SPEAKeasy – Phase I [5]

2.3.1 A Joint Service Program

2.3.1.1 Balanced Technology Initiative (BTI)

BTI was an OSD scheme to ‘balance’ the research and development (R&D) science and technology (S&T) investments that were being made in other areas under the air defense initiative (ADI) and the strategic defense initiative (SDI). The objective of the BTI was to hasten the application of advanced technologies to America’s most critical and urgent opera-tional needs. BTI projects concentrated on leap-ahead capabilities enabled by emerging technologies. BTI funds were applied to several areas of SPEAKeasy to advance packaging technology and commercial subsystems. Later in this SPEAKeasy Phase I section, the various studies and design initiatives conducted under this program will be described. The Depart-ment of Defense (DoD) soon closed the BTI office transferring the BTI technology thrusts to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who continued sponsoring these efforts.

2.3.1.2 Phase I Advanced Development Model Design Objectives The key design objectives for the first phase of SPEAKeasy were to:

† Implement radio and waveform functions as programmable and as generic (or common) as practical, in order to maximize flexibility and enhance the programmability of the radio system.

† Accomplish the functional decomposition so most functions are allocated to the digital signal processors (DSPs) (which could be shared amongst diverse waveforms and accom-plish system tasks while reducing hardware and cost).

† Where functions could not be accomplished within DSPs, these functions would be designed as a group of modular programmable and extensible hardware subsystems (to eventually be replaced with advanced technology modules).

† Develop the system architecture to encompass INFOSEC from the start and adhere to NSA guidelines. Design the system with proper separation of Red and Black data.

† Include a general purpose processor to handle a menu-driven man–machine interface for the SPEAKeasy ADM.

Major tasks that were added to the program included:

† Rehost the functionality that had originally been allocated to the TRW CSP elements (LLPE, GPPE, and ESU) to the latest Texas Instruments DSP, the TMS320C40.

† Develop advanced technology insertion capabilities:

– an advanced digital signal processing module – a programmable INFOSEC module

– an advanced RF module

† Develop, in accordance with NSA guidelines, interim, non-programmable sub-modules to allow near-term interoperability tests and demonstrations.

2.3.1.3 SPEAKeasy Phase I – ADM Technical Description

The SPEAKeasy ADM consisted of flexible and programmable hardware modules, some containing high-speed microprocessors. The modules were interconnected using several types of busses to accomplish timely interchange of data and to enable control. SPEAKeasy was developed using a 6U/12U VME-bus chassis. The VME-bus was used to accommodate the sending of control signals between modules, configuring ADM subsystems, and for downloading waveform-specific field programmable gate array (FPGA) scripts to the base-band signal processing subsystem.

Referring to the block diagram, shown in Figure 2.6, working from left to right, we see the Sun SPARCstation, which was used to host the intelligent system controller (ISC). The ISC software was responsible for the operation of the HMI, the system configuration control, performance monitoring, and BIT functions. The Sun SPARCstation was connected to an XDS-510 laptop computer over an RS232 interface. The laptop was used to run the C40 tools over a JTAG interface. The SPARCstation also ran diagnostics on the terminal control system (TCS) using an RS232 interface.

The TCS communicated, primarily, with the SPARCstation and HMI over an Ethernet. The TCS monitored and controlled the remaining SPEAKeasy ADM subsystems. The TCS func-tioned as the master of the VME-bus, configured all the other subsystems, and ran BIT over this bus.

The microprocessor subsystem was comprised of four TMS320C40s and implemented the following signal and data processing functionality:

Figure 2.6 SPEAKeasy Phase I block diagram

† modulation

† demodulation

† synchronization and control (of narrowband waveforms) and

† post-correlation processing (for wideband waveforms)

The INFOSEC subsystem provided the TRANSEC functions necessary for waveform compatibility and demonstration. A programmable INFOSEC module was designed and

‘vector tested’ independently, but never integrated into the ADM (programmable INFOSEC design efforts are discussed later).

The I/O subsystem interconnected the INFOSEC subsystem with the external analog and digital I/O ports. These included the handsets for analog voice input, the speakers for voice output, and a digital data port that could connect to external data devices.

The clock/timing/reference (CTR) subsystem, via a direct digital synthesizer, provided the programmable system clocks and strobes required for synchronizing processes in the ADM subsystems. CTR signals were passed over independent lines between modules (using the

‘user-assignable pins’ within the VME-bus chassis).

The preprocessor subsystem (PPS) was to be used to satisfy the special requirements of wideband waveform acquisition. The PPS would have accepted wideband-digitized samples from the baseband converter subsystem (BCS), or the interference suppression subsystem (ISS). The PPS would have performed any necessary tapped-delay-line demodulation. The PPS and the ISS designs were never completed, and Phase I did not employ any wideband waveforms.

