ACI's Portable ATN Software Products

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ACI's Portable ATN Software Products Services

• Technology for next-generation aviation data
  communication
• Presented by Forrest ColliverACI General Manager

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Presentation Overview

• Aeronautical Communication International LLC
• Who is ACI and what do we do?
• What are ACIs ATN products services?
• ACIs contributions to ATN deployment
• Standards-based Portable ATN Protocol Software
• Product Integration, Deployment Support
  Services
• Network Management Capabilities
• Quality Assurance Certification/Approval Support

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Aeronautical Communication International LLC

• ACI was formed in 1997 by five suppliers of
  airborne and ground-based aeronautical software,
  equipment and services
• From 1997 to-date, focus has been
• ATNSI Router Project Support (RRI)
• Complementary Application/Management Software
• ATN standardization support (AEEC, IATA ICAO)
• FAA CPDLC Program Support
• EUROCONTROL Petal II Program Support

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Scope Charter of ACI

• To bring to market portable, cost-effective and
  interoperable Aeronautical Telecommunication
  Network (ATN) software products meeting aviation
  communication infrastructure application needs
• To complement these products with portation,
  integration, consultation, training and
  lifecycle-support services
• To support standards-based ATN deployment

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ACIs status today

• Activities now in progress
• Developing Router Reference Implementation (RRI)
  software under contract to ATN Systems, Inc.
  (ATNSI)
• Developing ACIs own complementary Application
  Service Element (ASE) Network Management (NM)
  software
• Packaging turnkey ATN product/service offerings
• ACI offers full product lifecycle support
• For ATNSIs RRI product
• For complementary ACI products (e.g. ASE, NM)
• Integration, product evolution, consultation and
  training services
• ACIs fully-supported ATN protocol products will
  be available from 1Q2000

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ACIs Products and ServicesProduct Overview

• Portable ATN software products
• Designed to international and industry standards
  (ICAO, AEEC, etc.), and designed for ease of
  portability to multiple platforms
• Both ground-based airborne products available
• Design assurance via RTCA DO-178B MIL 498B
• Integrated software/systems packages
• Both ground-based airborne systems available
• Licensed to OEMs and end-users

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ACIs Products and ServicesProduct Availability

• Portable ATN Software from 1Q 2000
• Air Traffic Service (ATS) Applications
• Context Management (CM)
• Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC)
• Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS)
• Flight Information Services (FIS)
• Aircraft Operational Communication Services
  (AOCS)
• Air/ground ground-based subnetwork access
  enabled
• Integrated Software Packages from 2Q 2000
• Integrated Ground Systems from 3Q 2000

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ACIs Products and ServicesProduct/Service
Portfolio
Portable ATN Software
RRI
CPDLC
CM
ADS
FIS
NMA
AOCS
Integrated Software Systems
BIS
ES

• Integrated Turnkey versions available
• Pre-ported for real-time OS application
• Turnkey Unix based platforms

• ATS End System
• AOC End System

• Air/Ground Router
• Ground Router

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ACIs Products and ServicesProduct Features (1
of 2)

• ACIs products conform to ICAO Doc 9705 and
  industry (AEEC) ATN standards
• High degree of software portability
• Streams-based, designed for portability
• Designed for single-task or multi-task
  environments
• Software Quality Design Level Assurance
• RRI/ASE developed essential DO-178B Level C
• Supplied with certification support artifacts

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ACIs Products and ServicesProduct Features (2
of 2)

• Reduced Integration Interoperability Risk
• Products (RRI ASE) warranted to interoperate in
  peer airborne ground-based implementations
• ASEs integrate seamlessly with RRI-based
  implementations
• Software packages supplied pre-integrated
• Full Product Lifecycle Support
• Product life consistent with aeronautical needs
• Configuration control update/change management
  throughout entire product lifecycle

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ACIs Products and ServicesExtended Warranty
Support

• Starts after initial warranty, and includes
• Software updates upgrades
• Direct engineering support
• Extended warranty response levels
• RL1 Telephone hot line same day first-aid
• RL2 Response within 36 hours, technical analysis
  error correction start within 7 days, patch
  when error corrected
• RL3 Response within 7 days, technical analysis
  error correction start within 30 days, correction
  by software release

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ACIs Products and ServicesTraining
Consultancy Services

