Avionic Systems
This page covers various avionic systems used as short range navigational aids, long range navigational aids and approach landing navigational aids. It includes ADF, NDB, VOR, LORAN, OMEGA, MLS, DME, TACAN, GPS, ALS, VASIS, DNS, INS, IRS, RNAV, VORTAC, ILS, LOC, GS, LOC-DME, MB, DGPS navigational aids etc. The difference between these avionic systems have been mentioned in tables below.
Short Range Navigational Aids- ADF, NDB, VOR, DME, TACAN, VORTAC, RNAV
| Short range system |
Meaning | Principle | Frequency of operation |
System location |
RF Wireless World Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADF | Automatic Direction Finder | Provides Aircraft bearing with respect to Ground Station | MF | Located at Aircraft | ADF |
| NDB | Non Directional Beacon | Ground system used as an Automatic Direction Finder Transmit for bearing purposes | Medium Frequency(MF) | Located at Ground | |
| VOR | VHF Omni Directional Range | Provides Aircraft radial with respect to a Ground Station | VHF | Located at Ground and Aircraft | VOR |
| DME | Distance Measuring Equipment | Provides distance between Aircraft and Ground Station | UHF | located at ground and Aircraft | DME |
| NDB-DME | NDB and DME | GND system with both NDB and DME for bearing and distance purposes | MF/UHF | Located at Ground | |
| VOR-DME | VOR and DME | Ground system with both the VOR and DME for radial and distance purposes | VHF/UHF | Located at Ground | |
| TACAN | Tactical Air Navigation | Provides Aircraft bearing and distance with respect to a GND station | UHF | Located at Ground and Aircraft | TACAN |
| VORTAC | VOR and TACAN | Ground System with both VOR and TACAN for bearing and distance purposes | VHF,UHF | Located at Ground | VORTAC |
| RNAV | Random Navigation or aRea Navigation | Provides Aircraft bearing and distance w.r.t. 3D artificial reference position known as WPT | VHF,UHF,SHF | Located at Aircraft | RNAV |
Long Range Navigational Aids -LORAN-C, OMEGA, INS, DNS, GPS
| Long Range System |
Meaning | Principle | Frequency | System Location |
RF Wireless World Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LORAN-C | Long Range Navigation Revision C |
provides Aircraft Position Fix-2D |
LF | Located at Ground,Aircraft | LORAN |
| OMEGA | Optimized Method for Estimated Guidance Accuracy | Provides Aircraft Position fix -2D | VLF | Located at Ground, Aircraft | OMEGA |
| INS or IRS | Inertial Navigation or Reference System | Provides Aircraft velocity-3D and position fix-3D | - | Located at Aircraft | INS |
| DNS | Doppler Navigation System | Provides Aircraft velocity-3D and position fix-3D | SHF | Located at Aircraft | DNS |
| GPS | Global Positioning System | Provides Aircraft Position fix-3D | UHF | Located at Ground,Aircraft,Outer space | GPS |
Approach Landing Navigational Aids- ALS, VASIS, ILS, LOC, GS, MB, MLS, DGPS
| Approach Landing system |
Meaning | Principle | Frequency | System Location |
RF Wireless World Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALS | Approach Landing system | Provides visual Aid during landing for IFR precision Aircraft | - | Located at Ground | |
| VASIS | Visual Approach Slope Indicator System | Provides visual aid during landing for VFR and IFR non precision Aircraft | - | Located at Ground | |
| ILS | Instrument Landing System | Provides Aircraft guidance for straight flight path landing | VHF/UHF | Located at Ground,Aircraft | ILS |
| LOC | Localizer | Provides horizontal guidance during ILS landing | VHF | located at ground,Aircraft | |
| GS | Glideslope | Provides vertical guidance during ILS landing | UHF | located at ground,Aircraft | |
| LOC-DME | LOC and DME | Ground system with both LOC and DME for horizontal guidance during ILS landing and distance purposes | VHF/UHF | located at ground | |
| MB | Marker Beacon | Provides indication that the Aircraft is in a specific location | VHF | located at ground,Aircraft | |
| OM,MM,IM | Outer Marker, Middle Marker, Inner Marker | Provides indication on how far the Aircraft is with respect to the runway threshold | VHF | located at ground,Aircraft | |
| MLS | Microwave Landing System | Provides Aircraft guidance for curved or straight or segmented flight path landing | SHF | located at ground,Aircraft | MLS |
| DGPS | Differential GPS | Ground system used to increase GPS accuracy | LF/MF/UHF | located at ground | DGPS |
What is Difference between
Difference between DME and TACAN
Difference between LDACS1 versus LDACS2
difference between FDM and OFDM
Difference between SC-FDMA and OFDM
Difference between SISO and MIMO
Difference between TDD and FDD
Difference between 802.11 standards viz.11-a,11-b,11-g and 11-n
OFDM vs OFDMA
CDMA vs GSM
Bluetooth vs zigbee
Fixed wimax vs mobile
wibro vs mobile wimax
Microcontroller vs microprocessor
FDM vs TDM
wimax vs lte