COMPASS Description/DemoRadar Support System (RSS)
TSC’s Radar Support System (RSS) is a computer workstation that uses radar performance models and three-dimensional terrain and cultural databases to locate optimal sites for En-route and Airport Surveillance Radars. The workstation is designed for non-technical personnel to operate, and predicts radar performance in a variety of graphical and tabular formats.
The RSS determines:
• Optimum radar location and height
• Radar performance at specified site
• Sources of radar performance problems
• Impact of proposed construction on radar
• Optimum control tower location
The TSC RSS is installed in all of the nine FAA regions, and has been used to site airport air and ground surveillance radars for the FAA, as well as for foreign and aerospace industry customers. Originally designed to site air traffic control radar and beacons, the software has been leveraged in many related analyses including laser range safety, radar performance, and airport security.
The RSS was recently enhanced to analyze potential obscurations at ASR-11 radar sites to determine if air easements need to be purchased to restrict the construction of buildings that would interfere with the radar’s performance. The RSS computes the maximum building height allowable under current FAA regulations. Combined with other RSS outputs, this capability provides valuable insight into what property rights should be purchased, and has the potential to save the FAA millions of dollars. The FAA is currently funding TSC to include ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) and multilateration sensors into the suite of models available, and to develop site selection aids for the multilateration sensors. The RSS is also being enhanced to export performance plots into an ARCmap GIS utility.
TSC developed a commercial version of the RSS, designated the Computer Aided Siting System or COMPASS. COMPASS is currently being utilized by several international aviation authorities. Sensor models have been developed for non air traffic control radars, including the LSTAR for Syracuse Research Corporation and various proposed experimental radars.
COMPASS and RSS require high quality terrain and cultural databases to achieve maximum benefit. To satisfy the need for low priced, but reliable and accurate specialized databases, TSC employs a softcopy photogrammetry facility in Indiana or out-sources this work to commercial vendors. Currently there are over 100 RSS databases of US and Canadian airport areas which include a 3D representation of the buildings, as well as a high resolution DEM. Although typically covering an area of 400 sq miles, these databases range in size from 800 sq miles, down to 25 sq miles for ASDE radar evaluations.
Computer Aided Siting System (COMPASS)
The worlds leading sensor siting and performance analysis tool now available on a PC Platform
Compass is the export version of TSC's Radar Support System (RSS) and offers the same comprehensive sensor siting and analysis capabilities. COMPASS determines:
· Optimum radar location and height
· Radar performance at specified site
· Sources of radar performance problems
· Impact of proposed construction on radar
· Optimum control tower location
COMPASS also supports other sensors and serves as a GIS for airport planning functions.
Click COMPASS Description/Demo for a detailed description of COMPASS including a siting demonstration.
Additional COMPASS features:
- Low cost - COMPASS minimizes detailed on-site data collection, measurements, live flight checks, etc. and costly radar relocation.
- Full performance assessment - The use of detailed radar models allows COMPASS to assess full performance beyond simple line of sight blockages, i.e. clutter effects, multipath, probability of detection, etc.
- Complete environment considered - Detection is estimated in heavy and mixed ground and weather clutter conditions, road traffic, seasonal changes (leaves on-off, etc.), etc.
- All radar types - COMPASS is capable of analyzing the performance of all ATC radars including approach, long range and airport surface (ASDE). Current radar models include the ASR-8, ASR-9, ASDE-3, ASR-11/DASR, ASR-12, ARSR-4, Beacon and SPS-67. COMPASS also supports siting of multilateration systems, networks of multiple radars, FLIR, TV, and other sensors.
- Radar parameter optimization - COMPASS optimizes site-specific sensor parameters such as the sensor height, beam tilt angle, STC characteristics, etc.
- Future impact analyses - The impact of future proposed construction (new roads, buildings, etc.) can be readily determined by straightforward database updates.
- Consistency/repeatability - The automation of the siting function reduces the potential for procedural and data entry errors and yields consistent results.
- High accuracy - More accurate and comprehensive than manual siting.
- Rapid turn around - Automation allows rapid evaluation of numerous sites. Once the databases are in place, sites can be analyzed in a matter of days.
- Optimized human interface - A wide range of color display formats are available to clearly and unambiguously present siting analysis results.
For more information contact Dwight Bradford at (301) 576-2339