The ISS was to perform any in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) frequency-domain transforms needed, and pass the resultant processed data onto the PPS. The ISS would have handled narrowband excision and amplitude probability density function based excision. This advanced capability remained unfunded and its design was never completed. Hazeltine also studied a parallel structure of i860s to provide a more programmable approach; the determination was that 50–100 i860s would be required, which would be cost-prohibitive.

The waveform generator subsystem, the BCS, and the IF/RF control subsystem were designed using a ‘sea of FPGAs’ (in a two-loop controller set-up) in order to ‘program’, using downloaded UNIX-script-files, almost any conceivable waveform. The result of using a

‘sea of FPGAs’ was the requirement to use very large (12U) VME boards. The waveform generator subsystem accomplished modulation functions. The BCS accomplished the down-conversion from IF to baseband. The IF/RF control subsystem provided the necessary inter-face between the ADM bus system and the analog-RF assets – all of these were fully programmable and configured at waveform instantiation.

The SPEAKeasy Phase I ADM and its bus structure were designed as a four-channel capable system, even though it was never populated with more than two channels. Hazeltine’s custom high-speed bus design was planned to accommodate the implementation of wideband waveforms, although no wideband capability was ever incorporated. The Phase I design was focused on enabling the inclusion of wider band waveforms like joint tactical information distribution system (JTIDS) and a robust low probability of intercept and detection (LPI/D) waveform; these became the primary system drivers. Unfortunately, the ICNIA code would not readily transport a JTIDS capability to SPEAKeasy, and the cost of developing and implementing the wideband preprocessor, and these two waveforms, became cost prohibitive.

Therefore, plans for doing so were dropped and no wideband capability was demonstrated.

The ad-hoc RF was a primarily analog subsystem, providing what otherwise would have required special test equipment, to accomplish the IF/RF up and down conversions to enable laboratory, and limited over-the-air, interoperability tests with legacy radio systems.

The SPEAKeasy Phase I ADM (see Figure 2.7) was housed in a 24-inch wide, 6-foot high equipment rack (actual measurements: 70 inches high by 30 inches wide and deep) weighing 250 lbs. The equipment operated at 220 V AC, drawing less than 15 A.

2.3.1.4 Various Studies Conducted under SPEAKeasy Phase I

Ten other special studies were conducted under the umbrella of SPEAKeasy. Only a few were taken the next step into an implementation study. Nine were accomplished under the SPEAK-easy contract and one was accomplished under the auspices of the US Army Communications

& Electronics Command (CECOM). Under CECOM’s management and supervision, the Army awarded a number of studies targeted to examine approaches for a wideband HF, VHF, and UHF antenna.

Figure 2.7 SPEAKeasy Phase I advanced development module

Hazeltine, as prime contractor for SPEAKeasy Phase I, subcontracted for seven of the nine Phase A design studies. Hughes, of Fullerton, California, and Rockwell/Collins, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, both were awarded Phase A design studies for a contiguous 2 MHz through 2 GHz RF module. Collins was further awarded a Phase B implementation study that ended with a critical design review. SCITEQ, of San Diego, California, was awarded a Phase A study to examine a wideband, direct digital synthesizer for the SPEAKeasy wideband wave-form generator. Hazeltine had perwave-formed an advanced RF study covering the HF, VHF, and UHF bands, and an advanced processor technology study to examine alternate signal proces-sing architectures for wideband waveform procesproces-sing. As part of the Hazeltine RF study, APX Resources examined the use of a digital downconverter and concluded that such a converter interfaced to the RF subsystem at a 25 MHz IF would meet SPEAKeasy Phase I requirements. A single 12 bit A/D converter (aided by an automatic gain control circuit), with high-speed sampling and digital decimation filtering, along with wideband anti-aliasing filters and narrowband (70 kHz) filters, to meet co-site specifications, was needed. An A/D converter study was considered, but commercial industry was seen to be leading this area so it was deemed unnecessary.

Texas Instruments (TI), of Plano, Texas, was awarded a Phase A design study for the development of an advanced DSP module. TI was also awarded a Phase B implementation effort and developed a Quad-TMS320C40 multi-chip-module (MCM). The product was marketed for a while afterwards by TI, but is now available in a dual, versus a quad, package.

IBM, (Loral) of Manassas, Virginia, was awarded a Phase A study for a high-speed FFT preprocessor module. The study concluded that an FFT module could be implemented in a VHSIC chip on silicon (VCOS) MCM 2 inches square and a half-inch thick. The prediction was that this FFT module would accomplish a 1024 point FFT at 23 kHz (0.0448 ms latency), with the power of 1.9 billion floating point operations per second while consuming less than 5 W. RADC had a separate contract with Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC), not funded by SPEAKeasy, that examined the application of a residue number system (RNS) arithmetic for signal processing. SRC’s RNS-FFT predicted a 1092 point FFT at 67 kHz with 50 ms latency.

