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{{Short description|Binary code}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=
{{Use list-defined references|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox code
|name=Gillham code
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}}[[File:CessnaARC-RT-359ATransponder04.jpg|thumb|upright=1.14|A Cessna ARC RT-359A [[Transponder (aviation)|transponder]] (the beige box) in the instrument panel of an [[Grumman American AA-1|American Aviation AA-1 Yankee]] light aircraft. The transponder gets its altitude information from an encoding altimeter mounted behind the instrument panel that communicates via the Gillham code.]]
'''Gillham code''' is a zero-padded 12-bit [[binary code]] using a parallel nine-<ref name="Honeywell_2002"/> to eleven-wire [[interface (computing)|interface]],<ref name="Tooley-Wyatt_2009"/> the '''Gillham interface''', that is used to transmit uncorrected [[Barometer|barometric]] [[altitude]] between an encoding [[altimeter]] or analog [[air data computer]] and a [[Digital data|digital]] [[Transponder (aviation)|transponder]]. It is a modified form of a [[Gray code]] and is sometimes referred to simply as a "Gray code" in [[avionics]] literature.<ref name="
== History ==
The ''Gillham interface'' and ''code'' are an outgrowth of the 12-bit [[IFF Mark X]] system, which was introduced in the 1950s. The civil [[transponder interrogation mode (aviation)|transponder interrogation mode]]s [[Mode A|A]] and [[Mode C|C]] were defined in [[air traffic control]] (ATC) and [[secondary surveillance radar]] (SSR) in 1960.<!-- source needed! -->
{{anchor|Gillham}}The code is named after Ronald Lionel Gillham, a signals officer at Air Navigational Services, [[Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation]], who had been appointed a civil member of the [[Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] (MBE)<!-- unclear if this was related to his involvement with this code, or for some other achievements --> in the Queen's [[1955 Birthday Honours]].<ref name="LG_1955-06-03"/> He was the UK's representative to the [[International Air Transport Association]] (IATA) committee developing the specification for the second generation of air traffic control system, known in the UK as "Plan Ahead", and is said to have had the idea of using a modified Gray code.<
Once recommended by the [[ICAO]] for automatic height transmission for air traffic control purposes,<ref name="FI_1964"/><ref name="Wightman_2017"/>
== Altitude encoder ==
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An altitude encoder takes the form of a small metal box containing a [[pressure sensor]] and signal conditioning electronics.<ref name="Ameriking_2004"/><ref name="ACK Encoder"/> The pressure sensor is often heated, which requires a warm-up time during which height information is either unavailable or inaccurate. Older style units can have a warm-up time of up to 10 minutes; more modern units warm up in less than 2 minutes. Some of the very latest encoders incorporate unheated 'instant on' type sensors. During the warm-up of older style units the height information may gradually increase until it settles at its final value. This is not normally a problem as the power would typically be applied before the aircraft enters the runway and so it would be transmitting correct height information soon after take-off.<ref name="Shadin_2016"/>
The encoder has an [[open-collector]] output, compatible with 14 V or 28 V electrical systems.{{cn|date=August 2022|reason=Possible original research as open-collector interfaces are often specified in terms of drain current rather than voltage.}}
Light aircraft electrical systems are typically 14 V or 28 V. To allow seamless integration with either, the encoder uses a number of [[open-collector]] ([[open-drain]]) [[transistor]]s to interface to the transponder. The height information is represented as 11 binary digits in a parallel form using 11 separate lines designated D2 D4 A1 A2 A4 B1 B2 B4 C1 C2 C4.<ref name="Darryl_1998_MODEC"/> As a twelfth bit, the Gillham code contains a D1 bit but this is unused and consequently set to zero in practical applications.▼
== Coding ==
Different classes of altitude encoder do not use all of the available bits. All use the A, B and C bits; increasing altitude limits require more of the D bits. Up to and including 30700 ft does not require any of the D bits (9-wire interface<ref name="Honeywell_2002"/>). This is suitable for most light general aviation aircraft. Up to and including 62700 ft requires D4 (10-wire interface<ref name="Tooley-Wyatt_2009"/>). Up to and including 126700 ft requires D4 and D2 (11-wire interface<ref name="Tooley-Wyatt_2009"/>). D1 is never used.<ref name="Darryl_1998_ASCII"/><ref name="DFS_2000"/>▼
