ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)

ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)






EUROPEAN STANDARD
VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4 radio equipment;
Technical characteristics and methods of measurement
for ground-based equipment;
Part 1: EN for ground equipment

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
2 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)



Reference
REN/AERO-00020-1
Keywords
aeronautical, digital, radio, testing, VHF
ETSI
650 Route des Lucioles
F-06921 Sophia Antipolis Cedex - FRANCE

Tel.: +33 4 92 94 42 00  Fax: +33 4 93 65 47 16

Siret N° 348 623 562 00017 - NAF 742 C
Association à but non lucratif enregistrée à la
Sous-Préfecture de Grasse (06) N° 7803/88

Important notice
The present document can be downloaded from:
http://www.etsi.org/standards-search
The present document may be made available in electronic versions and/or in print. The content of any electronic and/or
print versions of the present document shall not be modified without the prior written authorization of ETSI. In case of any
existing or perceived difference in contents between such versions and/or in print, the only prevailing document is the
print of the Portable Document Format (PDF) version kept on a specific network drive within ETSI Secretariat.
Users of the present document should be aware that the document may be subject to revision or change of status.
Information on the current status of this and other ETSI documents is available at
http://portal.etsi.org/tb/status/status.asp
If you find errors in the present document, please send your comment to one of the following services:
https://portal.etsi.org/People/CommiteeSupportStaff.aspx
Copyright Notification
No part may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
and microfilm except as authorized by written permission of ETSI.
The content of the PDF version shall not be modified without the written authorization of ETSI.
The copyright and the foregoing restriction extend to reproduction in all media.

© European Telecommunications Standards Institute 2015.
All rights reserved.

TM TM TM
DECT , PLUGTESTS , UMTS and the ETSI logo are Trade Marks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its Members.
TM
3GPP and LTE™ are Trade Marks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its Members and
of the 3GPP Organizational Partners.
GSM® and the GSM logo are Trade Marks registered and owned by the GSM Association.
ETSI

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
3 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 6
Foreword . 6
Modal verbs terminology . 6
Introduction . 7
1 Scope . 8
2 References . 9
2.1 Normative references . 9
2.2 Informative references . 10
3 Definitions and abbreviations . 10
3.1 Definitions . 10
3.1.1 Basic reference model definitions . 10
3.1.2 Service conventions definitions . 10
3.1.3 General definitio ns . 11
3.2 Abbreviations . 14
4 General description and architecture of VDL Mode 4 . 15
4.1 General . 15
5 VDL Mode 4 physical layer functional specifications . 15
5.1 Overview . 15
5.1.1 Functions . 16
5.1.2 Data reception . 16
5.1.3 Data transmission . 16
5.2 Modulation scheme . 16
6 VDL Mode 4 equipment requirements . 16
6.1 Receiver Requirements . 16
6.1.1 Receiver operating range . 16
6.1.2 BER requirement . 16
6.1.3 Reference signal level . 17
6.1.4 Sensitivity . 17
6.1.5 Adjacent channel rejection . 17
6.1.6 Rejection of signals within the VHF Aeronautical band. 17
6.1.7 Rejection of signals outside the VHF Aeronautical band . 17
6.1.8 Desired signal dynamic range . 18
6.1.9 Symbol rate capture range . 18
6.1.10 Frequency capture range . 18
6.1.11 Co-channel interference . 18
6.1.12 Conducted spurious emission . 18
6.1.13 FM Broadcast Intermodulation . 18
6.1.13.1 Radio frequencies in the band 112 MHz to 137 MHz . 18
6.1.14 In-band Intermodulation . 19
6.1.15 Cabinet radiation . 19
6.2 Transmitter requirements . 19
6.2.1 Transmitter operating range . 19
6.2.2 Channel Bit Rate . 19
6.2.3 Protection of the transmitter. 20
6.2.4 Manufacturer's declared output power . 20
6.2.5 RF power rise time . 20
6.2.6 RF power release time . 20
6.2.7 Conducted Spurious emissions . 20
6.2.8 Adjacent channel power . 20
6.2.9 Wide-band noise . 21
6.2.10 Frequency Tolerance. 21
6.2.11 Load VSWR capability . 21
6.2.12 Cabinet radiation . 21
ETSI

