What is ASTERIX?
ASTERIX (All purpose STructured Eurocontrol suRveillance Information eXchange) is a set of standards developed by Eurocontrol to support the exchange of surveillance data between air traffic control systems. It is widely used in radar systems, providing a common structure for various types of surveillance information. The ASTERIX suite of standards consists of several different message types, each of which is defined as a category.
What is CAT-48?
CAT-48, also written as CAT048, is a specific category widely used within ASTERIX that deals with radar tracks. It defines the format and structure for the transmission of radar tracking information, which includes data on the position, velocity and other characteristics of detected objects (e.g. aircraft). This open standard can be used to distribute tracking data between applications.