Neither IBM’s nor SRC’s FFT was developed under SPEAKeasy.

Both Motorola, of Scottsdale, Arizona and Martin-Marietta, of Camden, New Jersey were awarded Phase A studies to examine programmable INFOSEC modules utilizing the crypto-graphic reduced instruction set (CYPRIS) processor. Motorola would take a conservative approach using physical partitioning and redundancy. Martin-Marietta would explore a risk-ier design, using context switching to reduce size, weight, and power in their CYPRIS-based INFOSEC module. Motorola was awarded a Phase B implementation effort and developed a SPEAKeasy INFOSEC module (SIM) on TWO, 12U VME-bus boards. The SIMs were successfully ‘vector tested’, provided input with known outputs, but were never integrated into and tested with SPEAKeasy terminals.

Two advanced technology simulations were accomplished. One related to exploring multi-ple access techniques and simulating network protocol compatibility with the proposed SPEAKeasy LPI/D waveform developed at the AF lab, in Rome, New York. The other was focused on quantifying the performance of combining an adaptive non-linear correlation process with a narrowband excision process. The Applied Physics Lab of Johns Hopkins University performed the simulation and concluded that the combination was better than either process by itself, and that ‘punched-hole’ excision showed a 2 dB improvement over interpolation.

2.3.1.5 The 1993 Multiband Multimode Radio Panel²

In May 1993, Mr George Singley, then Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Tech-nology (Office of the Assistant Secretary, Army), raised concerns regarding the need for an accelerated MBMMR program. Army CECOM convened a joint service panel to look at the near-term Army requirements for an MBMMR, identify an engineering development model (EDM) program to accomplish an MBMMR ATD, and assess MBMMR requirements on existing Army ATD programs. Also created was a technology assessment subgroup to exam-ine the technology available to support an Army manpack MBMMR by 1998. The subgroup concentrated on the following topic areas: antennas, RF front end, open architecture, simul-taneous operation, processing, networking, security, power consumption, programmability, and packaging. The MBMMR study lasted about a month and resulted in the following conclusions. The technology assessment ascertained that although the technology of the time supported product development in 1998, such a product would not be as programmable as promised under the SPEAKeasy program, and that multiple antennas would be needed (2–

30, 30–450, and 450–2000 MHz). Wideband waveforms as used for JTIDS and the VRC-99, would require separate application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices for preproces-sing of these signals. It was determined that utilization of emerging SPEAKeasy technologies to accomplish either an accelerated or objective MBMMR program was the best path to the Army’s MBMMR, and the user community strongly supported the programmable SPEAK-easy architecture for low rate initial production (LRIP) in 2005. There was no approved requirement for an interim radio, or an approved requirement for a SPEAKeasy MBMMR by 2005. The panel recommended that the Army continue its participation in SPEAKeasy beyond 1994 and to focus a Phase II Joint Service SPEAKeasy program toward providing the Army with demonstration models to support other Army ATDs in the FY99 timeframe.

2.3.1.6 SPEAKeasy Phase I Interoperability Tests and Demonstrations

In August 1994, ‘proof-of-concept’ demonstrations were conducted for personnel invited by the government. The purpose of these demonstrations was to:

† highlight programmability, flexibility, reconfigurability, and the maximum use of programmable signal processors;

† illustrate the capability to communicate with multiple backward-compatible (legacy) systems – simultaneously; and

† demonstrate unique SPEAKeasy capabilities.

During these demonstrations the following capabilities were proven: interoperability with legacy SINCGARS and Have Quick I/II radios (both operating in their respective bands and hopping modes), and automatic link establishment (ALE) and HF modem (transmission only). Two simultaneous waveform demonstrations were also shown: SINCGARS on chan-nel 1 and Have Quick on chanchan-nel 2 operating simultaneously, and a simultaneous operation using Have Quick on both channels. A demonstration of an unattended gateway (SINCGARS to Have Quick, hopping in the VHF and UHF bands) was highlighted. In this demonstration,

2Information in this section was drawn from the MBMMR final report (dated July 2, 1993) provided to Mr George Singley by J. Oneffur and Major R. Nelson of CECOM/RDEC.

an operator of a SINCGARS radio keyed his microphone and started to speak, the SPEAK-easy radio detected the VHF reception of SINCGARS, decoded the CVSD voice, and sent the analog voice into a Have Quick channel, where it was transmitted on AM at UHF. A unique programmability demonstration was conducted to prove that a new waveform could be quickly generated, coded and downloaded for use. A ‘modified SINCGARS’ waveform, with a 1600 bps 100 ms burst, was used to place a 1 kHz ‘beep’ in the waveform. This

‘new’ waveform was downloaded into and transmitted by a SPEAKeasy ADM interoperating with a standard SINCGARS radio, from which the periodic ‘beep’ could be heard. This

‘beep’ represented a 100 ms time period that could be used, as an example, for selective addressing within a SINCGARS net. The use of standard audio WAVE file format (‘.wav’) for storing digital audio (waveform) data was used to enhance the HMI for ALE. Voice ‘.wav’

files were used to provide an audio-alert, to the SPEAKeasy radio operator, for changes in status.

