Spectrum's SDR-4000 Rugged Modem Now Offered with L-3 Nova's Wideband Networking Waveform OFDM Physical Layer
October 29, 2007
Industry's only commercially available software defined radio platform with the WNW OFDM PHY offers significant cost and schedule savings for system integrators and radio providers
Orlando, FL - Spectrum Signal Processing by Vecima ("Spectrum"), a provider of software defined radio (SDR) technology, today announced at MILCOM 2007 that L-3 Communications Nova Engineering, Inc. ("L-3 Nova") has successfully ported the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing physical layer (OFDM PHY) to Spectrum's flexComm(TM) SDR-4000 rugged wireless modem. Spectrum's SDR-4000 is the only commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) SDR platform available with the WNW OFDM PHY. Spectrum and L-3 Nova have entered a partnership to offer WNW system integrators and radio providers a single, integrated solution that is available for commercialization and deployment. The COTS solution consists of a field proven, robust WNW OFDM PHY operating at up to 10 megabits of sustained throughput implemented on a production-ready "IF-to-Ethernet" modem platform, reducing time to deployment by 12 to 18 months.
WNW is the next generation high data rate military waveform that is being integrated by The Boeing Company under the U.S. Government Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Ground Mobile Radio (GMR) program. L-3 Nova's WNW PHY is currently used in several military applications.
"By bundling the WNW PHY layer with Spectrum's rugged, small form factor, wireless modem, our customers can concentrate on development of their radio feature set, including higher layer ad-hoc networking algorithms and protocols," said Mark Briggs, VP Marketing at Spectrum. "This powerful platform offers an order of magnitude savings in cost to systems integrators and radio developers over developing equivalent technology in-house. Furthermore, the proven architecture derisks the technology and can significantly accelerate our customers' time to deployment."
"L-3 Nova architected the OFDM waveform in partnership with two renowned government researchers prior to JTRS. Working with The Boeing Company, L-3 Nova revised the code base to create the WNW physical layer specifications, architected the waveform and created an efficient PHY implementation that has been demonstrated on GMR and on small form factor nodes," said Mike Geile, Chief Technical Officer at L-3 Communications Nova Engineering. "WNW OFDM provides reliable, heterogeneous, wireless packet switched operations that are highly resistant to multipath dynamics that are common in a mobile environment. The waveform inherently offers good spectral containment and supports a diverse set of range requirements. The WNW OFDM waveform is the ideal data link for backbone communications and mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) for demanding applications such as video streaming. The ease of use with the SDR-4000 is an important milestone for achieving waveform proliferation without extensive development costs thereby realizing one of the JTRS visions."
The waveform can be configured for multiple bandwidths (1.2 MHz, 3 MHz, 5 MHz and 10 MHz) and a host of modes are selectable that vary modulation order, FEC, spreading and diversity, users can pair the OFDM physical layer with their own networking protocols to address a wide range of requirements. WNW OFDM supports Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA), and can support other access schemes. The waveform supports dynamic link adaptation, where the radio senses the channel condition and adjusts its operating mode for optimal performance. This adaptation happens automatically, allowing throughput to adjust quickly to optimize quality of service in a large scale, ad hoc network.
The SDR-4000 rugged wireless modem is packaged in a small 3U CompactPCI® form-factor that is conduction-cooled. The modem architecture consists of software reconfigurable processor technology combined into an integrated package that is size, weight and power optimized for deployment in harsh environments and where power is limited.
The SDR-4000 modem with WNW OFDM PHY implementation is available for order immediately. The WNW OFDM PHY implementation is supplied under a simple licensing model and customizations are available upon request. Note that the waveform's distribution is subject to ITAR controls. A demonstration of this implementation can be seen at Spectrum's booth (1225) at the MILCOM Conference 2007, October 29-31 in Orlando, Florida.
For more information, please visit www.spectrumsignal.com/products.
ABOUT SPECTRUM SIGNAL PROCESSING BY VECIMA
Spectrum Signal Processing is a leading supplier of software defined platforms for defense electronics applications. Spectrum's products and services are optimized for military communications, signals intelligence, surveillance, electronic warfare and satellite communications applications. Spectrum's integrated, application-ready products provide its customers with compelling time-to-market and performance advantages while mitigating program risk and cost parameters. Spectrum also provides applications engineering services and modified commercial-off-the-shelf platforms to the US Government, its allies and its prime contractors. For more information on Spectrum and its flexComm product line, please visit www.spectrumsignal.com. Spectrum is part of Vecima Networks Inc.
Vecima Networks Inc. ("Vecima") (TSX:VCM) designs, manufactures and sells products that enable broadband access to cable, wireless and telephony networks. Vecima's hardware products incorporate original embedded software to meet the complex requirements of next-generation, high-speed digital networks. Service providers use Vecima's solutions to deliver services to a converging worldwide broadband market, including what are commonly known as "triple play" (voice, video and data) and "quadruple play" (voice, video, data and wireless) services. Vecima's solutions allow service providers to rapidly and cost-effectively bridge the final network segment that connects the system directly to end users, commonly referred to as "the last mile", by overcoming the bottleneck resulting from insufficient carrying capacity in legacy, last mile infrastructures. Vecima's products are directed at three principal markets: Data over Cable, Broadband Wireless and Digital Video. The Company has also developed and continues to focus on developing products to address emerging markets such as Voice over Internet Protocol, fiber to the home and IP video. For more information on Vecima, please visit www.vecimanetworks.com.
ABOUT L-3 COMMUNICATIONS NOVA ENGINEERING, INC.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over 63,000 people worldwide and is a prime system contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of high technology products, systems and subsystems. The company reported 2006 sales of $12.5 billion.
To learn more about L-3, please visit the company's web site at www.L-3Com.com.
