Advanced Communications Project
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Advanced Communications Project Technology Reference Document ELO DEV PM & EN H T C C R E A N E T S E Prepared for E R R The United States Coast Guard Research & Development Center U 1082 Shennecossett Rd. N D I R T A Groton, CT 06340-6096 E U D G S T T A S T E S C O A By VisiCom Laboratories Inc. 1198 Gulf Breeze Parkway Gulf Breeze, FL 32561 September 1993 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document is an updated version of the 1985 Technology Reference Document prepared for the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center. It has fully incorporated the contents of the 1985 document. No attempt was made to perform any editorial changes on the 1985 material, with the sole exception of correcting any information which is no longer accurate or applicable due to the evolution of technology. The major changes to the document have been in the area of reorganization / style, the addition of new telecommunications technology information, and the inclusion of information regarding the U.S. navy Satellite Communications System. To provide an all encompassing technology document was beyond the scope of this particular effort. Consequently, the new technology introduced with this updated document has focused on selected topics which were considered by the authors to be of prime importance to U.S. Coast Guard personnel. The following technologies were selected: • Electromagnetic Frequency • Transmission Hardware Spectrum Technology • Over the Horizon Radio • Analog Modulation Communications • Digital Modulation • Radio Frequency Modulation • Information Coding/Processing • Communications Channel Multiplex/ Access • Communications Networks • Integrated Services Digital Network • Cellular Mobile Transmission • Satellite Communications • Computer Architecture Concepts • Security • Communications and Network • Fleet Satellite Communications Services • U.S. Navy Users and Network • Interoperability Architecture Architecture The new topics added to this edition of the Technology Reference Document were arbitrarily selected based on industry and DoD trends and technology feasibility. Since many areas of telecommunications technology are undergoing rapid evolution, comments are anticipated and are actively solicited for eventual inclusion into future editions of this document. 1 ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCY SPECTRUM 1 ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCY SPECTRUM 1.1 Frequency Spectrum Definition 1.2 Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) 1.3 Very Low Frequency (VLF) 1.4 Low Frequency (LF) 1.5 Medium Frequency (MF) 1.6 High Frequency (HF) 1.7 Very High Frequency (VHF) 1.8 Ultra-high Frequency (UHF) 1.9 Super high Frequency (SHF) 1.10 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) 1-1 1.1 Frequency Spectrum Definition The continuum of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum useful for communications range from the Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) (designated 30-300 hertz) to the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) (designated 30-300 GHz) millimeter waves. Table 1-1 below specifies the designated nomenclature for those frequencies used in communications. Table 1-1. Electromagnetic Spectrum Nomenclature FREQUENCY RANGE DESIGNATION CLASSIFICATION 30 – 300 Hz ELF Extremely Low Frequency 3 – 30 kHz VLF Very Low Frequency 30 – 300 kHz LF Low Frequency .3 – 3 MHz MF Medium Frequency .3 – 30 MHZ HF High Frequency 30 – 300 MHz VHF Very High Frequency . 3 – 3 GHz UHF Ultra-high Frequency 3 – 30 GHz SHF Super High Frequency 30 – 300 GHz EHF Extremely High Frequency Letter designations are also used for Radio Frequency (RF). Table 1-2 lists the military letter designations for RF frequencies. Table 1-2. Military Radio Frequency Bands BAND DESIGNATION FREQUENCY RANGE A 0 – 250 MHz B 250 – 500 MHz C 500 – 1000 MHz D 1 – 2 GHz E 2 – 3 GHz F 3 – 4 GHz G 4 – 6 GHz H 6 – 8 GHz I 8 – 10 GHz J 10 – 20 GHz K 20 – 40 GHz L 40 – 60 GHz M 60 – 100 GHz 1-2 Electromagnetic waves are propagated from a transmitting antenna to a receiving antenna in a number of different ways besides through a direct path through the atmosphere (line-of-sight/space wave). They may also be propagated along the earth's surface (ground wave), or through refraction or reflection or scattering from natural atmospheric reflectors. Significant reflecting and scattering modes of electromagnetic propagation include ionospheric and tropospheric scattering. Each of these types of electromagnetic propagation is further discussed in Section 3 (Over-the- Horizon Radio Communications). Figure 1-1 illustrates the various types of electromagnetic propagation. IONOSPHERE Ionospheric Refraction Ionospheric Scatter STRATOSPHERE Ionospheric Refraction Tropospheric Scatter TROPOSPHERE Line-of-Sight/Direct Wave EARTH