2019 I/ITSEC

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Radio Network Automation for Operational Testing: An Practical Resource for Radio Networks Planning (Room 320B)

This paper summarizes the research conducted by General Dynamics in cooperation with the United States Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEOSTRI) in the development of a Radio Network Planning application that leverages Scalable Network Technologies (SNT) Radio Frequency (RF) modelling combined with the visualization power of NASA Web World Wind open source virtual globe API. The resultant product delivered to the U.S. Army at Ft. Hood Operational Test Command (OTC) site permits Test Officers with no previous RF training to identify the optimal network coverage automatically for different selected test range locations. The simulation considers terrain features using Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED), tower location, uplink and downlink transmission, environmental and ground effects, using pre-configured radio models for Cubic Army Mobile Instrumented Training System (AMITS) and Saab Interim Range System (IRS). The final product supports the Home Station Instrumentation Networks and Test Center networks while promoting an interactive user interface experience with graphical network coverage heat-map overlays displayed via open source products utilized throughout the Integrated Live-Virtual-Constructive Test Environment (ILTE) product line. The methods, models and research results summarized in this paper shall be of interest to the radio networks simulation software design and development community with interest in a practical approach to Radio Network Planning.