Surveillance Data Service, Support, Test
& Evaluation System
The RAPS product is a powerful and versatile toolset for the testing, analysis, validation as well as the simulation of surveillance data.

It is the world’s first ASTERIX reference tool that is officially qualified. The system allows multichannel recording and replay of a wide range of formats and protocols.

It provides highly sophisticated and flexible functions for filtering, format-sensitive evaluation, visualization, transformation of data and the generation of test data. A fully graphical user interface facilitates its use.

As a result of its diverse functions RAPS offers multifaceted cases of application: It is widely used in control centres or at radar sites for monitoring, trouble shooting or analysing any kind of surveillance information.

The tool has further become indispensable in critical situations such as integrating new systems into an existing environment or tracing and diagnosing problems occurring during acceptance tests.

Finally RAPS is increasingly popular with the ATC community for error diagnostics on operationally running systems and test environments.

New Features:

• Latest Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
• Detailed BDS register & RE field decoding
• New OPS: Linux Red Hat 5, allowing parallel operation of various tools on a single platform
• Applicable as complementary acquisition tool for
  SASS-C

• ATC test equipment on portable PC for automated test environments
• EUROCONTROL qualified ASTERIX processor
• Automated quality analysis of surveillance data
• Remote control via command line
• Customizable and innovative HMI, supporting multiple user environments
• Open, modular, XML-based architecture
• Versatile import and export capabilities
• Interface to various 3^rd party tools

Standard Applications

• Basic recording, replay and bridge function
• Flexible export of surveillance data for further use with 3rd party tools such as MS Excel, Open Office spreadsheet and external databases (ORACLE, PostgreSQL, MySQL)
• Versatile data import: detection of virtually all existing surveillance data formats, file framings, frame headers and trailers

Recording, Replay & Bridge

• Independent simultaneous recording and synchronized replay of multiple data streams
• Unlimited recording of large amounts of data
• Rich set of communication adaptors for serial lines and LANs
• Online monitoring (display of protocol events, connection establishment, throughput, data integrity, …)
• Database with large repository of default protocol parameter configurations
• Automated configuration process for data acquisition
• Large number of modifiable protocol parameters for non-standard communication partners and special test cases
• Protocol-specific diagnostics functions and error history
• UTC precision time-stamping (DCF 77 or GPS)
• Online protocol conversion from input to output lines (e. g. serial HDLC/LAPB to LAN TCP/IP)
• Online filtering and user-defined data transformation
• Online merging and splitting of multiple lines
• Remote control from independent systems in standard or user-defined sessions
• Surveillance data source detector
• Multiple-line recording and replay
• For all physical interfaces and communication lines
• User-defined scenario creation

Data Analysis

• Raw surveillance data: format-specific analysis and generation of reader-friendly textual reports
• Various user-definable layout options for reports
• Format and protocol validation
• Reporting and encoding rule and format violations
• Warning for non-compliance to standard
• Generation of statistical reports
• Surveillance data browser with search facilities
• Automated analysis scenarios
• Report generation
• Comfortable export of reports to 3^rd party tools
  

Filtering & Data Processing

• Offline and online mode
• Flexible user-defined rules for data filtering and modification
• Complex conditions on logical format level
• Value-dependent filtering such as geographical characteristics, height or type
• All non-ASTERIX formats can be translated into ASTERIX and vice versa

Data Display & Plot Support

• Graphical visualization of recorded or live surveillance data (based on RMD)
• Support of Mode S, ADS-B and multilateration sensor data
• Online correlation of multiple surveillance data sources
• Zooming, centring, label adjustment
• Live analysis of selected input data
• Measuring of distances with cursor
• Extended trail history for selected targets
• Presentation of data in a two-dimensional or 3-dimensional grid
• Freely configurable parameters (zoom, translation, rotation)
• Upload of maps and adding thereof to the plot
• User-defined time frame setting
• Enhancement of information by adding flight level, mode-3/A code or callsigns

Surveillance Data Editor

ASTERIX format/version editor

• Modification of ASTERIX category definitions and easy creation of new user-specific categories (e. g. military)

