ATC software

[ATM30]

With all these new ATM systems going up around the world, I'm curious about the software requirements. For a new ATM system, how much code is required? How much is re-used vs. new development? And what about types of software? I would imagine you have communications, surveillance, weather and flight data. Anything else?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Didn't you ask a similar question under a different name?

[ATM30]

No. In fact, I searched for ATC software-related posts and didn't find anything, so if you point me to the thread you're talking about, I'd appreciate it.

[ATCast]

And what about types of software? I would imagine you have communications, surveillance, weather and flight data. Anything else?

Those are a few major categories, but within each of those you have a lot of different software packages for various functions, running on different pieces of hardware. Often there is redundancy in hardware and software, to avoid single point of failures and to provide rapid switch over capabilities.

For an architecture example of the most common European surveillance tracker see ARTAS Architecture | EUROCONTROL. Note that this is exclusive of the surveillance sensors ( Radars, multilateration systems, ADS-B receivers), which have their own internal processing software and additional control & monitoring software. It also excludes the 'clients' of the surveillance tracker, such Controller Display systems, Operator Display system, Supervisor Display systems, Flow Control systems, Sequencing and Metering systems, Flight Data Processing systems, recording & playback systems etc etc etc.

Development of this software is typically done incremental step.For example, development of the ARTAS tracking system started back in the `80s. New systems being introduced are typically interfaced with existing infrastructure or build upon those. Rarely, if ever, an ATM system is designed from scratch. Proven technology is important in ATM for obvious reasons.