Wireless Phone Threat Assessment and New Wireless Technology Concerns for Aircraft Navigation Radios

By National Aeronautics and Space Administration

To address the concern for cellular phone electromagnetic interference to aircraft radios, a radiated emission measurement process was developed for two dominant digital standards of wireless handsets. Spurious radiated emissions were efficiently characterized from devices tested in either a semi-anechoic or reverberation chamber, in terms of effective radiated power. Eight representative handsets (four from each digital standard) were commanded to operate while varying their radio transmitter parameters (power, modulation, etc.). This report provides a detailed description of the measurement process and resulting data, which may subsequently be used by others as a basis of consistent evaluation of other portable transmitters using a variety of wireless transmission protocols. Aircraft interference path loss and navigation radio interference threshold data from numerous reference documents, standards, and NASA partnerships were compiled. Using these data, a preliminary risk assessment is provided for wireless phone interference to aircraft Localizer, Glideslope, Very High Frequency Omni directional Range, and Global Positioning Satellite radio receivers on typical transport airplanes. The report identifies where existing data for device emissions, interference path loss, and navigation radio interference thresholds need to be extended for an accurate risk assessment for wireless transmitters in aircraft. Ely, Jay J. and Nguyen, Truong X. and Koppen, Sandra V. and Beggs, John H. and Salud, Maria Theresa P. Langley Research Center NASA/TP-2003-212446, L-18321, NAS 1.60:212446 DFTA03-96-X-90001; WU 728-30-10-01 37803 WIRELESS COMMUNICATION; TELEPHONES; THREAT EVALUATION; AIR NAVIGATION; RADIO EQUIPMENT; AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATION; RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE; AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT; CIVIL AVIATION; PORTABLE EQUIPMENT; PULSE COMMUNICATION; STANDARDS; GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM; RADIO RECEIVERS

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08C4F7QGR
• ISBN13: 9798662711075
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.5" x 11.0"