Our innovation will be to develop an Adaptive Sounder Input Prediction (ASIP) module for the ACE HF Network application. ASIP will incorporate worldwide sounder inputs to update the Frequency Tables generated by the ACE propagation analysis engine. Additionally, we will research and design a solution for distributing the updated Frequency Tables to Battle Force Tactical Network (BFTN) Resilient Command & Control (RC2) System Enhancement (BRSE) users to affect greater network availability. The ACE HF Network propagation analysis tool utilizes Method 30 of the Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program (VOACAP) propagation engine for HF propagation prediction and ionospheric analysis. In addition to frequency plans for either point-to-point circuits or large networks. However, it is reliant on static input parameters to drive the predictive models. Once static parameters have been manually entered for each circuit or link in a network, the prediction is made for a specific 24-hour day, month, or year resulting in a frequency plan matched to universal time. While this approach has proven to be very useful, it is not adaptive in any sense except following predicted or measured Sun Spot Number (SSN) values and internal values (e.g., atmospheric noise) affected by changes in month, season or position. The distribution of active ionosondes across the world is not uniform. Many countries do not have the resources to build and maintain HF ionosondes, and the worlds oceans certainly reduce the available sites for ionosondes. The large antennas needed for a vertical sounding ionosonde would be difficult and expensive to deploy from a ship. Further, to do oblique propagation analysis, the ionospheric propagation parameters that must be used are half-way between the circuit participants. The answer to this lack of ionosonde resources is to develop techniques to extrapolate the data from available ionosondes to regions of the earth where HF propagation analysis is needed. The earths inclination with respect to the sun has to be included in this calculation. Note that this type of calculation is done routinely in the Photovoltaic (Solar) power industry to compute available power for different times of the year and at different Latitudes. Both a Longitude time shift and a Latitude solar intensity adjustment should allow extrapolated ionosonde values to be computed as if a vertical sounding ionosonde were at this remote location Suitable parameters of the channel model output by ACE HF Network will be modified adaptively within the ASIP module to improve prediction accuracy of frequency plans. These plans will be disseminated to individual networks and nodes (users) as needed in near real time and the entire process will be ongoing and achieved automatically.
Benefit: We feel that HF Communications will proliferate over the next decade. The expansion and investment currently found in DoD and other federal government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will eventually trickle down into the commercial HAM market and other markets such as Energy and Commodities trading. Through Software Defined Radio (SDR) advancements and access to robust wideband waveforms, the government and commercial user base should grow. The ASIP Module will have numerous commercial applications. Long Waves family of ACE HF Propagation tools currently has hundreds of customers and there are over 700,000 registered FCC licenses for operators. Incorporating sounder data into HF propagation predictions with the ASIP module, will be an attractive feature for both HF amateur (HAM) operators and professional users looking to perform network analysis and planning. Even though HAM operators tend to focus on individual links, they are looking to communicate with multiple users operating at locations all over the world. They may not be looking for a Network measure, but they are looking to connect with a Network of HAMs. An example of a Federal, non-DoD need would be the DHS, FEMA National Radio System (FNARS). Long Wave is the Sustainment Contractor for this network of HF stations which utilizes the URG III 1kW & 4kW HF systems to provide communications for disaster relief. The FNARS system is going to be modernized in the next 3-5 years and we are planning on helping them with a Network analysis based on their needs. Updating Long Waves ACE HF Tools with ASIP to improve effectiveness of frequency planning for HF networks and links, will create solutions for the government, commercial and amateur users. We expect all of our current amateur customers to be interested and our government ones as well. We conservatively would expect hundreds of amateur HAMs to invest in ASIP along with over a dozen government users.
Keywords: sounder, sounder, BRSE, ionosphere, ionosonde, ACE HF Network, Propagation, BFTN, frequency table
