testing p25 digital mobile radio (legacy ... - tevet llc · overview phase i – based on frequency...

caseSTUDY: TCS007

Claude SweetonSr. Sales EngineerTEVET

CUSTOMER: DoD US Army Fort Bragg, Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC)SOW: W91247-15-T-0355

The DoD US Army Fort Bragg, Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) plans, integrates, awards, and administers contracts throughout the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) to ensure operational readiness. One of the biggest initiatives the DoD began in 2014 is the modernization of their mission critical Test, Measurement & Diagnostic Equipment (TMDE) requirements.

There is not a more vital piece of equipment on the battlefield than the Land Mobile Radio (LMR), which enables ground troops to maintain communications at all times. The DoD requires new TMDE that can test all the parameters of their deployed LMRs, as well as provide the ability to test emerging digital standards.

The LMR platform is quickly moving from analog to digital. The DoD requires test instrumentation that can test both legacy analog systems, as well as meet the new emerging digital standards. LMR → Digital Mobile Radio (DMR)

P25 compliant technology – narrow-banding 12.5kHz analog, digital, or mixed modes; along with Phase 2 and future Phase 3 compliance.

Astronics Radio Test Sets are built on 20+ years of supporting DoD LMR systems This is a heritage that offers proven results and a modular system architecture that is upgradeable to meet the test requirements for decades to come.

Testing P25 Digital Mobile Radio(Legacy/Emerging Standards)

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MINIMUM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The majority of deployed LMRs currently operate in frequency bands from the VHF low band (25-50 MHz) and up to 1 GHz. However, system performance in the VHF low bands tends to be particularly erratic. Transmissions that normally provide adequate signal strength over dozens of kilometers will at times skip hundreds to thousands of kilometers, thus rendering this band less desirable for LMR use than bands located higher in the spectrum. The VHF high bands and UHF bands are more appealing due to lower noise and more reliable propagation properties.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) required that all Federal Government users effectively cut the bandwidth used per channel from 25kHz to 12.5kHz, a process known as “narrow-banding.” The deadlines set were Jan. 2005 for VHF spectrum, and Jan. 2008 for UHF spectrum.

By reducing the bandwidth per channel down to 12.5kHz, the DoD required TMDE that would be able to analyze this narrower window.

P25 COMMON AIR INTERFACE (CAI) COMPLIANCE BY EACH PHASE OVERVIEW

PHASE I – Based on Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), DMRs that now operate at narrow banding 12.5kHz analog, digital, or mixed modes use Constant Envelope 4-Level Frequency Modulation (C4FM) for digital transmissions at 4800 baud and 2-bits per symbol, yielding 9600-bits per second total channel throughput. DMRs which utilize the C4FM standard are also capable of demodulating the Compatible Differential Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (CQPSK). Additionally, the P25 standards require an open standards interface to the RF Subsystems which will enable the DoD to not be reliant on just one Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Legacy support, through backwards compatibility and interoperability with all compliant systems, was also required.

PHASE II – Based on Time Division Multiple Access, in order to improve spectrum utilization, Phase II is currently under development with concurrent work being done on 2-slot TDMA and FDMA modulation schemes. The focus is on an even narrower banding down to 6.25kHz. The TDMA and FDMA modulation schemes make up the CQPSK modulation schemes. Phase II will use the Advanced Multi-Band Excitation (AMBE) Vocoder to reduce the needed bit-rate so that one channel will only require 4800 bits per second.

Phase II is also focused on full interoperability with Phase I and legacy or older LMRs, as well as the interfaces between system components, such as repeaters. This phase also encompasses help with the “human-to-machine” interface to assist operators, and for better operation training.



PHASE III – Standards are still being defined. Early discussions are focused on not only traditional voice transmit and receive

onto the battlefield, but adding the ability to send and receive video and high-speed data. Focus also is on the need for better cyber-security and technologies that will reduce the enemy’s ability to interfere (jam) with DMR frequencies.

In discussions with MICC, it was evident that the choice of TMDE provider was required to provide solutions for testing in both Phase I & II. It was also evident to have an open architecture platform and ability to develop the software re-quired to test Phase III standards, once activated.

TEVET SOLUTIONTEVET engaged directly with the engineering team at MICC to gain a full understanding of the application and the test challenges they were faced with. TEVET conducted a full gap analysis to gain further insight to what was required for not only today’s need but also future capabilities that MICC will require as emerging digital standards are introduced. Determining factors of the gap analysis for identifying the best COTS solution included: not only selecting a high performance DMR Tester that met all the current required specification, but also selecting an instrument provider that offered the best instrument platform for future DMR requirements. After evaluating several technologies from different instrumentation providers, TEVET settled on the Astronics Test Systems ATS3000A due to its modular architecture, suite of over 40 Test Program Set (TPS) software, and best in class Total-Cost-of-Ownership investment protection.

