Park Air Electronics has launched the next generation VHF digital ground-to-air radio here at Farnborough.
The series 5000 working demo, which can be seen in Hall 2/B14, employs Differential Eight Phase Shift Key (D8PSK) modulation.
Speed
It is the first radio of its kind from a mainstream radio supplier and shows the speed in which either voice, graphic or data information can be transmitted from the ground to an aircraft.
The need for such equipment arises with the growth in air traffic and the increasing requirements for data communications between flight decks and ground controllers.
The current bandwidth is saturated and this, combined with the lack of frequencies and the time limit placed on communication, creates hold-ups. Modern digital modulation methods are seen to be the most viable means of meeting future requirements.
The new equipment has evolved from the 5000 series radios, in service worldwide and a proven reliable and robust platform.
The new transmission method can send a greater quantity of data to and from aircraft using new technology.
Park Air Electronics is the first firm to produce a production radio to support this. CAA will start trialling the equipment after the airshow along with other bodies around the world to start the validation process.
The ability to transfer high quality information at a high speed along with the ability to talk to four different aircraft simultaneously is an added bonus.
Graphics
The sort of graphics that may be useful in the air include maps showing parking spaces or airport layout for aircraft trying to land in poor visibility conditions, weather charts or radar pictures.
The British firm expects conversions to the system from 1998 onwards, with the USA leading the way.
Source: Flight Daily News
