A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1206003
ERAM release EAE310 remains on track for deployment in April 2020. This release contains a new indicator to the controller when a Transfer of Communication (TOC) uplink times out. Additionally, the release provides a new option that combines multiple controller actions into one: acknowledging an abnormal closure of a TOC uplink, marking the aircraft off frequency and releasing the CPDLC eligibility for the flight to the next controller. The National DataComm Workgroup continues to work on securing additional enhancements into future ERAM releases that are scheduled before the deployment of DataComm full services. INTEGRATED DISPLAY SYSTEM REPLACEMENT (IDS-R) Richie Smith (N90) leads NATCA's efforts on the IDS-R project as the Article 114 Rep. His report is below: Software compilation and preliminary testing continues for the late spring 2020 release of the next NIDS build 3.7. This time, projection is very optimistic, and most people involved agree that a fall distribution is more likely. With the exception of a few issues, the NIDS networks have been operating without incident throughout the NAS. All 41 networks are operating on the latest software release (3.6.4) and only one network is not up to date on the Find A Fix patch. More concerning is that only 32 of 41 networks have installed the patch to fix the intermittent PDF issue that can cause the software to freeze. Both of these patches are incorporated in the next software build. If anyone is having issues with their NIDS system or has any questions or complaints please contact the NATCA NIDS representative, Richie Smith, at IDSR@natca.net. NAS VOICE SWITCH (NVS) Jon Shedden (ZFW) is the NATCA Article 114 Rep to the NVS project. His report is below: The National Airspace System (NAS) Voice over IP Communication Enterprise (VoICE) program will encompass what was the NVS program. This will include acquisitions to replace our aging voice switches, as well as Radio Control Equipment (RCE). The first Request For Industry (RFI) was released this past summer. The FAA is working on a second RFI with more detailed questions. The FAA is also working on revising and/or updating requirements for the Voice Communications System Specification to better align with existing industry standards. Work continues on the Air-to-Ground Media Gateway (AGMG). The AGMG, being developed as a part of the Future Flight Service Program (FFSP; for flight service in the contiguous U.S.), will allow modern Internet Protocol (IP) voice switches to communicate with legacy radios. These will be deployed to several centers to aid the transition of flight service radios to VoIP. Alaska Flight Service was scheduled to have their aging voice switch replaced with NVS. Now that the NVS contract has ended, work has begun to find a suitable replacement. Work continues on a shortfall analysis as well as requirements reviews.