EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This document is the first deliverable of WP 2.2.7 “Specification of Ground Weather Processor using Baseline WIMS.”  The document describes the general specification of the Ground Weather Processor (GWP) architecture. The description of the GWP is given and its two variants the Local Weather Processor and Central Weather Processor. Links and interfaces of the GWP to other system components: baseline WIMS (WP 2.2.x) and WPs 2.3.5 and 2.3.6 are shown, and planned tasks related to the evaluation.

The GWP is the ground segment that receives stores and forwards WIMS products and Routine Weather Products (RWX) and collected meteorological observations. The GWP connects to national meteorological centres and air-traffic management systems; and will transmit the weather information to and receive meteorological observations from the airborne segment over a data link.

A formatted request file will be the means by which the GWP will service requests for weather information. Clients (airborne surveillance systems) will submit their request to a virtual data portal from where it directs the request to the appropriate Central or Local Weather Processor.

Two types of evaluations have been identified, the Part Task Evaluation (PTE), i.e. the evaluation of the functionalities of a sub-system or a limited set of sub-systems by an expert in the course of the development and integration phase of the project (this includes PTE carried out within WP 2.2.7 and the integration at THA within WP 5.7.4). The Main Task Evaluation (MTE) refers to the evaluation of the integrated set of systems through to its result. Two types of MTE are identified at the issue date of this report: the one using the NLR Full Flight Simulation environment for the NG-ISS functionalities of consolidated awareness and the flight tests for the integrated weather surveillance.

The ground-based architecture includes the Baseline WIMS and the Baseline GWP which will be developed mainly for the FLYSAFE Flight Tests.  For the Full Flight Simulation (the focus for WP 6x) WIMS & GWP functionality will be emulated for the engineered and real-world cases of weather situations, which are detailed in D 6.3-1 “Specification of Simulator Environments [14].”  Detailed descriptions of the WIMS is contained in the document D-2.2.1 “Specification of WIMS and Routine Weather Data [4]“, which also contains some details about the GWP which may have since been superseded by this document. Specifications of the Baseline WIMS are contained within internal documents.
 
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew Mirza: andrew.mirza@metoffice.gov.uk