Federal Aviation Administration Radio Frequency Interference Mike Biggs Senior Engineer US FAA...

Federal AviationAdministrationRadio Frequency Radio Frequency

InterferenceInterference

Mike BiggsMike Biggs

Senior EngineerSenior Engineer

US FAA Spectrum Engineering US FAA Spectrum Engineering ServicesServices

Regional Preparatory Workshop for Regional Preparatory Workshop for WRC-15 WRC-15

Lima, PeruLima, Peru

March 12, 2013March 12, 2013

2Federal AviationAdministration

What is Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)?

• ITU Definition: The effect of unwanted energy due to one or a combination of emissions, radiations, or inductions upon reception in a radiocommunication system, manifested by any performance degradation, misinterpretation, or loss of information which could be extracted in the absence of such unwanted energy.

• Criteria to mitigate inter-system interference are established as an element of ICAO SARPs. – E.g., 8 dB D/U for co-channel DME assignments


US RFI Yearly Activity Statistics

ICAO Regional Preparatory Workshop for WRC-15

March 2013

•Maintenance Management System (MMS) Data

•Event Manager System (EMS) Data

•Spectrum RFI Tracking System (RFIT) Data


RFI CategoriesAuthorized TransmissionsAuthorized Transmissions

Properly Licensed (i.e. FM, AM, TV)

Unauthorized TransmissionsUnauthorized Transmissions

Wireless Video Cameras

High Power Cordless Telephones

Unlicensed Pirate FM Stations Spurious

IntentionalIntentional

Unauthorized Jamming

“Phantom” Controllers

UnintentionalUnintentional

Spurious Transmissions


March 2013


RFI SourcesCitizens Band (CB) Radios (5Citizens Band (CB) Radios (5thth harmonic) harmonic)

Paging SystemsPaging Systems

Stuck Microphone TransmissionsStuck Microphone Transmissions

Cell phone Spurious Emissions Cell phone Spurious Emissions

Electronic Attack (EA) MissionsElectronic Attack (EA) Missions

Power line Noise (Broadband Noise)Power line Noise (Broadband Noise)

Anomalous Propagation Anomalous Propagation

Atmospheric ConditionsAtmospheric Conditions

Amateur “HAM” RadioAmateur “HAM” Radio

Land Mobile/DispatchLand Mobile/Dispatch


March 2013


US National Airspace System RFI


March 2013

Most Common Source of RFI:Most Common Source of RFI:Unauthorized TransmissionsUnauthorized Transmissions

Pirate FM Broadcast SpuriousPirate FM Broadcast Spurious

Most Common FAA Victim:Most Common FAA Victim:

VHF/UHF Voice CommunicationsVHF/UHF Voice Communications

Most Difficult RFI to Resolve:Most Difficult RFI to Resolve:High Altitude Pilot Only Reported RFIHigh Altitude Pilot Only Reported RFI

Intermittent RFI (Airborne/Ground)Intermittent RFI (Airborne/Ground)

Broadband RFI on Many FrequenciesBroadband RFI on Many Frequencies

Phase Shift Keying RF Transmissions Phase Shift Keying RF Transmissions


US RFI Investigation ResourcesFAA Personnel and Organizations:FAA Personnel and Organizations:

ATO Spectrum Engineering ServicesATO Spectrum Engineering ServicesHeadquartersHeadquartersTechnical CenterTechnical CenterCommand CenterCommand Center

Frequency Management Officers (FMO)Frequency Management Officers (FMO)Technical Operations Service AreasTechnical Operations Service AreasAeronautical CenterAeronautical Center

Technical Support Field Specialists (Technicians)Technical Support Field Specialists (Technicians)

Aviation System Standards (Flight Inspection)Aviation System Standards (Flight Inspection)One International FIOOne International FIOSix National FIOsSix National FIOs


March 2013


Automated or ManualAutomated or Manual

Full Equipment SuiteFull Equipment Suite

DF Control/MappingDF Control/Mapping

20 - 3000 MHz20 - 3000 MHz

Regional Regional Used mainly by FMOsUsed mainly by FMOsMost Complete Measurement SystemMost Complete Measurement System

RFI Investigation Resources

FAA Assets and Software FAA Assets and Software ToolsTools

Radio Frequency Interference Radio Frequency Interference Monitoring (RFIM) VansMonitoring (RFIM) Vans


March 2013


29 RFID

Systems

GPS DF Antenna

L1 - 1575.42 MHz

RegionalRegional

Automated Vehicle mounted Automated Vehicle mounted mobile DFmobile DF

Detection Band 20-2000 MHzDetection Band 20-2000 MHz

Portable DF (RFID)


March 2013


RegionalRegional

Most Cost effective Most Cost effective First choice First choice

instrument for instrument for technicianstechnicians

Approx. 300Approx. 300

K95-100 SystemsK95-100 Systems

GPS DF AntennaGPS DF Antenna

L1,L2,L5L1,L2,L5

VHF Yagi AntennaVHF Yagi Antenna

DirectionalDirectional

Regional System Management Office Regional System Management Office (SMO)(SMO)

33 Offices in the NAS33 Offices in the NAS

K95-103 Detection CoverageK95-103 Detection Coverage20 – 3000 MHz20 – 3000 MHz

Typically 2 milesTypically 2 miles

Handheld DF (K95-103)


March 2013


DF Control/Mapping

Operated Automation

GPS DF Array & VHF DF Array

L1,L2,L5 & 108 - 174 MHz

AVNAVN

Flight Check Flight Check NASE/RFI NASE/RFI

Program to Program to assist in assist in locating locating RFI/GPS RFI/GPS sourcessources

First Choice First Choice when High when High

Altitude Altitude PIREPS PIREPS ONLYONLY

Airborne DF


March 2013


FAA Assets and Software ToolsFAA Assets and Software Tools Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), New York (JFK), Miami (MIA)

FAA Intranet Web based Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Web Browser Control of Fixed DF and Spectrum Analyzer

New YorkNIMDS

MiamiNIMDS

MasterIMDS

ChicagoNIMDS

Los AngelesNIMDS

National RFI Initiative


March 2013


WEB IMDS WEB IMDS

Receiver Receiver Tuned Tuned

FrequencyFrequency

DF Processor DF Processor Bearing Bearing

Averaging Averaging TriangulationTriangulation

Multiple Audio Multiple Audio Playback Playback CapabilityCapability

Synchronized Synchronized Spectrum Spectrum Analyzer Analyzer

Spectral ViewSpectral View

Interference Monitoring Detection System (IMDS)


March 2013


WEB IMDS WEB IMDS

Triangulated Triangulated Bearing Bearing

Averages Averages Overlay on Overlay on

MapMap

Increases Fix Increases Fix Calculation Calculation

Ellipse Ellipse AccuracyAccuracy

Multiple Multiple Ellipse Ellipse

Calculation for Calculation for Smaller Smaller EllipseEllipse

Mapping Triangulation


March 2013


Flight Explorer ASDAircraft

Situation Display(ASD)

Traffic Flow of potential aircraft

PIREPS

RLOS Footprint

Lowest Aircraft Altitude

VENN Diagram Overlay Area


March 2013


AudioDetection

VisualIntensities

Used for

Matching with known

sources

Audio Spectral

Views

Audio Spectrogram Analysis


March 2013

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