BAE Systems has completed a real-time mobile tests of new wireless military radio technology designed to transfer critical communications without interruption under combat and emergency conditions. Developed as part of the DARPA Interface Multiple Access (DIMA) program, these new digital wireless radios will be able to overcome interference typically encountered with digital communications, ensuring increased network capacity and uninterrupted performance in highly congested mobile networks.
BAE Systems has completed a real-time mobile tests of new wireless military radio technology designed to transfer critical communications without interruption during battle.
The test was part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Interface Multiple Access, or DIMA, a $15.5 million program developing wireless radios that can untangle interfering digital communications signals. The development aims to increase network capacity and performance in highly congested mobile networks.
Unlike current networks that share frequency or time slots between different users, The new radios will allow multiple transmissions to occur simultaneously on one frequency and can support up to five simultaneous conversations over each frequency slot, even in the presence of severe interference. “DIMA buys back the capacity loss caused by those limitations with technology that separates multiple, interfering digital signals.” says Dr. Brian Pierce of DARPA.
Known as multi-user detection, BAE Systems’ real-time technology enables users to communicate simultaneously on the same channel without centralized control or infrastructure. Recent experiments validated the technology in a mobile, ad-hoc network environment and demonstrated the vehicle-mounted DIMA radio’s ability to receive up to five simultaneous transmissions from different users while traveling at 15 mph. According to Joshua Niedzwiecki, manager of BAE Systems’ communications and signal exploitation research group, the system will be further improved and tested at higher speeds, “By next March, we expect to operate at speeds greater than 30 mph in highly interfering scenarios, and may even operate as high as 60 mph,” he said.
