TACS Central Control Facility

The Terminal Access Control System (TACS) is designed to make efficient usage of 25-kHz-wide satellite transponder channels, such as those available on FLEETSAT, GAPSAT, LEASAT. It does so by applying time division multiple access and automated demand assignment techniques to these channels, allowing a significant increase in both data throughput and supportable user population, as compared to the initial, single network per transponder FLEETSAT operating mode. The Terminal Technology Group of Lincoln Laboratory Division 6 has built prototypes of all of the TACS ground segment equipment, as well as special-purpose test equipment used to demonstrate and quantify the performance of TACS. This report describes the implementation details of components of the TACS Central Control Facility as configured for testing at the Laboratory. The components described are: the Multiple access Controller, the Call Simulator, the System Operator's Console, and the Scenario Generator. All differences in implementation/configuration between the testing environment and a full-scale operational environment are noted in the report.