Voice Communication Control System

What is VCCS?
VCSS is a computerized voice communication system for direct communication between pilots and air traffic control officers, and between air traffic control working positions in the ATC Centre, ATC Tower and Rescue Coordination Centre, by using pre-set aeronautical frequencies, direct communication lines and telephone lines.
VCCS controls and connects together various voice communication systems used for Air Traffic Management (ATM) such as VHF Tx/RX, telephone, and other ATC communications. 
It also provides an internetworked chain & backbone for numerous interfaces acting as an exchange for all the interfaces put together. It works on various IT protocols customized for each set of facility. We can interface diagram of VCCS can be shown as shown in figure below:

Features of VCCS

• Standard radio and telephone functions
• extended radio and telephone functions
• customized radio and telephone functions
• short term recording
• Instant replay
• Radio Voting
• Failsafe PPT
• Customer defined options

VCCS Simplify Diagram:

Typical VCCS Environment:

VCCS Hardware consists of following components:

Central Equipment (CEQ), 

Position Equipment (PEQ) and 

Voice Communication Management System (VCMS).
The general block diagram of VCCS is shown below:

Hardware Configuration:
General hardware configuration consists of 

1. central equipment
2. position equipment

Central Equipment: 

GAREX Administrative Package (GAP):

GAP is an application program that runs on the Voice Communication Management System (VCMS). GAP is started in the same way as all Windows type applications. GAP requires a valid username and password. This is done for security reasons, both to ensure that no unauthorized personnel change the set-up of the system, and also to be able to set different privileges for the different user types. GAP is used for:

•  reconfiguration of the setting in the VCS central equipment.
• reconfiguration of roles for the operator positions.
• displaying the diagnostic and error messages.
• installation and removal of hardware from the VCS central equipment.

GAP also includes a stastics tool. GAP is not critical to ongoing ATC operations. The GAREX central switch contains all the data necessary for controllers to continue ATC operations using the resources they have already been allocated. The switch also contains all the data necessary to restart itself with the chosen default configuration of roles and resources after the return of power if an outage should even occur.
 The main functions of the GAP are:

• Reconfiguration of the GAREX 220.
• Receive and store reconfiguration transections initiated from the controller working position equipment.
• Send configuration data to GAREX 220 at GAREX 220 power up.
• Receive, store, and present diagnostics messages from all GAREX 220 sub-systems.
• Generate systems parameters and layout reports.
• Produce and display call statistics.

Voice Communication Management System (VCMS)
The VCMS is a complete system for managing all assests within the Voice Communication Control System (VCCS)- including both Air-Ground and Ground-Ground communication. The VCMS is a collection of discrete application programs on a dedicated industry-standard server, running Microsoft Windows Server with an Oracle database. The server is equipped with Ethernet interfaces for connection to the GAREX 220 central equipment.

VCMS is  used to accurately diagnose system failures down to LRU level across all VCCS assests, with the minimum of delay, to monitor system performance, to record events and to provide service and equipment status. The VCMS server is included in the Central Equipment rack, monitor, keyboard and mouse for connection to server and mounting on desk.

The VCMS application include:

•  Diagnostics Graphical Display (DGD), an application used for monitoring the GAREX and identifying the source of faults.
• GAREX Administrative Package (GAP), an application used for control of the GAREX  configuration management and statistics.

The VCMS applications are multi-user so that the same application may be in use at up to 5 VCMS user interfaces concurrently. Changes performed from one VCMS terminal will be reflected at the other VCMS terminal. The VCMS is not directly involved in the Air-Ground voice path. Communication will current configuration will continue even if the VCMS is unavailable-as will role selection from the user positions. In case of VCMS failure, the monitoring messages will be stored in the central equipment. These message will be forwarded to the VCMS when it comes online after a failure.
VCMS applications:

Diagnostic Graphical Display (DGD)
DGD application provides the human-machine interface of the GAREX 220 monitoring and maintenance system. The DGD application handles these aspects of the Voice Communication Management System (VCMS):

• Monitoring of VCCS services and equipment.
• Diagnostics of equipment failures, including help to locate and replace failing parts.
• Means to  switch between main and standby radio transmitters, select radio receivers and disable equipment during maintenance.

The DGD software connects to the Oracle database on the VCMS server and displays the data in the database in a user-friendly and intuitive way. 

The top-level display for managing the VCCS will look similar to the figure below, which is an example screen-shot.

figure: DGD main and detailed view

The same basic display will be used for each VCCS but the contents will adopt to each VCCS configuration regrading the number of operator positions, channels, telephone interface etc. The overview display gives the latest status of all VCCS services. The definition of what colors are used for what purpose is configurable.

DGD event log:

All DGD events in the system shall be logged in the DGD event log for later analysis. The DGD event log records events for at least the last 24 hours. The following actions are all defined as events and stored in the event log:

• Logon and logoff by users, including failed logon attempts.
• Engineering role changes by users.
• Changes in technical state of services and equipment.
• Changes in acknowledge state of services and equipment.
• Changes to user notes in the alarm list.
•  Changes in maintenance state of equipment.
• Selection and deselection of equipment.
• Changes in engineering role configurations.
• Changes to engineering roles and user accounts.

The DGD event log is available through a button at the top of the main screen and will appear in the detailed view area. Several DGD event logs may be opened at the same time. In the example below, the detailed view area has been expanded to give a better overview of the events.

 

The DGD event log features extensive functions for selecting information to be displayed. This includes column sectors and filtering. The DGD event log may also be printed or exported to a file for further processing.