Secondary Surveillance Radar Station Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current secondary surveillance radar (SSR) systems for air traffic control face challenges in synchronizing radar stations across wide areas without clusters, requiring additional external processing units and separate data links, which complicates the multilateration process and limits precision.
Innovation Solution
The proposed SSR system synchronizes secondary radar stations using time signal transmitters that embed timing information within existing data packets, allowing stations to autonomously synchronize their clocks without external processing units, using existing hardware and RF signals for data transmission, enabling a flexible and scalable multilateration system design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external clock synchronization (GPS/GNSS) is used for secondary radar stations, then synchronization precision is improved, but device complexity and dependency on external infrastructure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the synchronization function with existing secondary radar stations by having them exchange synchronization signals through their current RF communication infrastructure. This eliminates the need for separate external synchronization infrastructure like GPS/GNSS receivers, reducing system complexity while maintaining synchronization precision through peer-to-peer signal exchange among radar stations.
2Reliability
If separate calibration transmitters are used for synchronization, then synchronization capability is improved, but quantity of infrastructure and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing secondary radar stations perform dual functions: both air traffic surveillance and synchronization signal transmission. Each radar station equipped with a transmitter can broadcast synchronization signals containing timing information, eliminating the need for dedicated calibration transmitters while maintaining synchronization reliability across the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary radar stations synchronize themselves by exchanging synchronization signals among peers without requiring external processing units or centralized control. Each station autonomously processes received synchronization signals and adjusts its local clock, enabling self-organizing synchronization that reduces infrastructure requirements.
3Measurement precision
If additional data links are implemented for synchronization, then synchronization precision is improved, but device complexity and communication overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds synchronization data within existing RF data packets transmitted between secondary radar stations for air traffic control purposes. By multiplexing synchronization information on existing communication channels rather than implementing separate data links, the system achieves precise time measurement without increasing communication infrastructure complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention refers to a secondary surveillance radar, referred to hereinafter as SSR, system (1) for air traffic control. The SSR-system (1) comprises a plurality of secondary radar stations (2) and is adapted for determining a location of an air traffic vehicle within the range of coverage of at least some of the secondary radar stations (2) by means of propagation time measurement of data signals (8) transmitted between the secondary radar stations (2) and a transponder (9) of the air traffic vehicle. Each of the secondary radar stations (2) works on a synchronized local time base. In order to provide for a high-precision synchronisation of the radar stations (2) of the SSR system (1) free of clusters, it is suggested that an SSR system's (1) secondary radar station (2) is synchronized depending on the content of synchronisation signals (10) received by the secondary radar station (2) to be synchronized and broadcast by one of the other secondary radar stations (2) of the SSR system (1). Preferably, the content comprises a time of transmission of the synchronisation signal (10).