What is Smart AGL?
Airfield lighting that senses its own condition, shares the data and helps people decide — building on today’s control systems, not replacing them.
Smart AGL is airfield ground lighting that is connected and data-aware. Fixtures, regulators and sensors report their condition, the data travels over a secure network, and it is analysed to warn people early, rank what needs attention and support maintenance decisions.
It sits on top of the existing ALCMS and does not take its place. The lighting that pilots depend on stays under certified control; the smart layer adds visibility and foresight. Without good data, clear ownership and security, it can mean noise, false alarms and new risks.
- Sense. Measure current, voltage, temperature, light output and equipment status.
- Connect. Carry the data over a secure network through gateways to the ALCMS and data platform.
- Analyse. Turn readings into health status, trends and fault signatures.
- Advise. Raise early warnings, rank priorities and suggest actions to the right people.
- Act. Raise work orders, run remote checks and apply approved control changes.
- Improve. Record results, refine the rules and feed lessons into asset planning.
Control and status at circuit or regulator level. Faults are mostly found after they happen, through alarms, inspection or reports.
Finer, continuous data with analysis on top. Many problems are spotted as a trend before the lighting is affected, so work can be planned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is Smart AGL?
Smart AGL is airfield ground lighting that is connected and data-aware. Fixtures, regulators and other equipment report their condition, the data is analysed, and the results help people find faults earlier, plan maintenance and run the lighting more efficiently. It builds on, and does not replace, the airfield lighting control and monitoring system.
Q2How is Smart AGL different from a conventional ALCMS?
A conventional ALCMS controls the lighting and reports its status, often down to circuit or regulator level. Smart AGL adds finer data, for example from individual fixtures, plus analysis of trends and patterns. This moves the work from reacting to a fault toward spotting a problem before it affects the lighting.
Q3What data does Smart AGL use?
Typical data includes circuit current and voltage, regulator status, insulation and earth readings, fixture or lamp status, temperature, light output and power quality. Maintenance records and weather information can be added to give the analysis context.
Q4Does Smart AGL replace required safety functions?
No. Required lighting, brightness control, monitoring and secondary power remain governed by the aerodrome’s certified systems and the applicable standards. The smart layer adds insight and decision support around them, and any new function should be assessed and approved before it is relied on.
Q5What are the benefits of Smart AGL?
Faster fault detection, fewer surprise failures, better targeting of maintenance visits, clearer evidence for asset planning, and less time spent on routine checks. The benefit depends on good data and on the team acting on what the system reports.
Q6What should be considered before adopting Smart AGL?
Data quality and sensor placement, compatibility with existing ALCMS and equipment, cybersecurity and network separation, who owns and acts on the alerts, training for staff, and the approval route with the aerodrome operator and the regulator.
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