Tactical Data Links
Model, simulate and analyze the performance of a tactical data link for a national aerospace company
- A Ground Station (GS) connects to the Early Warning Radar (EWR) through ground network infrastructure
- The GS starts the network, assigns the time slots, and generates the crypto key and the frequency hopping pattern
- The GS then broadcasts the Air Picture to all friendly aircraft
- Friendly aircraft broadcast their positions periodically to one another and to the GS
- When the EWR detects enemy aircraft, it transmits the information to the GS
- The GS then broadcasts the updated Air Picture to friendly aircraft, which engage the enemy
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Grid Length | 300x300 km |
| Slot Duration | 50 ms |
| Encryption | AES256 |
| Bits per slot | 2500 bits |
| RF Power | 20 W |
| Modulation | QPSK |
| RX Sensitivity | -108 dbm |
Performance Analysis
We did a large set of simulation runs to evaluate system performance over a wide range of input parameters. These are the key observations from the results:
Signal Quality Issues
- The RF propagation losses resulted in a high Bit Error Rate (BER).
- This high BER led to an unacceptable number of errors in Recognized Air Picture (RAP) packets.
Resource Allocation Inefficiency
- The current round-robin slot allocation method did not give the Ground Station (GS) a time slot immediately.
- This inefficiency can affect real-time communication.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Optimize Data Transmission
- Reduce the size of Recognized Air Picture (RAP) packets to mitigate the impact of high BER.
- This should decrease the overall error rate in RAP data transmission.
Enhance Resource Allocation
- Change from the current round-robin method to an optimized slot schedule.
- Prioritize slot allocation for the Ground Station (GS) to improve responsiveness.
Future Enhancements
- Consider Layer 3 routing in future iterations.
- This addition can make communication between network segments more efficient.