ASTERIX surveillance data editor (byte level or ASTERIX item level)

• ASTERIX-sensitive data composition and display
• Manual generation of artificial surveillance data messages down to byte level
• Repair of corrupted data files
• Editing of recorded, artificially created or imported surveillance data
• Efficient generation of test data suites for acceptance testing

Data Conversion

• Tailored for the use in test and pre-operational ATC environments
• Translation of different user-defined ASTERIX versions
• Quick conversion of ASTERIX data streams into legacy formats and vice versa

Simulator

• Artificial data streams based on user-defined input
• Generation of fixed target, monitoring messages, status etc.
  • load profiles for system testing
  • systematically modified real data
  • erroneous messages and test sequences

Flight Path Data Generator

• Data stream simulations of radar sensors and trackers
• Generation of target reports, plots and service messages for standard or user-defined (military) ASTERIX categories (e. g. radar, ADS-B, Mode S, MLAT)
• Conversion of generated data into non-ASTERIX formats
• Manual modification of generated data by using ASTERIX editor
• Simulation of error characteristics created by surveillance sensors (range bias, range gain, range accuracy, azimuth bias, azimuth accuracy)
• Definition of flights
• Graphical user-friendly HMI for generation of flights in predefined geographical areas
• Circular flight patterns
• Sequence of waypoints
• Flexible scenario generation in XML (flight generation rules)
• Target template editor

RAPS has been sold to numerous ATC environments around the globe. Just about 100 systems are currently in operational use in various test and evaluation scenarios supporting each individual user at mastering its own challenge.

Austrocontrol, AAF – Austria
Belgocontrol – Belgium
Eurocontrol – Belgium
DECEA – Brasil
DG CAA – Bulgaria
ANS – Czech Republic
Eurocontrol, Thales – France
NATS – Great Britain
DFS, GAF, EADS – Germany
IAA – Ireland
Oro Navigacija – Lithuania
Lux AA – Luxembourg
Moldatsa – Moldova
RNLAF – The Netherlands
PANSA – Poland
QCAA – Qatar
CAAS – Singapore
LPS SR – Slovak Republic
CAA – Sri Lanka
LFV, FMV, Saab – Sweden
Skyguide – Switzerland
GCAA – Abu Dhabi, UAE
General Dynamics – USA

RAPS supports all currently existing standardized ASTERIX categories and also allows the operator to choose among different ASTERIX versions. Moreover its progressive processor is capable of converting all earlier versions backwards. COMSOFT is closely monitoring the standardization process and provides upgrades to forthcoming versions of the ASTERIX standard as soon as they are available.

Additionally the user can define new, work case dependent ASTERIX categories as well as user application profiles (UAP) according to the specific requirements of an application.

Surveillance data – recorded, artificial or imported – can be edited on byte level or on ASTERIX item level.

COMSOFT has continuously refined and upgraded the RAPS technology since the first implementation of ASTERIX in 1989. At that time, an early ancestor of this product was developed. Since then the RAPS product has been backed up by COMSOFT’s long-time expertise in the field of surveillance data testing and has helped aviation authorities and industry partners to align and test their ASTERIX implementations.

Qualification certificates issued by various organizations endorse the trustworthiness of the product. In 1998 decided EUROCONTROL to qualify RAPS as an ASTERIX test tool and reference product which was repeated in 2003. Finally has a recognized German research organization re-evaluated the tool in accordance with the latest procedures successfully.

With ASTERIX being as close as possible to an official standard, RAPS has gained recognition as an official ASTERIX reference product and will in the future further contribute to smooth interoperability between surveillance systems.

ATC centres are complex environments and generally comprise a multitude of complex systems. Among which are e. g. surveillance data processing or distributing systems, various sensors to locate aircraft and other systems of the surveillance chain.

Whenever a problem occurs or special assistance is needed regarding technical issues, COMSOFT’s surveillance support service provides the individually tailored formula. A mix of sophisticated tools, experienced staff members and a broad expertise in the surveillance domain contribute to finding a quick and professional solution.

Surveillance Support Services - please click to enlarge