The SPEAKeasy program was chosen to participate as part of the Joint Warrior Interoper-ability Demonstration (JWID) held at ‘Fort Franklin’, Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts in September 1995. In preparation for this exercise, SPEAKeasy ADMs were modified to enhance demonstration capability in the field. A ‘generic bridging’ mode was implemented to allow the SPEAKeasy ADMs to ‘bridge’ two remote radios, operating different protocols, to communicate with one another. Signal detection messaging functionality was added to the waveforms; this was used for an indication that a signal had been received (the preamble detection, or the squelch capture depended on the protocol in use). To enable channels to be automatically placed in a transmit mode, special control logic was added. A conference mode was also added to allow a SPEAKeasy operator to monitor and/or participate in ‘bridged’

communications. The SPEAKeasy HMI was modified to include a special bridge menu, and to simplify the operation of the ADM.

Three weeks of demonstrations were conducted during the JWID-95 exercise. The goal was to interoperate with as many on-site radios as possible. The demonstrations were conducted with over-the-air transmission and reception, using standard HF, VHF, and UHF antennas (a small whip antenna was used to cover the 90–200 MHz band). SPEAKeasy successfully executed time-of-day transfers and performed Have Quick hopping operation with the command and control aircraft at the site. Interoperability was demonstrated with: a

‘Scope Shield’ handheld SINCGARS radio, a standard citizen’s band radio, and in ‘receive-only’ with the air traffic control (ATC) tower. ATC voice traffic was also bridged through a SPEAKeasy ADM to a standard SINCGARS radio. Bridging between a standard hopping SINCGARS radio and standard citizen’s band radio, and between standard Have Quick and SINCGARS hopping radios was also conducted during JWID-95. The SPEAKeasy demon-strations focused attention on the capabilities of a programmable radio asset; more than 700 people witnessed SPEAKeasy’s capability demos during JWID-95.

2.3.1.7 Planning for SPEAKeasy Phase II

The successful ‘proof of concept’ demonstrations of SPEAKeasy technology in August 1994 led to planning for the second phase of the program. SPEAKeasy Phase I was concept exploration, the Phase I equipment were planned to be laboratory prototypes, and thus no attempt was made to ruggedize or miniaturize them. The ad-hoc RF was meant only as a crude method enabling the verification of waveform compatibility with legacy radio

equip-ment. The objective of Phase II was to develop field capable prototypes with full RF capabil-ity that would be able to participate in exercises by receiving and transmitting over-the-air.

The Phase II program was to be structured to strongly leverage Phase I designs but not require that they be followed. Maximum use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) components, the use of non-proprietary busses, the implementation of an open architecture, and the inclusion of INFOSEC and wideband data waveforms became additional Phase II objectives. There were six selection factors advertised for the Phase II program:

† Factor 1 – Modular Definition of Open System Architecture: The system’s architectural design was to have modular, functional parts, having well-defined functional require-ments, and non-proprietary commercial interfaces. The modular definition was to maxi-mize, at both the component and module level, the applicability of future multi-source non-developmental item (NDI) and COTS products.

† Factor 2 – Information Security (INFOSEC): Security designs were to adhere to accepted security guidelines for COMSEC, TRANSEC, Key Management, and Quadrant. Capabil-ities for Benign Fill, Over-the-Air-Rekey, and Over-the-Air-Download had to be consid-ered in the system design. The design was to provide for the growth potential for future capabilities.

† Factor 3 – Programmability and Reprogrammability: The system design was to provide for the operation and maintenance of a software programmable radio. Consideration was to be given toward a waveform development environment (WDE) sophisticated enough to support waveform development and coding during Phase II and beyond.

† Factor 4 – Simultaneity and Internetworking: Designs were to support the required four simultaneous (4 narrowband, or 2 narrowband 1 2 wideband) waveforms, giving adequate consideration to potential EMI, EMC, and co-site problems. The design needed to support the required internetworking and bridging functions.

† Factor 5 – Implementation: The design was to be achievable within the desired form, fit, and power constraints of Phase II and adequate consideration was to be given to other embodiments. Plans were to include the early demonstration of capability, include modu-lar P31 enhancements, and the spin-off of technology to other programs.

† Factor 5 – Implementation: The design was to be achievable within the desired form, fit, and power constraints of Phase II and adequate consideration was to be given to other embodiments. Plans were to include the early demonstration of capability, include modu-lar P31 enhancements, and the spin-off of technology to other programs.