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4 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
6.3 Transceiver requirements . 21
6.3.1 Start of transmission . 21
6.3.2 Automatic transmitter shutdown . 21
6.3.3 Receiver to transmitter turnaround time . 21
6.3.4 Transmitter to receiver turnaround time . 21
6.3.5 System timing requirements . 21
7 General design requirements . 22
7.1 Controls and indicators . 22
7.2 Class of emission and modulation characteristics . 22
7.3 Warm up . 22
8 Test conditions, power sources and ambient temperatures . 22
8.1 Test power source . 22
8.2 Test channels . 22
8.3 General conditions of measurement . 22
8.3.1 Receiver test signal arrangement . 22
8.3.2 Performance check . 22
8.4 Normal and extreme test conditions . 23
8.4.1 Normal test conditions . 23
8.4.1.1 Normal temperature and humidity . 23
8.4.1.2 Normal power sources . 23
8.4.1.2.1 Mains voltage and frequency . 23
8.4.1.2.2 Other power sources . 23
8.4.2 Extreme test conditions . 23
8.4.2.1 Extreme temperatures . 23
8.4.2.2 Procedure for tests at extreme temperatures . 23
8.4.2.2.1 General . 23
8.4.2.2.2 High temperature . 23
8.4.2.2.3 Low temperature . 24
8.4.2.3 Extreme values of test power sources . 24
8.4.2.3.1 Mains voltage and frequency . 24
9 Detailed Test Procedures for the physical layer . 24
9.1 Receiver . 24
9.1.1 BER test . 24
9.1.2 Sensitivity . 26
9.1.3 Adjacent Channel Rejection (ACR) . 26
9.1.4 Rejection of signals within the VHF Aeronautical band. 27
9.1.5 Rejection of signals outside the VHF Aeronautical band . 28
9.1.6 Desired Signal dynamic range . 29
9.1.7 Symbol rate capture range . 29
9.1.8 Frequency capture range . 30
9.1.9 Co-channel interference . 30
9.1.10 Conducted spurious emission . 31
9.1.11 In-band Intermodulation . 31
9.2 Transmitter . 32
9.2.1 Channel Bit Rate . 32
9.2.2 Manufacturer's declared output power . 32
9.2.3 RF power rise time . 33
9.2.4 RF power release time . 33
9.2.5 Spurious emissions . 34
9.2.6 Adjacent channel power . 34
9.2.6.1 Method of measurement for the first adjacent channel . 34
9.2.6.2 Method of measurement for the second adjacent channel . 35
9.2.6.3 Method of measurement for the fourth adjacent channel . 36
9.2.6.4 Alternative measurement procedure for Adjacent Channel Power (ACP) . 37
9.2.7 Wide-band noise . 37
9.2.8 Frequency Error . 38
9.2.8.1 Definition . 38
9.2.8.2 Method of measurement . 38
9.2.8.3 Limits . 38
9.2.9 Load VSWR capability . 38
ETSI

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5 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
9.3 Physical layer, system parameters . 39
9.3.1 Receiver to Transmitter turn-around time . 39
9.3.2 Transmitter to Receiver turn-around time . 39
9.3.3 Tuning Time . 40
Annex A (informative): Cross reference matrix . 41
Annex B (informative): Bibliography . 43
History . 44

ETSI

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
6 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (http://ipr.etsi.org).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Foreword
This European Standard (EN) has been produced by ETSI Technical Committee Aeronautics (AERO).
The present document is part 1 of a multi-part deliverable covering the VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4
radio equipment; Technical characteristics and methods of measurement for ground-based equipment, as identified
below:
Part 1: "EN for ground equipment";
Part 2: "General description and data link layer";
Part 3: "Additional broadcast aspects";
Part 4: "Point-to-point functions";
Part 5: "Harmonized EN covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive".
The present document is accompanied by an equivalent airborne standard, ETSI EN 302 842 [i.1] parts 1 to 4, covering
the VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4 radio equipment; Technical characteristics and methods of
measurement for airborne equipment.

