microphones and speakers. For centralised recording, the legal recording signals at the operator positions can be rerouted back to the redundant switching system and exported on analogue or digital interfaces for recording.

Communication Servers

The communication server systems support the consolidation of communication to radios by concentrating communication requests from several operator positions to a redundant voice channel to the ground radio stations.

In case of telephony communications, servers support dispatching, rerouting with minimum audio delay in high performance mode.

The servers proposed are industrial grade 19” servers with redundant power supply.

Management and Configuration

The management and configuration is based on server/client architecture.

The management servers are directly connected to the management network(s). The servers proposed are industrial grade 19” servers with redundant power supply.

The management client software can be installed on any regular office PC. The application is password controlled and uses a protected access to the management servers.

Redundant management servers are supporting local and remote management clients.

Gateways / Interface Subsystem

The preferred situation is the direct VoIP access to modern VoIP radios as well as VoIP phone communication. Such direct access can grant seamless features and enhanced management possibilities, which inherently can be covered by gateways partially only.

The world in Air Traffic Management uses a large number of different analogue and digital communication links and protocols.

For Radio Access these are 4-wire E&M for radio access including beside E&M with phantom signalling and a wide range of in-band signalling methods, E1 and VoIP according to ED-137B Volume 1.

For Telephony these are CB, LB, PSTN, IVA, 4-wire E&M telephony with different protocols, ATS R2 (MFC-R2), ATS No5, ATS Qsig, ISDN BRI, ISDN PRA, ETSI Qsig, SIP and VoIP according to ED-137B Volume 2.

Supplementary networking solutions including phone and radio communication are provided over E1 and T1. Circuit interfaces are accessible through Krone strips.

Easy Installation

All wired communication connections between the various ICS 200/60 units are based on standard LAN Ethernet cabling. This reduces the number of required cables, which is particularly relevant for efficient and economic cabling between the communication server system and the operator position.

IP TDM Gateways with standardised G.703 cabling systems and patch panels can be used to interconnect to old ICS 200/60 legacy interfaces.

The communication server and operator position features a small footprint with low power consumption with a simple interconnection concept.

Some of our customers install and extend systems themselves.

Protection of Investment

The ICS 200/60 is undertaken a steady adaptation to:

• Latest technology
• Compatibility to Current and new Communication Standards used in ATC-environment
• Extension with new and supplementary functions
• Sharing of the hardware and software investments with other customers due to long-term product roadmap which enables a smooth system upgrade to the latest release at any time