NEAR has developed a Real-Time Distributed Simulator (RTDS) for 'human-in-the-loop' simulations. Unlike legacy simulators the RTDS is built around a detailed object model and the software and functional architecture is entirely object-oriented. This has resulted in an extraordinarily efficient simulation that is capable of simulating the entire traffic of the continental United States on PCs running Linux.
In addition to simulation capabilities, the RTDS is capable of linking external aircraft sources into RTDS aircraft objects. This allows for the integration of aircraft simulators or live aircraft (via the Volpe feed or other sources) into the simulation for display purposes. All the RTDS requires is the position information from the aircraft or from live radars or ADS. With this capability, the RTDS can also be linked to individual flight simulators, which send aircraft position information to the RTDS and receive simulated traffic for population of the virtual environment.
The simulator is being used for the following types of studies:
The simulator can be widely distributed allowing a simulation to be run with displays anywhere in the US. A current project involves running simulations with both live and simulated aircraft with control positions in Washington DC, Irvine, CA and Houston, TX and even live displays flying in a trials aircraft. Wide distribution of the RTDS allows for simulations of ATC facility interactions from the facility sites reducing the requirement for personnel to all travel to one simulation location.
Supporting applications in the RTDS are a Voice Over IP communications system that can emulate normal VHF R/T and the DSR VSCS. However, it can also provide 'step-on' protection; automated transfer of voice communications on silent handover; and controller priority access to the channel if required.
The RTDS also supports CPDLC messaging, whether the Build 1/1a/2 or ATN, allowing simulation of control concepts involving basic data-link.
All transmissions, ADS, TIS, CPDLC and Voice are on different logical channels in the RTDS and use the RTCA standard message formats. Among other things this design allows assessment of the bandwidth requirements of each concept with these communications.
Due to its' object-oriented design, the RTDS is a highly adaptable, scalable real-time distributed network simulation. Requests for simulation runs using the RTDS can be turned around in time-efficient manner.
For more information on projects in this category, please click here.