Earth Wave 3683JC7/93 Figure 1-1. Electromagnetic Propagation 1.2 Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) ELF is the communications band extending from 30 Hz to 300 Hz. Transmission is conducted over areas of low conductivity bedrock. The signal is broadcast by orthogonal antennas strung horizontally over the rock formation terminating in low resistance ground terminals at either end. The current flows into the rock and because of the low conductivity of the medium, the signals are driven deep into the earth from one terminal to the other. This effectively produces a loop antenna. The signal radiates into the atmosphere, traveling between the ionosphere and the earth's surface. The signal penetrates the surface of the ocean and propagates to great depths. Clearly, ELF is an attractive transmission mechanism for communicating with submarines. In fact, submarines are the primary ELF communications users. ELF systems decrease the vulnerability of our submarine force as communications are conducted at patrol depths and speeds. ELF possesses two key advantages: 1-3 • Efficient signaling schemes and sophisticated receiver designs help minimize the required transmitter power. Very low radiated power (2 to 8 watts) is required to transmit at great distances. • ELF signals are inherently resistant to the effects of electromagnetic pulses. Nevertheless, there are substantial drawbacks with ELF communications due to factors such as: • Continual setbacks in developing ELF communications occur due to political and environmental debates concerning the potential health hazards although no health or environmental hazards have been substantiated. • ELF transmitting antennas require a large ground plane. Proposed ELF sites will require 134 km of buried antenna. The system cost is both expensive and geographically expansive. • Site selection and antenna design process are always time consuming and have cost factors with which to contend. • The electromagnetic fields produced by ELF transmitter sites may cause interference problems to local power distribution lines and telephone circuits. • ELF communications systems are susceptible to many forms of jamming although signal bandwidth spreading can alleviate the effects. • Data rate transmission is slow. ELF systems, as used today, are intended primarily as a wartime submarine communications system. We can expect to see continued engineering developments in tactical communications with submarines, particularly in the following technical areas: • Propagation phenomena (attenuation, diurnal and seasonal variation weather) • Signal processing in a noise environment • Message pre-formatting and coding techniques due to a slow data rate • Signal bandwidth spreading in order to protect against hostile Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) • Synchronous transmitter operation to increase signal strength and reliability 1-4 1.3 Very Low Frequency (VLF) VLF is the communications band extending from 3 kHz to 30 kHz. VLF radio waves are used for long range communications and navigation. Wave propagation is accomplished via ducting between the earth's surface and the lower ionosphere boundary. VLF has limited use in transmission to points below the sea's surface and on the earth's surface. An important factor in VLF transmission is ground loss resistance. The amount of resistance varies inversely with the total length of wire in the ground system. Hundreds of kilometers of wire are needed to keep ground resistance down to tenths of an ohm. Antennas are vertically polarized. It does however permit world-wide coverage and is relatively insensitive to physical obstacles. Furthermore, propagation is the same over both land and water. However, it requires a very large ground plane and transmitting antenna which characteristically have very low gain. Equipment is typi- cally large and expensive. Also, a large land area is required for the ground plane. This transmission frequency has, nevertheless, been used in Coast Guard applications – the Omega Navigation System operates in the VLF band. The technology required to fur- ther use this radio frequency will continue with the substantial ongoing work being done in the field of submarine communications. 1.4 Low Frequency (LF) Low frequency (30 kHz to 300 kHz) are propagated to distances of a few hundred kilometers by direct-ray diffraction (surface waves) around the curvature of the earth and by indirect wave reflection from the ionosphere. LF systems are normally used for intermediate ranges of 1000 to 5000 km. Surface wave propagation studies indicate that in the LF through HF frequency ranges, field strengths increase with decreasing frequency and are stronger over sea water than over land. Vertical polarization gives higher field strengths than horizontal. Sky waves cause fading at 80 to 800 km distances and generally produce higher- level field strengths than the surface