ELECTIVE 1 – RADIO FREQUENCY

DESIGN
 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
 CENTER OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY
SERVICE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

The most vulnerable to this impact are

energy, telecommunications, aviation dispatch
systems, financial electronic systems, government
information systems. For example, in nuclear
power, changing information or blocking
information centers can lead to a nuclear
catastrophe or the cessation of electricity to cities
and military sites in the financial sphere can lead to
a financial crisis.
 CENTER OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY
SERVICE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

Unintentional interference. EMC.

The first results of solving the EMC problem were private successes in
reducing the impact of unintentional electromagnetic interference
(UEMI). Then the UEMI EMC problem spread to all types of radio
electronic and electronic means.
 CENTER OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY
SERVICE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

Industrial radio interference (IRI) is understood as electromagnetic

interference in the radio frequency range created by electrical and electronic devices
of all types and purposes, other than radio transmitting devices operating at
frequencies assigned to them.
 US RFI Yearly Activity Statistics
 1995 Events = 1109
 1996 Events = 1248
 1997 Events = 1398
 1998 Events = 1576
 1999 Events = 1596
 2000 Events = 1771
 2001 Events = 1721
 2002 Events = 1659
 2003 Events = 1698
 2004 Events = 1712
 2005 Events = 1642
 2006 Events = 1696

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 RFI Categories
Authorized Transmissions
Properly Licensed (i.e. FM, AM, TV)
Unauthorized Transmissions
Wireless Video Cameras
High Power Cordless Telephones
Unlicensed Pirate FM Stations Spurious
Intentional
Unauthorized Jamming
“Phantom” Controllers
Unintentional
Spurious Transmissions

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 RFI Sources
Citizens Band (CB) Radios (5th harmonic)
Paging Systems
Stuck Microphone Transmissions
Cell phone Spurious Emissions
Electronic Attack (EA) Missions
Power line Noise (Broadband Noise)
Anomalous Propagation
Atmospheric Conditions
Amateur “HAM” Radio
Land Mobile/Dispatch

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
US National Airspace System RFI
Most Common Source of
RFI:
Unauthorized Transmissions
Pirate FM Broadcast Spurious

Most Common FAA Victim:

VHF/UHF Voice Communications
Most Difficult RFI to
Resolve:
High Altitude Pilot Only Reported
RFI
Intermittent RFI (Airborne/Ground)
Broadband RFI on Many
Frequencies
Phase Shift Keying RF
Transmissions
ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar
September 2007
 CENTER OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY
SERVICE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY

Examples of technical means of creating

intentional EM interference
 US RFI Investigation Resources
FAA Personnel and Organizations:
ATC Spectrum Engineering Services
Headquarters
Technical Center
Command Center
Frequency Management Officers (FMO)
Technical Operations Service Areas
Aeronautical Center
Technical Support Field Specialists (Technicians)
Aviation System Standards (Flight Inspection)
One International FIO
Six National FIOs

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 RFI Investigation Resources
FAA Assets and Software
Tools
 Radio Frequency
Interference Monitoring
(RFIM) Vans

Automated or Manual DF Control/Mapping Regional Used mainly by FMOs

Full Equipment Suite 20 - 3000 MHz Most Complete Measurement
System
ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar
September 2007
 Portable DF (RFID)

Regional

Automated Vehicle
mounted mobile DF

Detection Band 20-2000

MHz

29 RFID GPS DF Antenna

Systems L1 - 1575.42 MHz

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Handheld DF (K95-103)
Regional System Management
Office (SMO)
33 Offices in the NAS

K95-103 Detection Coverage

20 – 3000 MHz
Typically 2 miles

Regional

Most Cost effective

First choice
instrument for
technicians

Approx. 300 GPS DF Antenna VHF Yagi Antenna

K95-100 Systems L1,L2,L5 Directional

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Airborne DF (OAR-4400)
AVN

Flight Check
NASE/RFI
Program to
assist in
locating
RFI/GPS
sources

First Choice
when High
Altitude
PIREPS
ONLY

DF Control/Mapping GPS DF Array & VHF DF Array

Operated L1,L2,L5 & 108 - 174 MHz
Automation
ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar
September 2007
 National RFI Initiative
FAA 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

Chicago
NIMDS

New York
NIMDS

Master
Los Angeles IMDS
NIMDS

Miami
NIMDS

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Interference Monitoring
Detection System (IMDS)
WEB IMDS
Receiver
Tuned
Frequency

DF Processor
Bearing
Averaging
Triangulation

Multiple
Audio
Playback
Capability

Synchronized
Spectrum
Analyzer
Spectral View

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Mapping Triangulation
WEB IMDS
Triangulated
Bearing
Averages
Overlay on
Map

Increases Fix
Calculation
Ellipse
Accuracy

Multiple
Ellipse
Calculation
for Smaller
Ellipse

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 New IMDS Version 2.0 Control

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Example Engineering Analysis
Tools
 Automated Frequency Manager (AFM)
 Flight Explorer Aircraft Situation Display (FE ASD)
 Space Loss Calculator (SPLC)
 Spectrum Engineering Tracking System (SETS)
 Various Government Database Systems
 Government Master File (GMF)
 FCC Wireless Frequency Database

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Flight Explorer ASD
Aircraft
Situation
Display
(ASD)

Traffic Flow of
potential
aircraft PIREPS

RLOS Footprint

Lowest Aircraft
Altitude

VENN Diagram
Overlay Area

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Space Loss Calculator

Propagation
Loss

Determine the
potential signal
levels received by
Aircraft

Analyze:

Intermodulation
FM Worksheet
Site Specs
Soil Conductivity

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Audio Spectrogram Analysis

Audio
Detection
Visual
Intensities

Used for
Matching
with known
sources

Audio
Spectral
Views

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
Maintenance Management System

Facility ID
Start
Date/Time
Summary

Cause
Code 84
Code 7
RFI Events
Logged

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 Event Manager Reporting Tool

Facility ID
Start
Date/Time
Summary

NOCC
Code 84
Code 7
RFI&GPS
Events
Logged

Tracked &
Updated
Daily by
FAA ASR
Liaison

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
 aeroRFI – Internet Reporting

Commercial
and
Private
Pilots
Reporting

Special
aeroRFI
Team

Internet
eMail
Messaging

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
COMM RFI
RFI/GPS Reporting Flow
NAV RFI RADAR RFI
NAS Services
Impacted -
Reported By Users

NOCC Phone – eMail

RCL/LMR ILS GPS ENROUTE TERMINAL Reports

MMS NAPRS Reports NOCC EM Reports aeroRFI Reports

Liaison Reports

Private Pilots
Linked Field Personnel Reporting Linked
Network

Spectrum Engineering Tracking System (SETS)

Intranet FAA Network Records

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007
Spectrum Engineering Event Tracker

Open
Active
Events
Report

Search
Code 84
RFI Events
Fields

Drop Down
Selection
for Search
Execution

ICAO Spectrum Management Seminar

September 2007