Opportunistic-Target-Measurement-Based Narrowband Statistical Modeling of Civil Aviation Surveillance Signal at 1090 MHz

Abstract

Automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) is one of the next-generation aeronautical surveillance systems for air traffic control. ADS-B requires an aircraft to periodically broadcast its own position to other aircraft and ground stations, thereby enabling high-performance surveillance. In this study, the received signal strength (RSS) of the ADS-B signal was measured and characterized for opportunistic flights. The RSS distribution for a single aircraft was modeled as a sum of three components: nominal RSS, bias in the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP), and fading. Then, the RSS distribution for multiple aircraft was defined, considering that the EIRP bias and fading parameter are different for different aircraft. To this end, a composite distribution was employed, the parameters of which were estimated from the bias and fading statistics. Furthermore, a practical approximation of the model was proposed. The proposed model is suitable for large-scale data, enabling the realization of aircraft-by-aircraft analysis. Also, it can provide a clear explanation of the mechanism by which the RSS distribution is formed.