8.2 - Creating the Future Test Range Infrastructure: Vision for a Wireless Inter-Range Network Environment
- Event
- ettc2018 - European Test and Telemetry Conference
2018-06-26 - 2018-06-28
Nürnberg, Germany - Chapter
- 8. Spectrum Efficiency
- Author(s)
- T. O’Brien - U.S. Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, VA (USA)
- Pages
- 162 - 166
- DOI
- 10.5162/ettc2018/8.2
- ISBN
- 978-3-9816876-7-5
- Price
- free
Abstract
Radio frequency spectrum is a vital resource to Test & Evaluation (T&E) and is used to support nearly every test in every environment, yet the availability of RF spectrum to support testing has diminished since the 1990s. A major testing challenge is balancing the development of complex systems requiring the transmission of increasingly large amounts of data with a diminished amount of spectrum available to test facilities and ranges.This inverse relationship creates spectrum congestion at test facilities and can delay test activities.
In order to continue testing systems efficiently and adequately, a major test infrastructure paradigm shift is being developed looking toward a bi-directional, highly integrated, wireless, inter-range network environment that seamlessly supports any and all range operations and data types with even greater spectrum efficiency than currently possible. The implementation of a wireless, inter-range network environment relies on leveraging current efforts to develop a network-based telemetry capability and applying a mobile wireless “cellular” paradigm. While the T&E environment differs from the mobile wireless environment, adaptation of certain wireless technologies to the testing environment might provide significant benefits that satisfy increasing testing requirements.
This paper highlights the spectrum availability issues facing the major Department of Defense test ranges and the vision developed by the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center to implement a wireless inter-range network environment to support test data transmission requirements. The ultimate goal is to garner support and awareness for the effort both domestically and abroad and show U.S. commitment to invest in spectrally efficient technologies, methodologies, and paradigms to support data transmission requirements.