STAR presentation
Bernard MEURICHE
THALES Communications
September 2006
Business line or Division or Corporate Department
STAR: project introduction
STAR
S: Secure
T: ATM
A: CDMA
Software Defined
R: Radio
STAR is a EC-FP6-2005-Aero-1 STREP
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Background
EUROCONTROL / AGILENT WCDMA experiments
 EUROCONTROL Project
 UK test area (C band) + Azores flight (VHF band) tests
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Civilian Aircraft Products Background
THALES solutions in line with avionics standards
for civilian aircrafts
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EVR 750
TWG 760
VDR VHF Data Link
Gate link
TLS 755
AHV 560
MMR
Radio Altimètre
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ICAO : UMTS Proposal
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STAR Objectives
 The STAR project will study and validate a secure, scalable, Wideband
UMTS/3GPP communication system including the avionics modem and
necessary ground communication infrastructure for a future air traffic
communication system (part of ATM) with provision for future extension
through SDR reconfigurability at avionics level.
 In order to limit the impact of yet another system to be rolled out in
aircrafts, the STAR consortium will investigate the usability of a Software
Defined Radio (SDR) approach (both for radio and modem parts). The
Software Defined Radio (SDR) concept, which has not been applied to
avionics equipments yet in Europe, is an innovative technological
breakthrough that will for the first time allow to provide backward
compatibility with legacy systems but also forward compatibility with
future ones.
 Within the frame of STAR project, this concept will be implemented on
two very different waveforms :
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
WCDMA, UMTS stack based, transmitting in RF frequency (new mode)

VHF legacy audio transmission (SDR to legacy)
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STAR Objectives
 Development of a secure, scalable, wideband ATM/ATC radio
system

Safety is provided by the security of the communication system which
features are :





Privacy : only authorised parties can get the data (cyphering, coding)
Authentication : UMTS provides for mutual mean to prove the identity of the
message originator
Data integrity : data cannot be altered without detection
Non-repudiation : it can undeniably be proven that a message was sent
and availability brought by the scalable high capacity provided by UMTS
 Development of a representative trial network permitting the
set-up of an air-ground link by airborne equipment in
Wideband communications mode

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For the wideband communications ground infrastructure of the STAR
system it is planned to modify the 3G UMTS/FDD base station hardware
as a basis.
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STAR Objectives
 Research and development of a prototype
multi-mode (SDR) avionics RF + baseband
platform able to support both wideband
communications and the existing legacy
formats.

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Software Defined Radio (RF + modem) : STAR is aiming at
proving the advantages of a SDR concept for avionics ATM
purposes regarding:

1.
Modulations (legacy analogue voice and digital wideband
3GPP)

2.
Frequencies (at VHF for voice and at RF frequency for
Wideband CDMA) showing the backward compatibility of this
concept with legacy and forward compatibility with other standards.
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STAR Objectives
 Estimation of the capacity and QoS improvements offered
by a wideband communications system with regards to
8.33 kHz and VDL-Mode2 systems.


Capacity : UMTS (3GPP) is able of the highest capacity ever
achieved in cellular networks
QoS: UMTS protocols are able to handle in real time both
voice and data services with a high and defined Quality of
Service (QoS = availability, high rate, security, robustness..)
 Validation and verification of a secure wideband
communications system by 2008 in lab and flight trials.

The validation of the ATM SDR concept will be done:


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In lab trials emulating the complete system (airborne and ground
equipment), using channel simulators, traffic load generation and
jamming, at VHF for legacy analogue voice and digital wideband
modulation and at RF frequency for CDMA waveforms
Through flight trials in order to confirm the lab tests results, at
VHF for legacy analogue voice and at RF frequency for CDMA
waveforms.
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STAR Objectives
 Preparatory standardisation & regulatory activities required
for an effective wideband based ATM system deployment.

Standardisation : Preparation of the necessary inputs for ICAO

Regulation : preparation of the necessary inputs for the
EUROCONTROL spectrum management group and ETSI with
regard to spectrum allocation activities at WRC2007
 Promotion of the system and dissemination towards the
relevant stakeholders
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
ICAO regulatory bodies such as ACP

Airline Electronic Engineering Committee (ARINC)

Civil aviation companies : through our partner IATA

ANSP – activities happening through DFS and NATS
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STAR : Project Scope
WCDMA
Node
B
Node
B
RF
Node
B
RNC
RNC
ATM
WWW?
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Ap
p
PS
RTOS/OS
RF
BB
BB
RF
BB
Node
B
Ap
p
Node
B
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RF
Node
B
BB
RF
PS
BB
STAR : tailored capacity example
19.2Kbps, very large cells
64Kbps, large cells
128Kbps, medium cells
384Kbps, small cells
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STAR SDR approach
Software Defined Radio


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Wideband RF processing

Either directly or in IF the SDR concept allows to cover
wide spectrums through simple re-configuration

Wide dynamic range AD conversion and processing

Antenna processing capability (SDMA)
RF/IF re-configurability

Ability to adapt to various waveforms

Re-configurable RF level architectures

Frequency agility in Tx and Rx modes
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STAR SDR approach
RF TECHNICAL ISSUES

SWR ARCHITECTURE

RF reconfiguraility

Rx anti - jamming and high dynamic range in several modes
and frequency bands using reconfigurable filtering chains

Tx spurious rejection in several modes and frequency bands
using reconfigurable filtering chains
BUS
Versatile V/UHF Rx/Tx Communication Module
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Baseband
Functions
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IF/RF
Function
RF PA
+ RF FILTER
STAR: LAB Trial set-up
Application
Server
Application
Server
RNC
Node B
Commercial
Channel
Simulator
Ground infrastructure
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RF
Front-end
BB Modem
Aircraft equipment
STAR WBS
STAR
Project Management
and dissemination
WP0: Project
Management
WP11:
Standardisation,
Regulatory
WP12:
Dissemination
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System
Requirement &
specification
WP1: Security
& Application
Requirements
Design
WP5: Trials and
Test Bed
Specification
WP2: Air
Interface System
Requirements
Test & Trials
WP9: Lab
Tests
WP8: Integration
WP10: Flight
Trials
WP3: Avionics
SDR
Specification
WP6: Avionics
SDR
Subsystems
WP4: Network
Specification
WP7: Ground
Subsystems
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Integration
STAR Schedule
 Overall duration 30 months
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STAR consortium
 Project leader
COMMUNICATIONS
 Partners
ATM
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STAR : Contacts
Agilent Technologies
Thales Communications
Michael Dieudonné
+32 16 46 97 07
michael_dieudonne@agilent.com
Bernard Meuriche
+33 1 46 13 35 42
bernard.meuriche@fr.thalesgroup.com
COMMUNICATIONS
THANK YOU
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