Digital Systems

ACARS

ACARS - Aircraft Communication

and Reporting System
PRESENTATION

Andr Baptista

Digital Systems
ACARS

A bit of history
Created in 1978.
Developed due the necessity of reducing workload and costs of
operation.
Only funcion: automated time clock system.

Digital Systems
ACARS

ACARS What is it?

Stands for: Aircraft Communication and Reporting System.
9 million ACARS communications every week.
It is a Data-link system that enables an airplane to communicate
with land based systems, through a network of transcievers.
Consists of equipment on board, equipment on the ground, and
a service provider.

Digital Systems
ACARS

Components
Board equipment
Land equipment
DSP Service Provider

Digital Systems
ACARS

Components
Board equipment
Managment Unit Heart of equipment
Interface with Flight Managment System.
Routes Comms. to earth
Automatic choice of band used.

Digital Systems
ACARS

Components
Board equipment
DataLink Printer
Prints Uplink Comms from earth.

Maintenance computer
Downlink diagnostic and fault messages to base.

Digital Systems
ACARS

Components
Earth Equipment
Network of transcivers that enables the system do work in the entire world.
Comms to destination, mostly in VHF.
End systems
Central units and user Computers in land based systems.

Digital Systems
ACARS

Components
DSP Service Provider
Manage the comms that deliver the messages.
The are the owners of the netwroks.
SITA and ARINC Prime DSPs.
They send the messages from the VHF stations to end-systems.

Digital Systems
ACARS

Components

Digital Systems
ACARS

Messages
ATC - Air Traffic Control Messages
ATC messages are used to communicate between the aircraft and
Air Traffic Control Clearences.
AOC - Aeronautical Operational Control Messags
AAC Airline Administrative Control Messages
AOC and AAC messages are used to communicate between cabin or
flight crew and the base operational office.
Standard Messages or user defined.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Sample Messages
Departure Information Downlink
Weather information Downlink
FDAMS Message Downlink
OOOI Events
Out of Gate, Off the Ground, On the Ground, Into the gate.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Sample Messages

Free text uplink message

Printed Free text uplink message

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Sample Messages

Pre-flight ACARS downlink message

Weather request ACARS message

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications
Three types of Communication:
VHF.
HF.
SatCom
Automatically chosen by the MU - Management Unit.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications
VHF: preferred method.
Frequencies between 121.00 MHZ and 132.00 MHZ.
A network of VHF stations assures that the airplane is able to
communicate with ATC, AOC, AAC.
Communication done in line-of-sight.
Maximum distance Airplane - Antenna: 300km .
Not available in Polar locations of the world.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications
HF.
Frequencies between 3 MHZ and 30.00 MHZ.
Available since 2001 relatively new.
Less bandwith than VHF os SATCOM.
Only used in remote locations: Polar locations.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications

Wave propagation diferences between VHF and HF

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications
SATCOM.
New way of communicating.
INMARSAT AND IRIDIUM.
Frequencies between 3 and 30 Gigahertz.
More bandwith than VHF or HF.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications
SATCOM.

SATCOM communication diagram

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Digital Systems
ACARS

Communications

Antennas location in an aircraft

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Digital Systems
ACARS

DATA CODING
CODING
Data Exchange between VHF-3 and transciever it is coded by
1200HZ and 2400HZ tones.
1200hz tone: bit change (Change of signal 0 to 1 or 1 to 0).
2400hz tone: no bit change (signal remains the same).
Transmission rate of 2400 bits per second.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

DATA CODING
CODING
When all bits are set to 1: enables adjustment of VHF transmition
and reception levels.

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Digital Systems
ACARS

DATA CODING

Thruth table

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Digital Systems

DATA CODING

ACARS

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Sistemas Digitais 3 ano

ACARS

QUESTIONS???

CHEERS.

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