▲
▲Different classes of altitude encoder do not use all of the available bits. All use the A, B and C bits; increasing altitude limits require more of the D bits. Up to and including 30700 ft does not require any of the D bits (9-wire interface<ref name="Honeywell_2002"/>). This is suitable for most light general aviation aircraft. Up to and including 62700 ft requires D4 (10-wire interface<ref name="Tooley-Wyatt_2009"/>). Up to and including 126700 ft requires D4 and D2 (11-wire interface<ref name="Tooley-Wyatt_2009"/>). D1 is never used.<ref name="
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left:4em; text-align:right"
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== Decoding ==
{{Disputed section|date=August 2022|The "Altitude Encoder" and "Decoding the Gillham Code" sections}}
Bits D2 (msbit) through B4 (lsbit) encode the pressure altitude in 500 ft increments (above a base altitude of −1000±250 ft) in a standard 8-bit [[reflected binary code]] (Gray code).<ref name="Darryl_1998_ASCII"/><ref name="Stewart_2010"/><ref name="Gray_1953"/><ref name="Steinbuch_1962"/><ref name="Steinbuch-Weber_1974"/> The specification stops at code 1000000 (126500±250 ft), above which D1 would be needed as a most significant bit.▼
▲Bits D2 (msbit) through B4 (lsbit) encode the pressure altitude in 500 ft increments (above a base altitude of −1000±250 ft) in a standard 8-bit [[reflected binary code]] (Gray code).<ref name="
Bits C1, C2 and C4 use a mirrored 5-state 3-bit Gray BCD code of a [[Giannini Datex code]] type<ref name="Wheeler_1969"/><ref name="Datex_1965"/><ref name="Dokter_1973"/> (with the first 5 states resembling [[O'Brien code type II]]<ref name="O'Brien_1955"/><ref name="Ashley_1961"/><ref name="Steinbuch_1962"/><ref name="Steinbuch-Weber_1974"/><ref name="Dokter_1973"/>) to encode the offset from the 500 ft altitude in 100 ft increments.<ref name="Darryl_1998_MODEC"/> Specifically, if the parity of the 500 ft code is even then codes 001, 011, 010, 110 and 100 encode −200, −100, 0, +100 and +200 ft relative to the 500 ft altitude. If the parity is odd, the assignments are reversed.<ref name="Darryl_1998_ASCII"/><ref name="Stewart_2010"/> Codes 000, 101 and 111 are not used.<ref name="Decoder Patent"/>{{Rp|13(6.17–21)}}<!-- p. 13, Column 6, lines 17 through 21 -->▼
▲Bits C1, C2 and C4 use a mirrored 5-state 3-bit Gray BCD code of a [[Giannini Datex code]] type<ref name="Wheeler_1969"/><ref name="
The Gillham code can be decoded using various methods. Standard techniques use hardware<ref name="Decoder Patent"/> or software solutions. The latter often uses a lookup table but an algorithmic approach can be taken.<ref name="Stewart_2010"/>
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* [[Flight level]]
* [[ARINC 429]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="nb"|refs=
<ref group="nb" name="NB_Anecdote">Anecdotally, Ronald Lionel Gillham had the idea for the modified Gray code while having a family dinner. Reportedly, he died in March 1968.{{cn|date=August 2020|reason=The family dinner story and Gillham's date of death were already part of the article's body between 2009 and 2011, when they, together with other parts of the story, were removed for being unreferenced. Since most of the other bits of information in this context could meanwhile be proven and references provided, these two remaining unsourced bits of information were restored as footnote now on the principle of assuming good faith. Still, it is desirable to have a reliable reference for this. If you find one, please add it. Also see talk.}}</ref>
}}
==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Wightman_2017">{{cite book |author-first=Eric Jeffrey |author-last=Wightman |title=Instrumentation in Process Control |date=2017 |orig-
<ref name="
<ref name="Ameriking_2004">{{cite web |title=Ameriking AK-350 Altitude Encoder |publisher=Ameri-king |url=http://www.ameri-king.com/altitude_encoder.html |access-date=
<ref name="ACK Encoder">{{cite web |title=Model E-04 406/121.5 MHz ELT |work=Products |publisher=ACK Technologies, Inc. |date=2002 |url=http://www.ackavionics.com/products.htm |access-date=
<ref name="Shadin_2016">{{cite web |title=Altitude Encoder Model 8800-T Operating Manual |date=2016 |id=OP8800-TC Rev. F |publisher=Shadin Avionics |url=https://www.shadin.com/
<ref name="
<ref name="Decoder Patent">{{cite
<ref name="Stewart_2010">{{cite web |title=Aviation Gray Code: Gillham Code Explained |date=3 December 2010