National transposition dates
Date of adoption of this EN: 6 April 2015
Date of latest announcement of this EN (doa): 31 July 2015
Date of latest publication of new National Standard
or endorsement of this EN (dop/e): 31 January 2016
Date of withdrawal of any conflicting National Standard (dow): 31 January 2017

Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "shall", "shall not", "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and
"cannot" are to be interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression of
provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.
ETSI

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
7 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
Introduction
The present document states the technical specifications for Very High Frequency (VHF) Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4
ground-based radio transmitters, transceivers and receivers for air-ground communications operating in the VHF band,
using Gaussian-filtered Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) Modulation with 25 kHz channel spacing and capable of
tuning to any of the 25 kHz channels from 112,000 MHz to 136,975 MHz as defined in ICAO VHF Digital Link (VDL)
Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) [2].
The present document may be used to produce tests for the assessment of the performance of the equipment.
ETSI

---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
8 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
1 Scope
The present document applies to the following radio equipment types:
• Very High Frequency (VHF) Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4 ground-based radio transmitters and receivers for
air-ground communications operating in the VHF band, using Gaussian-filtered Frequency Shift Keying
(GFSK) Modulation with 25 kHz channel spacing and capable of tuning to any of the 25 kHz channels from
112,000 MHz to 136,975 MHz as defined in ICAO VHF Digital Link (VDL) Standards and Recommended
Practices (SARPs) [2].
The present document provides part 1 of the technical specification.
The present document is designed to ensure that equipment certified to it will be compatible with the relevant ICAO
VHF Digital Link (VDL) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) [2] and VDL Mode 4 Technical Manual
(TM) [1].
Manufacturers should note that in future the tuning range for the ground transceivers may also cover any 25 kHz
channel from 108,000 MHz to 111,975 MHz.
The scope of the present document is limited to ground stations. The equivalent specification for airborne stations is
ETSI EN 302 842 [i.1].
The VDL Mode 4 system provides digital communication exchanges between aircraft and ground-based systems and
other aircraft supporting surveillance and communication applications. The supported modes of communication include:
• broadcast and point-to-point communication;
• broadcast services including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), Traffic Information
Service - Broadcast (TIS-B) and Flight Information Service - Broadcast (FIS-B) capabilities;
• air-air, air-to-ground, and ground-to-air services;
• operation without ground infrastructure.
The present document is derived from the specifications:
• VDL Mode 4 standards produced under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) [1] and [2];
• other relevant standards as defined in clause 2.
It is envisaged that manufacturers may provide equipment supporting:
• broadcast services only;
• point-to-point services only;
• both broadcast and point-to-point services.
The present document deals with tests of the physical layer necessary to support all types of equipment.
The present document includes:
• clause 2 provides references to relevant documents;
• clause 3 provides general definitions, abbreviations and symbols used;
• clause 4 refers to a general description and architecture of VDL Mode 4 contained in ETSI EN 301 842-2 [6];
• clause 5 provides functional specifications applicable to the physical layer including transmitter/receiver
requirements and the modulation scheme;
• clause 6 provides general equipment requirements;
• clause 7 provides general design requirements;
ETSI

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9 ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.1 (2015-04)
• clause 8 covers general test conditions, environmental tests and calibration;
• clause 9 provides detailed test procedures for the physical layer;
• annex A provides a detailed cross-reference to the relevant requirements contained in reference [1];
• annex B provides a Bibliography;
The full physical layer tests are provided which correspond closely to the standard set of tests used for other VDL
systems.
Mandating and Recommendation Phrases
a) "Shall"
The use of the word "Shall" indicates a mandated criterion; i.e. compliance with the particular procedure or
specification is mandatory and no alternative may be applied.
b) "Should"
The use of the word "Should" (and phrases such as "It is recommended that.", etc.) indicate that though the
procedure or criterion is regarded as the preferred option, alternative procedures, specifications or criteria may
be applied, provided that the manufacturer, installer or tester can provide information or data to adequately
support and justify the alternative.
2 References
2.1 Normative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
reference document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
[1] ICAO Doc 9816 (First Edition 2004): "Manual on VHF Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4, Part 2:
Detailed Technical Specifications".
[2] ICAO Annex 10 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation: "Aeronautical
Telecommunications, Volume III: Communication Systems, Part I: Digital Data Communication
Systems, chapter 6", including Amendment 88 (applicable
...

Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)






EUROPEAN STANDARD
VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4 radio equipment;
Technical characteristics and methods of measurement
for ground-based equipment;
Part 1: EN for ground equipment

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
2 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)



Reference
REN/AERO-00020-1
Keywords
aeronautical, digital, radio, testing, VHF
ETSI
650 Route des Lucioles
F-06921 Sophia Antipolis Cedex - FRANCE

Tel.: +33 4 92 94 42 00  Fax: +33 4 93 65 47 16

Siret N° 348 623 562 00017 - NAF 742 C
Association à but non lucratif enregistrée à la
Sous-Préfecture de Grasse (06) N° 7803/88

Important notice
The present document can be downloaded from:
http://www.etsi.org
The present document may be made available in electronic versions and/or in print. The content of any electronic and/or
print versions of the present document shall not be modified without the prior written authorization of ETSI. In case of any
existing or perceived difference in contents between such versions and/or in print, the only prevailing document is the
print of the Portable Document Format (PDF) version kept on a specific network drive within ETSI Secretariat.
Users of the present document should be aware that the document may be subject to revision or change of status.
Information on the current status of this and other ETSI documents is available at
http://portal.etsi.org/tb/status/status.asp
If you find errors in the present document, please send your comment to one of the following services:
http://portal.etsi.org/chaircor/ETSI_support.asp
Copyright Notification
No part may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
and microfilm except as authorized by written permission of ETSI.
The content of the PDF version shall not be modified without the written authorization of ETSI.
The copyright and the foregoing restriction extend to reproduction in all media.

© European Telecommunications Standards Institute 2014.
All rights reserved.

TM TM TM
DECT , PLUGTESTS , UMTS and the ETSI logo are Trade Marks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its Members.
TM TM
3GPP and LTE are Trade Marks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its Members and
of the 3GPP Organizational Partners.
GSM® and the GSM logo are Trade Marks registered and owned by the GSM Association.
ETSI

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
3 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 6
Foreword . 6
Modal verbs terminology . 6
Introduction . 7
1 Scope . 8
2 References . 9
2.1 Normative references . 9
2.2 Informative references . 10
3 Definitions and abbreviations . 10
3.1 Definitions . 10
3.1.1 Basic reference model definitions . 10
3.1.2 Service conventions definitions . 10
3.1.3 General definitio ns . 10
3.2 Abbreviations . 14
4 General description and architecture of VDL Mode 4 . 15
4.1 General . 15
5 VDL Mode 4 physical layer functional specifications . 15
5.1 Overview . 15
5.1.1 Functions . 15
5.1.2 Data reception . 16
5.1.3 Data transmission . 16
5.2 Modulation scheme . 16
6 VDL Mode 4 equipment requirements . 16
6.1 Receiver Requirements . 16
6.1.1 Receiver operating range . 16
6.1.2 BER requirement . 16
6.1.3 Reference signal level . 17
6.1.4 Sensitivity . 17
6.1.5 Adjacent channel rejection . 17
6.1.6 Rejection of signals within the VHF Aeronautical band. 17
6.1.7 Rejection of signals outside the VHF Aeronautical band . 17
6.1.8 Desired signal dynamic range . 18
6.1.9 Symbol rate capture range . 18
6.1.10 Frequency capture range . 18
6.1.11 Co-channel interference . 18
6.1.12 Conducted spurious emission . 18
6.1.13 FM Broadcast Intermodulation . 19
6.1.13.1 Radio frequencies in the band 112 MHz to 137 MHz . 19
6.1.14 In-band Intermodulation . 19
6.1.15 Cabinet radiation . 19
6.2 Transmitter requirements . 19
6.2.1 Transmitter operating range . 20
6.2.2 Channel Bit Rate . 20
6.2.3 Protection of the transmitter. 20
6.2.4 Manufacturer's declared output power . 20
6.2.5 RF power rise time . 20
6.2.6 RF power release time . 20
6.2.7 Conducted Spurious emissions . 21
6.2.8 Adjacent channel power . 21
6.2.9 Wide-band noise . 21
6.2.10 Frequency Tolerance. 21
ETSI

