ARTAS: ATM suRveillance Tracker And Server
ARTAS 20th Anniversary - Launched in 1991, ARTAS, the ATM surveillance Tracker And Server, was developed at the request of the EUROCONTROL Member States to build up EUROCONTROL’s central role in technical coordination and its expertise in communication and surveillance. ARTAS is one of the most advanced surveillance data processing systems in the world, and is the backbone of safety and efficiency in the ATM network.
ARTAS 20th Anniversary - Launched in 1991, ARTAS, the ATM surveillance Tracker And Server, was developed at the request of the EUROCONTROL Member States to build up EUROCONTROL’s central role in technical coordination and its expertise in communication and surveillance. ARTAS is one of the most advanced surveillance data processing systems in the world, and is the backbone of safety and efficiency in the ATM network.
ARTAS 20th Anniversary - Launched in 1991, ARTAS, the ATM surveillance Tracker And Server, was developed at the request of the EUROCONTROL Member States to build up EUROCONTROL’s central role in technical coordination and its expertise in communication and surveillance. ARTAS is one of the most advanced surveillance data processing systems in the world, and is the backbone of safety and efficiency in the ATM network.
ARTAS 20th Anniversary - Launched in 1991, ARTAS, the ATM surveillance Tracker And Server, was developed at the request of the EUROCONTROL Member States to build up EUROCONTROL’s central role in technical coordination and its expertise in communication and surveillance. ARTAS is one of the most advanced surveillance data processing systems in the world, and is the backbone of safety and efficiency in the ATM network.
ARTAS 20th Anniversary - Launched in 1991, ARTAS, the ATM surveillance Tracker And Server, was developed at the request of the EUROCONTROL Member States to build up EUROCONTROL’s central role in technical coordination and its expertise in communication and surveillance. ARTAS is one of the most advanced surveillance data processing systems in the world, and is the backbone of safety and efficiency in the ATM network.
ARTAS 20th Anniversary - Launched in 1991, ARTAS, the ATM surveillance Tracker And Server, was developed at the request of the EUROCONTROL Member States to build up EUROCONTROL’s central role in technical coordination and its expertise in communication and surveillance. ARTAS is one of the most advanced surveillance data processing systems in the world, and is the backbone of safety and efficiency in the ATM network.
ARTAS is a system designed to establish an accurate Air Situation Picture of all traffic over a well-defined geographical area (e.g. ECAC), and to distribute the relevant surveillance information to a community of user systems.
ARTAS users
A User of ARTAS in a general sense is defined in this context as any ATC subsystem having a requirement to receive at defined instants the best and most up-to-date estimate of all or selected aircraft state vector elements for all air traffic of interest to this User, e.g.:
- Operator Display System,
- Flight Data Processing System,
- ATC Tools,
- Flow-Control Management System,
- Sequencing and Metering system,
- Remote TMA’s,
- Military Units, etc.
ARTAS is a distributed system composed of a number of identical subsystems co-operating together. Each subsystem, called an ARTAS Unit, will process all radar data reports to form a best estimate of the current Air Traffic situation within a given Domain of Interest.
Adjacent ARTAS Units will co-ordinate their tracks to build a unique, coherent and continuous Air Situation Picture over the complete area.
ARTAS unit groups
Four groups of main functions are implemented in an ARTAS Unit:
The TRACKER processes the radar input data and maintain the latest air situation represented in the Track Data Base.
- The SERVER carries out the Track and Sensor Information Services, i.e. the management of all requests from Users and the transmission of the relevant sets of track/sensor data to these Users, and the so-called inter-ARTAS co-operation functions
- The ROUTER BRIDGE handles the external interfaces to the Normal Users, the Broadcast Users, the Adjacent ARTAS Units and the surveillance sensors. It also implements the Radar Input Processing function.
- The SYSTEM MANAGER carries out the functions related to the supervision and management of the ARTAS Unit.
Overview
In April 1990, the Ministers of Transport of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) launched the "En-route Strategy for the 1990's" - a multilateral strategy designed to ensure that, by the end of the century, Air Traffic Control capacity will match forecast demand.
EATCHIP
This strategy drove an initial programme, EATCHIP - the European ATC Harmonisation and Integration Programme, developed and managed by EUROCONTROL to undertake the progressive harmonisation and integration of Air Traffic Services throughout the ECAC area.
