Unmanned Systems Technology 016 | Hydromea Vertex AUV | Power management systems | Unmanned Space Vehicles | Continental CD-155 turbodiesel | Swift 020 UAV | ECUs | DSEI 2017 Show report

October/November 2017 | Unmanned Systems Technology 78 Show report | DSEI 2017 Integrating the enhanced satellite comms required new support systems in addition to safety subroutines programmed for disruptions in satellite links to enable automated returns to landing points or loitering positions, as well as fully automated missions. Additional options may include ELINT and SIGINT payloads for maritime intelligence operation. RGB Spectrum displayed its solutions for UAS operator training systems and for GCSs. The company’s recording systems, codecs and switchers are used by contractors such as Northrop Grumman to record and send sources to simulation scenarios for training operations and after-action reviews. Switchers and multi-viewers such as the 16-input, 16-output Linx matrix switcher can take in multiple disparate sources from UAV sensors, satellites and other ISR assets or analytics, and correlate it in a two-person GCS to enable analyses and tactical responses. Michael Callahan said, “Everything from IP video to DVI at varying resolutions needs to be scaled to the myriad output resolutions required at the GCS. It’s all done in an FPGA chip circuit, and the next step is to scale it up with our 4K display processors, to enable better ISR data analysis in the same consoles.” Domo Tactical Communications showed its newest high data rate IP mesh radios for shared situational awareness in BVLOS operations using COFDM waveforms. The SOL8 SDR (software-defined radio) makes up the core of these systems, and is “the smallest MIMO radio in the world” according to the company’s Neil McSparron. The 2x2 MIMO, 200 mW radio uses twin ARM cores, an FPGA and a configurable RF transceiver, enabling users to adapt and switch it for different applications such as tactical comms, mesh radio networks, covert video transmissions and IP encoding. “Other wi-fi-type systems might offer collision avoidance access algorithms by looking for a spare gap in the space and grabbing the time of that space, but this is a mesh network based on ‘token- passing’ within the network, arbitrating who transmits and when, meaning no collisions,” McSparron noted. The SOL8 SDR is used in the NETNode5W-4R unit for USVs and UAVs requiring up to 100 km ranges on an L-band mesh network. The system is IP66 rated as a minimum, weighs 2.56 kg and can operate in temperatures from -20 to +50 C. A dedicated RS-232 or RS-485 interface for GPS is also provided. “All the key IP is coded in-house by our engineers, many of whom worked previously on developing the first MPEG- 4 codecs and the first COFDM television transmissions,” McSparron added. “Wi- fi modulation isn’t tailored for tactical comms; we can tailor our transmissions for the ranges and throughputs needed for BVLOS UxV missions.” Huber+Suhner exhibited its latest UxV interconnect products, primarily for RF-based electronics including avionics, comms and control systems. As BJ Lyman told UST , the SMPM-T interface is the latest iteration of its SMPM ‘snap-on’ connector, and features a combination of a Mil-Std-348 SMPM female interface connector and a retractable threaded nut, with a connector centreline-to-centreline spacing of 5 mm. The SMPM-T is tested to provide electrical stability at frequencies up to 67 GHz. “The connector provides a locking shroud that you torque down onto the receptacle, as well as a de-tent capability for when that shroud is unnecessary,” Lyman added. The company also showcased its new Microbend-L cable, which is tested up to 85 GHz and features a 0.047 in diameter and compression clamp technology to terminate a connector from the cable to avoid using potentially expensive or loss-prone right-angle connectors. VITEC displayed its latest video streaming solution aimed at significantly reducing the effects of packet loss in network data transmissions. “When you convert video into data and send it across an uncontrolled network, such as the internet or a third- party satellite link, by definition you’re not in charge of that network,” said Mark Rushton. Domo’s SOL8 SDR is claimed to be the smallest MIMO radio in the world VITEC’s Ace encoder is now available with the company’s Gen2 H.265 codec