displays, plus a keyboard and mouse that can
be used to control all remote sources. Glideand
switch functionality enables smooth
access to separate physical computer
resources on a single display (or set of
displays) with a single mouse. When an
operator needs to share data or an image
with the whole control room or another
operator, push-and-get functionality enabled
by the KVM system allows that resource to
be pushed up onto a video wall or pulled
down from a video wall to a particular
operator station.
Boosting resilience and redundancy
A sophisticated KVM system can support
pooling, where an operator connects to a
pool of similar resources, instead of a single
computing resource, as they are available.
This ensures that even if the system in use
fails, the operator can immediately switch to
an alternate computer and continue working.
By enabling access to computing resources
not just from the tower, but also from other
facilities, KVM technology adds further
redundancy to ATC operations. Because
operators can easily share resources across
buildings or sites, the monitoring team in
Above: Today KVM technology is used across airports from
check-in, baggage handling, and information kiosks to CWP
within the ATC tower or other monitoring and control facilities.
Left: One of the next advances for KVM technology is the virtual
tower, which replaces the physical tower at the airport with a
control room that might be hundreds of miles away.
another building can see what controllers are
doing in the tower, and even control specific
systems if the need arises. With the ability to
record tower operations, it also becomes
easier to train controllers and optimize the
overall tower workflow.
Enabling ATC’s future
One of the next advances for KVM in airport
operations is the virtual tower, which
replaces the physical tower at the airport
with a control room that might be hundreds
of miles away. Linked to an array of cameras
and all the same computing resources used
by a physical tower, the virtual tower
presents the illusion of physically working at
an on-site tower. This model eliminates the
need to establish a full ATC tower at a lowuse
airport and opens the door to
virtualization and centralization of tower
operations for a number of such airports.
With a single virtual control tower
supporting multiple airports, smaller
airports can implement more robust yet
more economical ATC systems. This
approach also supports disaster recovery,
making it easy to take remote control over
ATM if the primary tower location is
somehow compromised.
Modern KVM technology in airport
operations brings higher reliability through
redundant features and resilient network
configurations that eliminate any central
point of failure. KVM switching and
extension support ergonomic workspaces
and streamlined workflows, help to reduce
power and maintenance costs while
increasing operational flexibility, and give
airport management the tools they need to
create new paradigms for the deployment
and control of ATC and ATM systems. v
MAKE IP WORK:
FROM THE EDGE
TO PLAYOUT
TECHNOLOGY
THE KVM SOLUTION OF THE FUTURE
Emerald™ Unifi ed KVM Matrix Switching
AIR TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2020 99.
Extend and switch HD or 4K video, USB and audio over IP
and connect operators to physical or virtual machines.
New: Use any Windows 10 device as a software
KVM receiver with the Emerald Remote App.
00800-22552269 (CALLBBOX) BLACK-BOX.EU/EMERALD
1002914_ATT_Black Box International Holdings B.V..indd 1 10/07/2019 15:35
/EMERALD