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4 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
6.2.11 Load VSWR capability . 21
6.2.12 Cabinet radiation . 22
6.3 Transceiver requirements . 22
6.3.1 Start of transmission . 22
6.3.2 Automatic transmitter shutdown . 22
6.3.3 Receiver to transmitter turnaround time . 22
6.3.4 Transmitter to receiver turnaround time . 22
6.3.5 System timing requirements . 22
7 General design requirements . 22
7.1 Controls and indicators . 22
7.2 Class of emission and modulation characteristics . 22
7.3 Warm up . 22
8 Test conditions, power sources and ambient temperatures . 23
8.1 Test power source . 23
8.2 Test channels . 23
8.3 General conditions of measurement . 23
8.3.1 Receiver test signal arrangement . 23
8.3.2 Performance check . 23
8.4 Normal and extreme test conditions . 24
8.4.1 Normal test conditions . 24
8.4.1.1 Normal temperature and humidity . 24
8.4.1.2 Normal power sources . 24
8.4.1.2.1 Mains voltage and frequency . 24
8.4.1.2.2 Other power sources . 24
8.4.2 Extreme test conditions . 24
8.4.2.1 Extreme temperatures . 24
8.4.2.2 Procedure for tests at extreme temperatures . 24
8.4.2.2.1 General . 24
8.4.2.2.2 High temperature . 25
8.4.2.2.3 Low temperature . 25
8.4.2.3 Extreme values of test power sources . 25
8.4.2.3.1 Mains voltage and frequency . 25
9 Detailed Test Procedures for the physical layer . 25
9.1 Receiver . 25
9.1.1 BER test . 25
9.1.2 Sensitivity . 27
9.1.3 Adjacent Channel Rejection (ACR) . 28
9.1.4 Rejection of signals within the VHF Aeronautical band. 28
9.1.5 Rejection of signals outside the VHF Aeronautical band . 29
9.1.6 Desired Signal dynamic range . 30
9.1.7 Symbol rate capture range . 31
9.1.8 Frequency capture range . 31
9.1.9 Co-channel interference . 32
9.1.10 Conducted spurious emission . 32
9.1.11 In-band Intermodulation . 33
9.2 Transmitter . 34
9.2.1 Channel Bit Rate . 34
9.2.2 Manufacturer's declared output power . 34
9.2.3 RF power rise time . 34
9.2.4 RF power release time . 35
9.2.5 Spurious emissions . 35
9.2.6 Adjacent channel power . 36
9.2.6.1 Method of measurement for the first adjacent channel . 36
9.2.6.2 Method of measurement for the second adjacent channel . 37
9.2.6.3 Method of measurement for the fourth adjacent channel . 38
9.2.6.4 Alternative measurement procedure for Adjacent Channel Power (ACP) . 38
9.2.7 Wide-band noise . 39
9.2.8 Frequency Error . 40
9.2.8.1 Definition . 40
9.2.8.2 Method of measurement . 40
ETSI

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5 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
9.2.8.3 Limits . 40
9.2.9 Load VSWR capability . 40
9.3 Physical layer, system parameters . 41
9.3.1 Receiver to Transmitter turn-around time . 41
9.3.2 Transmitter to Receiver turn-around time . 42
9.3.3 Tuning Time . 42
Annex A (informative): Cross reference matrix . 43
Annex B (informative): Bibliography . 45
History . 46

ETSI

---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
6 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (http://ipr.etsi.org).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Foreword
This draft European Standard (EN) has been produced by ETSI Technical Committee Aeronautics (AERO), and is now
submitted for the combined Public Enquiry and Vote phase of the ETSI standards EN Approval Procedure.
The present document is part 1 of a multi-part deliverable covering the VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4
radio equipment; Technical characteristics and methods of measurement for ground-based equipment, as identified
below:
Part 1: "EN for ground equipment";
Part 2: "General description and data link layer";
Part 3: "Additional broadcast aspects";
Part 4: "Point-to-point functions";
Part 5: "Harmonized EN covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of the R&TTE Directive".
The present document is accompanied by an equivalent airborne standard, ETSI EN 302 842 [i.1] parts 1 to 4, covering
the VHF air-ground Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4 radio equipment; Technical characteristics and methods of
measurement for airborne equipment.