Astronics Radio Test Sets for tactical military radios and communications systems help you keep your most critical communications active and running smoothly. TPS can be written once and deployed then instantaneously everywhere – whether your test set is in the factory, at the depot, or in operation.

PHASE I

• FDMA• Digital operation via the P25 CAI• Narrow-banding conformance to 12.5kHz• Legacy compatibility with analog LMRs• Improved audio quality/reliability• Inter-RF Sub-System Interface (ISSI) to interface with neighboring networks to allow DMRs to roam.

PHASE II

• TDMA• Greater spectrum efficiency with narrow-banding down to 6.25kHz• Backwards compatibility with Phase I DMRs.

PHASE II is 2-Slot TMDA of 12.5kHz = 6.25kHz

ROLLOUT



All-in-one-Solution, Astronics’ Radio Test Sets deliver:

• Faster diagnostic test times• Fewer frustrating “no fault” conditions• Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS) support • Multiple Waveforms with over 40 TPS for the most common DMRs deployed today• ITAR compliant

Total-Cost-of-Ownership:

• Astronics’ unique modular, customizable, and upgradeable architecture provides you the ability to upgrade your TMDE unit as emerging P25 standards are implemented, saving you the cost of acquiring another TMDE unit.• Cybersecurity• Multi-year support agreement

Astronics ATS3000A – Represents the 3rd generation in the evolution of their Advanced Tactical Agile Communications Test Set (ATACTS) and is capable of testing legacy, current, and future software-defined radios; as well as power amplifiers, couplers, and other electronic equipment.

23-instruments-in-1 Design- It is the most resourceful and powerful DMR tester on the market today:

• RF Generator 1MHz – 2.7GHz• Audio Function Generator• Oscilloscope – 2CH• RF Power Meter• Digital Data Generator• AM / FM Modulation Meters• Distortion Meter• Error Vector Meter• Distance-to-Fault• Received Signal Strength• Single-Side Band Measure

* Real-time, programmable IF Bandwidth from 100Hz to 8MHz * Removable UUT Interface module for future ATE communications

• RF Receiver 1MHz – 2.7GHz• I/Q Generation• Audio Analyzer• RF Spectrum Analyzer 1MHz – 2.7GHz• Bit Error Rate• SINAD Meter• Phase Modulation Meter• Digital Multimeter (DMM)• Frequency Counter• Over-the-Air• Constellation Measure

ATS3000A supports the testing of Radio, Avionics, Navigation, and EW applications



C4FM Standard – Decodes all content as a binary stream of “1s and 0s”. The CW will always be in one of four Shifted States. One important parameter is Modulation Fidelity which is defined by Frequency Error, RMS Deviation Error, and Symbol Deviation.

• Binary Stream Representation: 011110001101• Symbol Rate: 4800 symbols per/s (Baud)

Digital Transmission• Each Symbol: 2-bits• Bit-Rate: 4800 * 2: 9600-bits per/s

Total Channel Throughput

ASTRONICS’ COMPILATION OF OVER 40 TEST PROGRAM SETS (TPS) FOR LMRs/DMRs Astronics has written over 40 TPSs which include the ATACTS platform and support both legacy and new software defined radios. Here are a few examples of LMRs and DMRs that Astronics supports today:

SINCGARS AN/PRC-152 Models are the most deployed Software Communications Architecture (SCA) compliant Type-1 multiband, multi-mission handheld radio in the field today.

Frequency Bandwidth: 30 – 512MHz or 30 – 520MHz / 762 to 870MHz (High Band Option)

Transmission Modes: AM, FM, FSK, PSK, CPM

Red Line represents the Center Freq (CF) Signal, the Offsets can either be: • “11” which is -1800Hz from CW• “10” which is -600Hz from CW• “00” which is +600Hz from CW• “01” which is +1800Hz from CW

Harris AN/PRC-152



RF-5800H Man-Pack designed to provide soldiers with secure voice and data communications, even in the harshest conditions.Frequency Bandwidth: 1.6 to 60MHzSelectable ARQ modesData Rates: 9600bps (HF)

SINCGARS RT-1523 Models provide the U.S. Armed Forces with the quality, durability, and reliability of the most widely fielded Combat Net Radio in the world.Frequency Bandwidth: 30 – 88MHzChannels: 2320Data: MIL-STD-188-220C / X.21 / RS-232 at 1200, 2400, 4800 and 9600 bps / and Sync Data at 1200, 2400, 4800, and 16000 kpbs

SINCGARS AN/VRC-111 has each unit consist of two AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radios (MBITRS).Frequency Bandwidth: 30 to 512MHzModes: AM, FM, HAVEQUICK I/II, MIL-STD-188-241-1/2, AND-VT (LPC-10, MELP Vocoders), Retransmission

Harris RF-5800H Man-pack

ITT RT-1523E

Thales AN/VRC-11

testing p25 digital mobile radio (legacy ... - tevet llc · overview phase i – based on frequency...

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