Remote Maintenance Monitoring (RMM)

Remote maintenance monitoring (RMM, an important feature of many Thales ATM navigation aids, is a technique used to reduce the cost of operation by reducing the amount of time in performing both routine and corrective maintenance.

RMM uses a computer co-located within the navigation aid and some sort of communication line to establish a link between the navigation aid and a remote operator The communication line is usually a commercial telephone line, but can also be a dedicated hardwire connection or a radio link.

RMM can encompass many capabilities within a piece of equipment, for example:

• allowing the remote operator to query the current status of the equipment and view measured values or operating parameters

• allowing the remote operator to run tests to verify operation or isolate a problem

• allowing the remote operator to modify the setup of the equipment, such as changing the radiated power level

• automatically answering the phone

• automatically dialing a particular phone number or series of numbers, upon detection of an alarm condition in order to report the alarm to someone participating as a node in a wide-area computer network, responding to requests for data and allowing access to other computers within the network.

Oftentimes associated with RMM are the functions of built-in test and built-in fault isolation. Built-in test is a method whereby a navaid can check its own operation and automatically determine whether it is fully operational or whether some fault condition exists. Built-in fault isolation is a further refinement whereby the source of a fault condition is isolated to a single module, easily replaced by a technician.

Thales ATM has implemented all of the above functions in many of the navigation aids we produce. We also supply retrofit kits that add many of these functions to older equipment.

The cost savings possible with RMM are substantial. For instance, the FAA has estimated that the RAM capability built into their Second Generation VORTACs, supplied to the FAA by Thales ATM, amounts to nearly $50 million dollars per year.

Remote Control and Status Unit (RCSU)

The RCSU allows status monitoring and control of up to eight navigation aids from a single location. The RCSU may be used to display the status and control localizer stations, glide slope stations, marker beacon stations, DME and VOR stations. Contained in the RCSU are a power supply, converter and controller.