Real-Time RF Channel Impairment Emulator

Navy software-defined-radio (SDR) programs such as the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) or the Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) have a need for a waveform-agnostic programmable and extensible wireless channel-impairment emulator accommodating networks of 8 radio nodes operating in a frequency range of 30 MHz to 2.2 GHz. The emulator should be high fidelity, broadband, have fine delay and attenuation resolutions, a large dynamic range, low minimum latency, provide high isolation between radios, and emulate propagation delays of up to 1 second. The emulator should handle radio networks using multiple protocols and waveforms, including full duplex, frequency agile, and power adaptable radios, through a single RF port per radio. The emulator should be capable of running operationally representative scenarios with time-varying losses, delays, multipath, Doppler, and statistical fading.We propose a modular and scalable design that has 250 MHz input, and 250 MHz output bandwidths over 30-2200 MHz while offering a large effective dynamic range, high isolation full duplex operation with transmit powers from 1 mW to 20 W. The emulator is waveform-agnostic, handles frequency-agile radios, and emulates 56 time-varying, high fidelity multipath channels in an eight radio network, with 8 emulation channels reserved for digital links to external emulators.