• Training
• Offered at systems integrator end-user levels
• ATN concepts Protocols
• Network Management
• Consulting
• System Architecture Implementation
• Design Assurance, Methodology Certification
• Integration Test Support
• Financial and Cost/Benefit Analyses

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Network Management and the ATN (1 of 3)

• Current Industry Situation
• Neither industry nor ICAO standards baseline yet
  available
• But, operational need identified for management
  of initially deployed ATN, based on
  telecommunication industry experience
• ACIs approach to problem
• Meet near-term needs (1Q 2000) for managed
  prototype ATN routers, offering ProATN-compatible
  NM products
• Meet mid-term needs (4Q 2000) for managed
  operational ATN routers, offering RRI-compatible
  NM products
• Address longer-term needs (2001) for managed ATN
  ground-based and airborne systems by supporting
  government/industry requirements definition
  process

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Network Management and the ATN (2 of 3)

• Phase 1a (1998) Completed
• Phase 1 MIB produced as result of industry
  collaboration
• Phase 1 MIB Features Functions
• Fault, Performance, Security, Configuration
  Accounting
• Functionality consistent with ProATN RRI/ASE
  capabilities
• Phase 1b (1999) In Progress
• NMA-1P ATN Prototype Network Management Agent
• Developed for integrated with ProATN Router by
  ACI
• Methodology consistent with that of ProATN
• Managed via NMS-1P, developed by ProATN
  Consortium
• Validate network management concept in ProATN
  context

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Network Management and the ATN (3 of 3)

• Phase 2 (2000) Planning Stage
• Develop Phase 2 concept of operations (CONOPS)
• Incorporate operational safety assessment
• Define design assurance level consistent with
  application
• Define architectures (air/ground) based on CONOPS
• Upgrade NMA-1P to interface with RRI
• Develop Phase 2 air ground components
• Network Management Agents
• Managers

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Software Quality ATN Considerations (1 of 2)

• ATN architecture created for support of
  safety-critical ATS and AOC applications
• Controller/pilot communications (ATS), e.g.
  clearances
• Controller/controller communications (ATS), e.g.
  handoff
• Airline dispatch/pilot communications (AOC), e.g.
  re-routing
• How?
• Integrity Assurance via protocol design
• what is received is what was sent
• Enhanced Availability via routing architecture
• information transferred end-to-end in a timely
  manner

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Software Quality ATN Considerations (2 of 2)

• Safety-critical application of ATN protocols
  demands software design quality assurance
  consistent with Essential systems
• Rationale undetected integrity/availability
  failures may cause unacceptable
  dispatch/controller/pilot work-load
• RTCA DO-178B provides software development
  guidelines for Level C, to meet Essential
  systems requirements
• ACIs approach to problem
• To ensure ATN software mission-readinessall ACI
  RRI/ASE software conforms to DO178B Level C
  guidelines

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Software Quality ATN Results (1 of 2)

• Result software products meet requirements
• Airborne systems require DO-178B Level C software
• ATS ground systems recommend or require DO-178B
  Level C software
• AOC ground systems require mission-critical
  treatment DO-178B Level C meets this requirement
• Result reduced lifecycle cost to user
• Formalized nature of DO-178B Level C development
  process leads to high overall product quality
• Process facilitates change management lifecycle
  support

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Software Quality ATN Results (2 of 2)

• Result comprehensive verification validation
• Production of required artifacts demonstrates
  compliance and supports users of software
  products
• Full traceability of functions to design, to
  code, and to test
• Full functional test coverage
• Verifies that all functions have been tested
• Full structural test coverage
• Verifies that all code is executed
• Result reduced end-to-end integration risk
• Development of airborne and ground-based software
  to common standards reduces interoperability risk

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In summary

• ACI has been working since 1997 in support of
  global ATN deployment for the new millennium
• To this end, ACI is developing a line of
  lifecycle supported ATN software, along with
  integrated software packages and turnkey ground
  systems
• ACI continues to work aggressively with ATN
  stakeholders to address ATN deployment
  challenges, including issues of network
  management, certification, and design level
  assurance standardization

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For more information

• Contact
• Forrest Colliver, General Manager
• forrest.colliver_at_aci-llc.com
• Bob Kerr, Marketing Communications
• bob.kerr_at_aci-llc.com
• Or, visit the ACI web site at
• www.aci-llc.com