EATMP
A programme has been established to provide the framework for meeting the objective of the ATM 2000+ Strategy, EATMP – the European Air Traffic Management Programme, as a follow-up of EATCHIP.
The overall objective of the current “ATM 2000+ Strategy” is to enable the safe, economic, expeditious and orderly flow of traffic through the provision of ATM services which are adaptable to the requirements of all users and areas of European airspace for all phases of flight. These services are to accommodate demand, be globally inter-operable, operate to uniform principles, be environmentally sustainable and satisfy national security requirements.
In the context of EATCHIP and the continuing EATMP, it has been proposed that a progressive integration of European Surveillance Data Processing Systems (SDPS) be introduced with the aim to:
- make use of advanced tracking techniques,
- eliminate the known shortcomings of tracking systems,
- allow an efficient service to a large variety of user system of processed surveillance information,
- and allow a seamless integrated operation in a mutli-centre environment across Europe.
Launch of ARTAS
With this aim, the development of a prototype ATM suRveillance Tracker And Server (ARTAS) was undertaken which would function as a Pilot System for the systems to be implemented in forthcoming decade by EUROCONTROL Member and other ECAC States
The phased development of ARTAS started in June 1993. In parallel to the development, a comprehensive evaluation programme of the successive versions of the ARTAS Pilot system has been undertaken with a number of National ATM Organisations.
Following the evaluation programmes, ARTAS has been gradually introduced as operational system and it is part of the surveillance infrastructure of numerous operational centres of Europe.
It is believed that such an implementation of a harmonised Surveillance Data Processing System like ARTAS, together with the wide introduction of Radar Data Networks and the improvements of radar sensors created the necessary technical condition for improved ATM co-ordination and the uniform application of radar separation minima throughout a large part of Europe.
In addition to the ARTAS system, a Central ARTAS software Maintenance and Operational Support (CAMOS) service for those versions of ARTAS that are in pre-operational or operational use was created. CAMOS collects the ARTAS system data and parameters needed to ensure the exchanges of surveillance data between the States implementing ARTAS and provides software enhancements to the commonly developed ARTAS System for functionality required by changes in the technical environment or common user needs
Further evolution of the ARTAS system is taking place following Users requests, requests from Surveillance related Programme or due to technological advances
Considerable savings are realised because of the large scale implementation of ARTAS. These benefits are due to the use of a common development and support structure instead of many independent structures.
Concept
ARTAS is developed as a regional system concept consisting of individual surveillance data processing and distribution units, which together will operate as one entity. Each subsystem, called an ARTAS Unit, processes all surveillance data reports - i.e. radar reports, including Mode S ADS reports, and Multi-Lateration reports to form a best estimate of the current Air Traffic situation within a given Domain of Interest.
The system operates on the basis of defined blocks of airspace known as "domains". Each ATM Surveillance Unit (ASU) tracks all traffic in its own defined airspace, known as a "Domain of Operation". The domains of operation of adjacent units overlap. In the areas of overlap, inter-unit track coordination functions take place, ensuring system tracking continuity. In this manner, adjacent ARTAS Units can co-ordinate their tracks to build a unique, coherent and continuous Air Situation Picture over the complete area.
The seamless integration of all Units permits the application of 5NM separation minima throughout the total covered area, also at transfers of traffic from one ATC unit to the next one. 3NM separation can be done following an in-depth operational evaluation of the ARTAS behaviour in the local environments.
Through a User/Server type of interface, the systems connected to ARTAS (e.g. local display system, remote users like Terminal Areas without own Radar Data Processing System, Flow Management Units, etc) may, in a very flexible way, define exactly the modalities of the track services to be provided, e.g., the area (domain) for which it wishes to receive a specific sub-set of processed surveillance data. The flexibility of the system is such that the Domain of the user is not limited to the Domain of Operation of the Unit in which the user is situated, but may encompass airspace in the Domains of Operation of several adjacent ATM Surveillance Units.
In addition to the so-called Track State vector elements (position, speed, Mode-of-Flight, etc.), maintained by the Tracker, the served tracks comprise other information of interest for the user systems, including Flight Plan related information, provided by the Flight Data Processing Systems users of ARTAS (Callsign, departure/arrival airports, type of aircraft, etc.).