Proposed national transposition dates
Date of latest announcement of this EN (doa): 3 months after ETSI publication
Date of latest publication of new National Standard
or endorsement of this EN (dop/e): 6 months after doa
Date of withdrawal of any conflicting National Standard (dow): 18 months after doa

Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "shall", "shall not", "should", "should not", "may", "may not", "need", "need not", "will",
"will not", "can" and "cannot" are to be interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms
for the expression of provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.
ETSI

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
7 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
Introduction
The present document states the technical specifications for Very High Frequency (VHF) Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4
ground-based radio transmitters, transceivers and receivers for air-ground communications operating in the VHF band,
using Gaussian-filtered Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) Modulation with 25 kHz channel spacing and capable of
tuning to any of the 25 kHz channels from 112,000 MHz to 136,975 MHz as defined in ICAO VHF Digital Link (VDL)
Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) [2].
The present document may be used to produce tests for the assessment of the performance of the equipment.
ETSI

---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
8 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
1 Scope
The present document applies to the following radio equipment types:
• Very High Frequency (VHF) Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4 ground-based radio transmitters and receivers for
air-ground communications operating in the VHF band, using Gaussian-filtered Frequency Shift Keying
(GFSK) Modulation with 25 kHz channel spacing and capable of tuning to any of the 25 kHz channels from
112,000 MHz to 136,975 MHz as defined in ICAO VHF Digital Link (VDL) Standards and Recommended
Practices (SARPs) [2].
The present document provides part 1 of the technical specification.
The present document is designed to ensure that equipment certified to it will be compatible with the relevant ICAO
VHF Digital Link (VDL) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) [2] and VDL Mode 4 Technical Manual
(TM) [1].
Manufacturers should note that in future the tuning range for the ground transceivers may also cover any 25 kHz
channel from 108,000 MHz to 111,975 MHz.
The scope of the present document is limited to ground stations. The equivalent specification for airborne stations is
ETSI EN 302 842 [i.1].
The VDL Mode 4 system provides digital communication exchanges between aircraft and ground-based systems and
other aircraft supporting surveillance and communication applications. The supported modes of communication include:
• broadcast and point-to-point communication;
• broadcast services including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), Traffic Information
Service - Broadcast (TIS-B) and Flight Information Service - Broadcast (FIS-B) capabilities;
• air-air, air-to-ground, and ground-to-air services;
• operation without ground infrastructure.
The present document is derived from the specifications:
• VDL Mode 4 standards produced under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) [1] and [2];
• other relevant standards as defined in clause 2.
It is envisaged that manufacturers may provide equipment supporting:
• broadcast services only;
• point-to-point services only;
• both broadcast and point-to-point services.
The present document deals with tests of the physical layer necessary to support all types of equipment.
The present document includes:
• clause 2 provides references to relevant documents;
• clause 3 provides general definitions, abbreviations and symbols used;
• clause 4 refers to a general description and architecture of VDL Mode 4 contained in ETSI EN 301 842-2 [6];
• clause 5 provides functional specifications applicable to the physical layer including transmitter/receiver
requirements and the modulation scheme;
• clause 6 provides general equipment requirements;
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9 Draft ETSI EN 301 842-1 V1.4.0 (2014-12)
• clause 7 provides general design requirements;
• clause 8 covers general test conditions, environmental tests and calibration;
• clause 9 provides detailed test procedures for the physical layer;
• annex A provides a detailed cross-reference to the relevant requirements contained in reference [1];
• annex B provides a Bibliography;
The full physical layer tests are provided which correspond closely to the standard set of tests used for other VDL
systems.
Mandating and Recommendation Phrases
a) "Shall"
The use of the word "Shall" indicates a mandated criterion; i.e. compliance with the particular procedure or
specification is mandatory and no alternative may be applied.
b) "Should"
The use of the word "Should" (and phrases such as "It is recommended that.", etc.) indicate that though the
procedure or criterion is regarded as the preferred option, alternative procedures, specifications or criteria may
be applied, provided that the manufacturer, installer or tester can provide information or data to adequately
support and justify the alternative.
2 References
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
reference document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
2.1 Normative references
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
[1] ICAO Doc 9816 (First Edition 2004): "Manual on VHF Digital Link (VDL) Mode 4, Part 2:
Detailed Technical Specifications".
[2] ICAO Annex 10 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation: "Aeronaut
...