Purpose and Scope

The AeroMACS Radio Unit (ARU) provides a high-speed, low-latency, broadband data layer 2 radio that efficiently transports data on and off the aircraft. The ARU is part of an IP network that supports ATS, Flight Information Services (FIS), and AOC data multiplexed over the same radio channel while providing system-wide Quality of Service (QoS) and priority of each traffic type across all aircraft. The ARU is application agnostic. It manages the data based on the priority and QoS associated with the data packets. The ARU classifies the data packets based on the data packet attributes (priority and QoS) provided by the originator. The availability of this broadband connection is expected to support new capabilities in the avionics suite, such as graphical weather, graphical D-Taxi, situational awareness on airport moving map, file server access from aircraft terminals, terminal emulation sessions to a ground based host, and file transfers such as NAV database updates, Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA). AeroMACS supports Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). When the aircraft is equipped with the proper equipment, then VoIP communication to ramp support personnel will be possible. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommend AeroMACS to mitigate airport VDL Mode 2 (VDLM2) frequency congestion by offloading ATS and AOC data from VDLM2 to AeroMACS, when the aircraft is on the airport surface.

This document contains the physical form and fit dimensions, the electrical interface definition, and a description of the functions, operations and interfaces of an AeroMACS Radio Unit (ARU) intended for installation in commercial aircraft. The intent of this document is to provide general and specific design guidance for the development of an ARU for airline and other commercial aircraft operator.

This document describes the desired operational capability. This document defines the standards necessary for interchangeability and interoperability.

In addition, the functions defined by this document may be integrated in other equipment in order to provide an embedded ARU functional capability.