<ref name="CS_1963"
<ref name="CE_1963">{{cite journal |title=New Products |journal=Control Engineering (CtE) |issn=0010-8049 |publisher=Technical Publishing Company |date=January–December 1963 |volume=10
<ref name="ARINC_572">{{cite book |title=Mark 2 Subsonic Air Data System |id=ARINC 572 |date=
<ref name="ARINC_572-1">{{cite book |title=Mark 2 Air Traffic Control Transponder |id=ARINC 572-1
<ref name="
<ref name="Steinbuch_1962">{{cite book |title=Taschenbuch der Nachrichtenverarbeitung |language=
<ref name="Steinbuch-Weber_1974">{{cite book |title=Taschenbuch der Informatik – Band II – Struktur und Programmierung von EDV-Systemen |language=
<ref name="O'Brien_1955">{{cite journal |author-first=Joseph A. |author-last=O'Brien |title=Cyclic Decimal Codes for Analogue to Digital Converters |journal=[[Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Part I: Communication and Electronics]] |___location=Bell Telephone Laboratories, Whippany, New Jersey, USA |volume=75 |issue=2 |date=May 1956 |orig-
<ref name="FAA_1962">{{cite book |title=Final Engineering Report on Evaluation of L-band Secondary Radar. For ANDB under CAA. |author=((Airborne Instruments Laboratory, a division of [[Cutler-Hammer, Inc.]])) |publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA), Aviation Research And Development Service |type=Report |id=Report 8893-SP-1 |date=
<ref name="FAA_1962_T6">{{cite book |title=Height Code Tables For Use With Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System |author=((Airborne Instruments Laboratory, a division of [[Cutler-Hammer, Inc.]])) |publisher=[[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA), Aviation Research And Development Service |type=Report |id=Report 8893-SP-1. Contract FAA/BRD-329. Task 6 |date=May 1962 |___location=Deer Park, Long Island, New York, USA |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/615818.pdf |access-date=
<ref name="FI_1964">{{cite journal |title=Altitude encoding |author=United Service and Royal Aero Club (Great Britain) |journal=[[Flight International]] |issn=0015-3710 |volume=85 |number=2874 |publisher=Illiffe Transport Publications |date=9 April 1964
<ref name="Honeywell_2002">{{cite book |title=Honeywell System Installation Manual - Bendix/King KMH 880/KTA 870 Multi-Hazard Awareness Traffic Advisory System |id=Manual number 006-10609-0003 |edition=Revision 3 |date=August 2002 |orig-
<ref name="Tooley-Wyatt_2009">{{cite book |title=Aircraft Electrical and Electronic Systems - Principles, Operation and Maintenance |url=https://archive.org/details/aircraftelectric00bami_387 |url-access=limited |chapter=3.5.1 Gillham interface and Gillham code |author-first1=Mike |author-last1=Tooley |author-first2=David |author-last2=Wyatt |edition=1 |date=2009 |publisher=[[Butterworth-Heinemann]] ([[Elsevier Ltd.]]) |isbn=978-0-7506-8695-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/aircraftelectric00bami_387/page/n85 69]}}</ref>
<ref name="Wheeler_1969">{{cite
<ref name="
<ref name="Spaulding_1965">{{cite book |title=How to Use Shaft Encoders |author-first=Carl P. |author-last=Spaulding |date=12 July 1965b |publisher=Datex Corporation<!-- Datex Div, of Conrac Corp. / a subsidiary of Giannini Control Corp. --> |___location=Monrovia, California, USA}} (85 pages)</ref>
<ref name="DFS_2000">{{cite web |title=Single Gillham code |author-first=Marc |author-last=D. F. S. |date=
<ref name="LG_1955-06-03">{{London Gazette |issue=40497 |date=3 June 1955
<ref name="Dokter_1973">{{cite book |title=Digital Electronics |author-first1=Folkert |author-last1=Dokter |author-first2=Jürgen |author-last2=Steinhauer |chapter=2.4. Coding numbers in the binary system |date=
<ref name="IEEE_1983">{{cite journal |title=1983 Pioneer Award |journal=[[IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems]] |volume=AES-19 |number=4 |date=July 1983 |publisher=[[IEEE]] |pages=648–656 |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=4102842 |access-date=2020-05-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516153346/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=4102842 |archive-date=2020-05-16 |quote=[…] The Pioneer Award Committee of the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society has named […] Allan Ashley […] Joseph E. Her[r]mann […] James S. Perry […] as recipients of the 1983 Pioneer Award in recognition of the highly significant contributions made by them. "FOR ADVANCING THE STATE OF THE ART OF VOICE AND DATA RADIO COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS" The Award was presented at NAECON on May 18, 1983. […] Being aware of developments within