Aeronautical Telecommunication Network

The Aeronautical Telecommunications Network ( ATN ) is a defined by the ICAO data communication network based on the Open Systems Interconnection ( OSI).

The intent of ICAO in the definition of ATN is to use a common network for various applications of air traffic control. It should be noted that ATN needs to support not only the exchange of data from ground-based systems, the so-called ground -ground communication, but also the exchange of data between aircraft and ground systems ( air -ground communication). Important applications of the ATN AMHS are today and CPDLC.

AMHS (ATS Message Handling System) is the replacement of the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network ( AFTN ), which serves the worldwide exchange of flight plan data. To support the technology change from AFTN to AMHS, this gateway is required between the emerging AMHS network and the existing AFTN.

CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications ) enables the exchange of text-based messages between controllers and pilots with the intention today to replace the usual verbal communication by radio.

Due to the costly and complex routing technology OSI uses a plurality of users of ATN for the ground-based data exchange TCP / IP. For the global AMHS has the consequence that the corresponding node take over a computer as a transition between the OSI and TCP / IP networks, the data transfer.