Appendix E: General Tis-A Information; Tis-A Vs. Tas/Tcas - Garmin G3X Touch Pilot's Manual

APPENDIX E: GENERAL TIS-A INFORMATION

NOTE: Aircraft without an operational transponder are invisible to TIS-A.
WARNING: Do not rely solely upon the display of traffic information for col-
lision avoidance maneuvering. The traffic display does not provide collision
avoidance resolution advisories and does not, under any circumstances or
conditions, relieve the pilot's responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft.
WARNING: Do not rely solely upon the display of traffic information to
accurately depict all of the traffic within range of the aircraft. Due to lack
of equipment, poor signal reception, and/or inaccurate information from
aircraft or ground stations, traffic may be present that is not represented on
the display.
The Traffic Information Service (TIS-A) provides traffic advisory information to non-
TAS/TCAS-equipped aircraft. TIS-A is a ground-based service providing the relative
locations of all ATCRBS (Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System) Mode-A and Mode-C
transponder equipped aircraft within a specified service volume. The TIS-A ground
sensor uses real-time track reports to generate traffic notification. The G3X Touch
displays TIS-A traffic information on the Navigation Map. Surveillance data includes
all transponder-equipped aircraft within the coverage volume. The G3X Touch displays
up to eight traffic targets within a 7.5-nm radius, from 3,000 feet below, to 3,500 feet
above the requesting aircraft.

TIS-A VS. TAS/TCAS

The main difference between the Traffic Information System (TIS-A) and Traffic
Advisory (TAS) or Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) is the source of surveillance
data. TAS/TCAS uses an airborne interrogator with a half-second update rate, while
TIS-A utilizes the terminal Mode-S ground interrogator and accompanying data link to
provide a five-second update rate. TIS-A and TAS/TCAS have similar ranges.
190-01754-00 Rev. L Garmin G3X Touch Pilot's Guide
Appendix E
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