the United States and shortly before the ICAO VII COM [in January 1962], the U.K. delegates proposed a compromise code to the United States which quantized altitude in 500 ft steps for a range of 64000 ft by employing a conventional Gray code with a 2.9 µs pulse spacing in the return message, and in a compatible manner subdivided further by 100 ft increments with a 1.45 µs pulse spacing in the return message […] A quick look at the U.K. proposal concluded that the United States could live with the U.K. compromise although greater circuit complexity resulted for coding and decoding. It is to the credit of the U.S. delegation to the ICAO VII COM, and as a result of the advice of Ashley, Herrmann, Perry, and others, that the acceptance of the compatible U.K. proposal was seen as offering a means of obtaining timely agreement on 100 ft increment reportings o that future air traffic control systems could be developed with automatic three dimensional data acquisition. A potential impasse in ICAO was averted, leaving nations free to choose between 100 ft and 500 ft increments of altitude reporting. […]}} (9 pages)</ref>▼
<ref name="Dokter_1975">{{cite book |author-first1=Folkert |author-last1=Dokter |author-first2=Jürgen |author-last2=Steinhauer |title=Digitale Elektronik in der Meßtechnik und Datenverarbeitung: Theoretische Grundlagen und Schaltungstechnik |chapter=2.4.4.6. Einschrittige Kodes |language=de |series=Philips Fachbücher |publisher=[[Deutsche Philips GmbH]] |___location=Hamburg, Germany |volume=I |date=1975 |orig-date=1969 |edition=improved and extended 5th |isbn=3-87145-272-6 |page=60}} (xii+327+3 pages) (NB. The German edition of volume I was published in 1969, 1971, two editions in 1972, and 1975. Volume II was published in 1970, 1972, 1973, and 1975.)</ref>
<ref name="Ashley_1961">{{cite journal |title=Code Configuration for Automatic Altitude Reporting via ATCRBS |author-first=Allan |author-last=Ashley |journal=IRE Transactions on Aerospace and Navigational Electronics |publisher=[[Institute of Radio Engineers]] |volume=ANE-8 |issue=4 |date=December 1961 |pages=144–148 |issn=0096-1647 |eissn=2331-0812 |doi=10.1109/TANE3.1961.4201819 |___location=Melville, New York, USA}} (5 pages)</ref>▼
▲<ref name="IEEE_1983">{{cite journal |title=1983 Pioneer Award |journal=[[IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems]] |volume=AES-19 |number=4 |date=July 1983 |publisher=[[IEEE]] |pages=648–656 |
▲<ref name="Ashley_1961">{{cite journal |title=Code Configuration for Automatic Altitude Reporting via ATCRBS |author-first=Allan |author-last=Ashley |journal=IRE Transactions on Aerospace and Navigational Electronics |publisher=[[Institute of Radio Engineers]] |volume=ANE-8 |issue=4 |date=December 1961 |pages=144–148 |issn=0096-1647 |eissn=2331-0812 |doi=10.1109/TANE3.1961.4201819 |___location=Melville, New York, USA|s2cid=51647765 }} (5 pages)</ref>
}}
==Further reading==
* {{cite book |title=Military Handbook: Encoders - Shaft Angle To Digital |publisher=[[United States Department of Defense]] |id=MIL-HDBK-231A |date=30 September 1991 |url=http://everyspec.com/MIL-HDBK/MIL-HDBK-0200-0299/download.php?spec=MIL_HDBK_231A.1809.pdf |access-date=25 July 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725051128/http://everyspec.com/MIL-HDBK/MIL-HDBK-0200-0299/download.php?spec=MIL_HDBK_231A.1809.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2020}} (NB. Supersedes MIL-HDBK-231(AS) (1970-07-01).)
* [http://store1.icao.int/index.php/publications/annexes/10-aeronautical-telecommunications/annex-10-volume-iv-surveillance-radar-and-collision-avoidance-systems-english-printed.html ''Annex 10 - Volume IV - Surveillance Radar and Collision Avoidance Systems''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506014926/http://store1.icao.int/index.php/publications/annexes/10-aeronautical-telecommunications/annex-10-volume-iv-surveillance-radar-and-collision-avoidance-systems-english-printed.html |date=6 May 2014 }}; 4th Edition; ICAO; 280 pages; 2007.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140506011211/http://www.rtca.org/store_product.asp?prodid=933 ''DO-181E Minimum Operational Performance Standards for ATCRBS / Mode S Airborne Equipment'']; Rev E; RTCA; 2011.
* {{cite book |title=Study of Altitude Reporting via ATC Radar Beacon System |author-first=Allan |author-last=Ashley |date=September 1960 |publisher=Airborne Instruments Laboratory |id=Report 5791-23 |___location=Deer Park, New York
**{{cite [[Category:Data transmission]]
[[Category:Avionics]]
[[Category:History of air traffic control]]
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