Rohde & Schwarz assures quality of ANSP networks for airspace recovery

Advanced Voice Quality Assurance system (R&S AVQA by Rohde & Schwarz) extends the functionality from IP to radio frequency of air traffic control provider networks.

Munich, March 24, 2021 – Rohde & Schwarz announces new functionalities to its Advanced Voice Quality Assurance system (R&S AVQA), extending the functionality from IP to radio frequency (RF). This takes the advantage of the ED-137 protocol with information such as Frequency ID or Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). With this information, AVQA provides great new insights into the RF channel.

High-quality voice communications is paramount in air traffic control (ATC) and needs to be maintained. Rohde & Schwarz released R&S AVQA mid-2020, a ground-breaking monitoring solution for voice communications in air traffic management. Later that year, the company introduced (RSSI) monitoring as a unique enhancement to R&S AVQA.

The RSSI monitor provides short- and long-term statistics on the signal and noise distribution received by radios. This gives the radio engineers great insights to the RF spectrum behavior. In case, an ATC controller reports bad quality transmission, the source, be it low signal or bad IP transmission, is easy to discover.

Another new functionality is the frequency monitor, automatically monitoring the utilization of a radio channel. It also provides user behavior of ATC controllers and pilots and helps to quickly and easily recognize disturbances on RF spectrum. Irregularities such as long pressed PTT or long SQL as well as technical issues such as SQL/PTT drops are automatically alarmed.

R&S AVQA uses patented loop back monitor for continuous non-intrusive monitoring of the RF transmission and reception channel. In the typical installation, the RX and TX sites are geographically distributed to reduce interference. R&S AVQA takes the advantages of the system wide monitoring and correlates both signals. It also controls signal delay and the RSSI level, which must be within the predefined range. If irregularities occur, the system raises alarm and reports them.

“Air traffic is recovering again and communications systems need to be ready to handle the future increase in air traffic,” Jindrich Slavik, ATC Portfolio Manager, Rohde & Schwarz, explains. “AVQA provides non-intrusive IP and RF assurance for air traffic communications, helping to quickly identify hidden impairments in the infrastructure and to ensure compliance with legal requirements.”

R&S AVQA is part of CERTIUM ANALYSIS in the advanced CERTIUM communications suite, increasing safety, security and efficiency for civil ATC customers. If you want to learn more, please register for our webinar at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/3576861270720714255