Industrial policy
Attention: The following Industrial Policy will be put in force once the on-going discussions on the User Pays Principle of ARTAS are finalised.
Considering the growing interest of ECAC Administrations to implement ARTAS, EUROCONTROL wishes to encourage and promote the participation of all Industries in the use of the ARTAS Application Software.
As holder of all relevant Intellectual Property Rights of the ARTAS Application Software, EUROCONTROL is in a position to authorise any ATM Industry to support, maintain, or further develop the ARTAS System. The ARTAS System has well defined interfaces that enable and facilitate the integration of ARTAS into a larger ATM System solution.
EUROCONTROL, therefore, grants to ATM industry the opportunity to gain access to the ARTAS Application Software, thereby enabling, if so desired, to integrate ARTAS within existing product line and increase ability to compete on the open ATM market.
In the bounds of the "License Agreement", those signing shall be authorised to offer the ARTAS Application Software together with their own product line to members of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC).
The main principles of the license are outlined below. If you would like a copy of the actual licence agreement or any further information, please contact the ARTAS Product Manager
Outline of the ARTAS Industry Licence Agreement
- The ARTAS system (Air Traffic Management Surveillance Tracker and Server) is an ATM surveillance system composed of ARTAS Application Software, OTS (Off-The-Shelf) software, COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) Software and Hardware.
- The Agreement covers the ARTAS Application Software and covers as well any associated patch updates which have resulted from problem correction. The ARTAS Application Software is composed of software developed for the RBR (Router-Bridge), REC (Recording), TRK (Tracker), SRV (Server), MMS (Man Machine Supervision), SIMARTAS (Simulation of ARTAS Users), DAF (Data Analysis Facilities) and a set of Common Packages (Note 1).
Note 1: The latest version of ARTAS (V8B) includes also the MW (Middleware) CSCI. - The Agreement does not cover software related to OTS software i.e. the UBSS (note 2). component, as this is owned by a third party. Only high level specification, interface documentation and the object code will be supplied under the Agreement.
Note 2: For the V8B version of ARTAS there is no need for the UBSS as this is replaced by the ARTAS MW CSCI. - The Agreement does not cover the use of OTS outside the ECAC area. A specific license agreement shall be signed for this purpose between “the licensee” and OTS owner i.e. THALES AS of France for UBSS (Note 3).
Note 3: For the V8B version of ARTAS there is no need for the UBSS as this is replaced by the ARTAS MW CSCI. - COTS software (i.e. INGRES and ILOG Views) is not covered by the Agreement and shall not be provided together with the ARTAS Application Software.
- The Agreement does not directly provide any ARTAS maintenance and support services to Industry, however, this can be obtained through those ANSPs within ECAC for which Industry have offered their services.
- The agreement will grant a non-exclusive and non-transferable object code licence to use the ARTAS Application Software solely for use in connection with the entire ARTAS System (hardware and software).
- The ARTAS Partner Licence is subject to a handling fee of 5,000 EUR (five thousand euros).
- The license will grant the possibility to sub-license the ARTAS Application Software in connection with the ARTAS System in object code version together to any third party of its choice and subject to:the explicit prior agreement in writing by EUROCONTROLthe conclusion of an appropriate licensing and/or confidentiality agreement the sub-licensee be prohibited from granting any further sub-licences.
- No licence fee will be charged for the ARTAS Application Software when it is being made available to air traffic management administration of an ECAC Member States. Appropriate licence fee/s will be due for making available the ARTAS Application Software to other entities.
- Licensee may be granted user rights on any improvement, modification and/or further development made to the ARTAS Application Software by EUROCONTROL.
- Mutual full information on experience with the ARTAS Application Software will be required via an annual report.
- Problem, trouble and/or error reports must be made to EUROCONTROL exclusively.
- Modifications proposed by the Licensee must be immediately forwarded to EUROCONTROL. Such modifications must not be made without the express and written authorisation of EUROCONTROL.
- The ARTAS Application Software will be provided on a strictly "as-is" basis.
- No express or implied warranty of any kind is given, including but not limited to those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and EUROCONTROL accepts no liability whatsoever for or in connection with the use of the ARTAS Application Software.
- All modifications made to the ARTAS Application Software .relating to the development and test environment will become the full property of EUROCONTROL and the licensee.
- The Agreement will remain in force for 5 (five) calendar years.