IFExpress readers: Don’t get cold feet over this bit of aviation communication technology; however, it might help to get started by reviewing today’s aircraft ACARS System.

For the last few years, Axel Jahn’s TriaGnoSys has never ceased to amaze us. First it was IFE and then Connectivity, last year it was weather, and now, his company is proposing and testing what we like to consider as the new ACARS… all in association with his “One-Box-Wonder”. If you aren’t a pilot type, ACARS is a digital datalink system for transmission of short, simple, protocol heavy messages between mostly commercial aircraft and ground. The TriaGnoSys solution, SANDRA (Seamless Aeronautical Networking through integration of Data links, Radios and Antennas), described in their own words as a proof-of-concept testbed of future IPv6-based connectivity, which integrates cockpit communications with both passenger and non-operational airline communications into a common system architecture. Check out their press release. SANDRA is a connectivity approach that uses modern data protocols and if you don’t know about the company, be advised that TriaGnoSys Research and Development focuses on a broad range of mobile communication fields, including mobile end-to-end solutions, wireless In-flight Entertainment (IFE), next generation satellite connectivity and cabin/cockpit communication, as well as combined navigation and communications technologies.

Charlie Pryor, TriaGnoSys PR told IFExpress: “It’s really about two things. The first is bringing seamless comms to the cockpit (as you say, seamless is important). What that means is from a pilot’s perspective he/she will be in touch with the ground throughout the flight, either using datalink or, where necessary, voice. It will be just a case of using it, without having to fiddle around connecting to the satellite or VHF or whatever. In the background, the system will choose the best connection – a satellite or whichever air-to-ground network is most appropriate. So it will be simple for the pilot to use, and efficient. It is also moving cockpit comms towards digital and away from analogue. The second element is that it integrates with passenger connectivity. It uses the same networks, but with segregation for security. It is a concept at the moment – it works but needs more development to make it operational.”

The chart on this page may help.

We thought it would be a good idea to talk to the TriaGnoSys folks and they said: “Don’t forget this is early research. The aim is to continue working on the development of this technology, moving closer to implementation. TriaGnoSys sees the next stage as a further European-funded programme, with several of the same SANDRA partners, in particular working with increased focus on the issue you highlighted integrated technology for the cockpit and the cabin, while ensuring segregation. In SANDRA, TriaGnoSys has done much of the theoretical work, as well as fundamental design and development work to achieve an early functional demonstration; implementation in real operation will require more work and further proof-of-concept trials and demos on higher TRL levels.”

Q: If voice is least preferred communication methodology (and we understand why), how is the aircraft/ground info displayed?

A: That depends entirely on the avionics system on the aircraft. But it would be displayed in a very similar way to current controller–pilot data link communications (CPDLC) data.

Q: What is the range of info requests/updates… weather, fuel, traffic, aircraft status?

A: Theoretically, there is no limit to the type of data that can be transmitted. It depends on what the regulators, air traffic providers and airlines want to use it for. There will be more bandwidth available. In fact, SESAR has specified use of future data links for ATS and AOC in the COCR (now v2), which is kind of work in progress still and is the reference for (a) what data is exchanged and (b) what are the requirements for the data link

Q: How is passenger data involved?

A: Passenger data is involved inasmuch as the cockpit and cabin will share suitable link capacities, though with strict segregation to provide security.

Q: Who pays what and when and how?

A: That is really a question to address when we get to the implementation stage. However, it is likely to be a combination of the airline, for the cockpit side, and the passenger for the cabin side.

5. What is the present-day total coverage?

A: Coverage of all flight routes is one of the key aims of SANDRA, which is why the technology uses both both satellite and ground radio links.

Q: And finally, why is this coming to aircraft now?

A: There is “a common agreement” that the current practice of voice-centric ATC and limited bandwidth cockpit data links will limit future air traffic growth. In response to that, SESAR and NextGen are specifying the future data-centric concept of operations, with future data links as a central element (LDACS, AeroMACS, Iris). ICAO has already set the framework for the next generation global Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) based on IPv6 in the ATN/IPS SARPS Doc. 9896, specifying minimum communication protocols and services required for the implementation of the future ICAO ATN. This is the background for SANDRA and why this projects brings IPv6 data links onto an aircraft.

Q: BTW, is this loosely considered airborne data integration?

A: Yes, basically that is exactly what it is.

Q: We gather this is not a “replacement” for ACARS, then?

A: SANDRA is not a replacement of ACARS. In fact, it was originally designed to transmit ACARS messages over SANDRA. So ACARS applications may run over the new links in the transitional phase, possibly being replaced by new protocols. SANDRA is more about the seamless integration of the communications technology than the details of the services that run over the communications.

Stay Tuned!

Munich, Germany | June 27, 2013– The SANDRA research consortium has today announced the completion of the first flight test programme of its integrated system for next generation cockpit and cabin communications. TriaGnoSys is responsible for the complete system integration and pre-flight lab testing.

