The Evolution of CPDLC

摘要

There are countless technologies that have revolutionized the 20th century. Defining which invention has been the most vital to aviation can be an endless exercise in futility, as many seem to be the progeny of one another. Concerning communications and automation in Air Traffic Management (ATM)—the growth of the space program and the evolution of the computer are likely candidates of major change. Space advancement is chosen by the authors for the reason that without the breakthrough of satellites, Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) in today's complex Air Traffic Control (ATC) environment would not be possible. And the choice of computers was selected for the sheer gargantuan change they have brought to society—in the case of aviation, that of automation itself. Computers have enabled the evolution of digital communications, which combined with Satellite Communication (SATCOM), has made it possible to transition from High Frequency voice radio contact in oceanic ATC to Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). How CPDLC technology has evolved to present day use is the subject of this article.