In order to allow fluent airspace navigation, there is a need for aircrafts positioning. In this mindset, the state of the art radar standard is the MODE-S RADAR. This type of radar reduces the over-the-air communications pollutions by avoiding un-necessary ones thanks to an interrogation code mechanism. In this mechanism, each radar should be assigned an interrogation code unique in its coverage area. Once an airplane is locked by a radar on a particular code, it will only respond its addressed directly calls. The Mica web application will help the EUROCONTROL Mica cell attributing the interrogator codes.

After several years of successful operation, CIDIN needed to be extended in order to support the new ATS Message Handling System (AMHS) protocol. This need for AMHS off-line management functions gave birth to the AMC (ATS Messaging Management Centre) application.

Application Scope

When an organization decides to install a new Radar, the national Focal Point is in charge of contacting the EUROCONTROL Mica cell to get an interrogation code. This process begins by an application where the focal point enters the information related to the new radar with some requests:
- The first date of transmission
- The type of code (II or SI)
- The coverage range
- …

Once this application is validated between the focal point and the organization’s operators, it is transmitted to the Mica administrator for processing. The Mica administrator will consider all the existing and requested radar and find a way to allocate an interrogation code to each of them without conflicts. Once a solution comes up, proposal allocations will be created. The focal points will then have to accept (or not) the proposed code allocations. Other focal points can add objections to other’s allocations. These objection can (it is not mandatory) be taken into account by the Mica administrator. Once this process is performed, the organizations’ operators can implement the new allocations in the radar.