The objective of SANDRA (Seamless Aeronautical Networking through integration of Data links, Radios and Antennas) is to design and demonstrate a proof-of-concept testbed of future IPv6-based connectivity, which integrates cockpit communications with both passenger and non-operational airline communications into a common system architecture.

Cabin communication services offered today on many commercial flights around the world allow passengers to access the Internet and use their cellular phones during flights. The satellite and direct air-to-ground connectivity solutions use the IP protocol suite and offer connection speeds ranging from few hundred kilobits per second to around three or four megabits per second per aircraft. In contrast, cockpit communications still rely heavily on analogue voice communication and non-IP low bit-rate data links.

By supporting SESAR’s concept of future data-centric cockpit communications, SANDRA is contributing to more efficient and safer flights, which will be particularly important as the volume of air traffic increases.

The flight programme, on DLR’s Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA), a modified Airbus A320, ran for three days in June 2013. The SANDRA system was successfully tested on several flights around Oberpfaffenhofen Airport in Bavaria, Germany, where DLR is based. The communication system successfully switched automatically between ground stations with no loss of connectivity throughout the flights.

The SANDRA consortium is made up for Europe’s leading aviation technology companies and research organisations. TriaGnoSys, the expert in aeronautical and satellite communications technology, is responsible for integration of the SANDRA communications system and the IPv6 networking software. Importantly, it ensures security of communication, including segregation of cockpit and cabin, efficient resource usage, and seamless handovers between the various radio links.

Dr Markus Werner, Managing Director of TriaGnoSys, said, “We use digital communications in every facet of our lives. Just look at the number of people who have smartphones and tablets. But often aircraft rely on a combination of decades-old analogue communications and a separate satellite-based system, making cockpit communications both complex to use and inefficient. SANDRA is bringing cockpit communications into the 21st century by simplifying the process for pilots and providing the platform for many more advanced services.”

The SANDRA system brings the most advanced multilink communications, integrating L-band and Ku-band satellite links, as well as AeroMACS ground links, and current VHF data link (VDL2). It uses industry standards such as IP, IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), DVB-S2 and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband. The system can be set up to choose the best available radio link, or the crew can select the link manually.

Werner continued, “As well as integrating the various radio links, the use of industry standards means we can also integrate cockpit and cabin communications. The cockpit and cabin systems are separate for security purposes, but share the link. This provides airlines with a cost-effective way of providing inflight connectivity to both passengers and pilots.”

The SANDRA consortium is coordinated by Selex ES and its members include aircraft manufacturers, aviation IT providers and consultants, research organisations and universities. SANDRA, which is co-funded by the European Commission, started in 2009 and will run until the end of 2013.

Munich, Germany | May 15, 2013– TriaGnoSys is using its aeronautical communications expertise to help design an Advanced Cockpit for Reduction of Stress and Workload (ACROSS). ACROSS is an EU-funded research project developing new cockpit solutions to both manage and reduce aircrew operations.

Pilots are prized for their ability to deal with high workloads. However, air crash studies have shown that times of high stress or a depleted crew can lead to potentially fatal errors. ACROSS will develop, integrate and test new cockpit solutions to help manage peak workload during a flight, in order to reduce stress and therefore the risk of accidents.

ACROSS will also work towards solutions that will allow reduced crew operations in a limited number of well-defined conditions, such as long-haul flights or a crew member becoming incapacitated.

These innovative solutions will be assessed technically and operationally by pilots and other experts with a view to it becoming a long-term answer for aviation operations. Finally, ACROSS will identify the remaining open issues for the implementation of potential single pilot operations.

TriaGnoSys’ avionics specialists have been called upon to lead the research stages that develop the dedicated air-to-ground communication infrastructure. TriaGnoSys’ recent developments for the successful EU-funded research project SANDRA (Seamless Aeronautical Networking through integration of Data links, Radios, and Antennas) and of the AeroBTS+ platform marked a leap forward in aviation communication technology that will make this research possible.

Dr Markus Werner, Managing Director of TriaGnoSys, said, “This research will benefit the long-term safety of aviation by reducing the stress faced by pilots during regular operations and in critical exceptional situations, such as the partial or full crew incapacitation. We are delighted to be working with such a distinguished group of European partners from universities and national research centres to airframers and international suppliers of all sizes.”

The ACROSS project is managed by Thales Avionics, and the other partners are: EADS Innovation Works, Selex ES, Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, BAE Systems, Continental, Diehl Aerospace, Isdefe, EAB, Jeppesen, Zodiac Aerospace, TAI, GNV, DLR, NLR, Trinity College Dublin, Warsaw University of Technology, The University of Malta, Techische Universität Braunschweig, TU Delft, Deep Blue Consulting, Certiflyer, TriaGnoSys, Stirling Dynamics, Use2Aces, Tony Henly Consulting, GTD.