A Generic Waveform Agnostic Modular Architecture for a Bolt-On MIMO Applique for Airborne Communications

ABSTRACT:Based on prior experience designing and building several MIMO applique prototypes, Silvus team proposes a generic modular waveform agnostic hardware/software architecture that can be reused across different MIMO applique realizations and applications. Phase I effort will include simulations and flight tests.BENEFIT:Multi-Antenna, MIMO, techniques have been proven to significantly improve the throughput, reliability and range of wireless communication systems. Subject to environmental conditions, as much as 20 dB improvement in the link margin, up to 10x reduction in the TX power for the same throughput, up to 30 dB of interference mitigation, and several factors improvement in the achievable throughput. A MIMO applique technology will provide these gains to the legacy USAF waveforms and radios within a relative short timeline. Example Air Force & Other DoD applications: A bolt on MIMO applique can serve several USAF communication needs: (a) Spatial interference mitigation applique for Link-16 terminals (b) Spatial diversity applique for TCDL radios on low flying aircrafts (c) Spatial multiplexing applique for BE-CDL and STD-CDL terminals (d) Interference mitigation for ARC-210 radios (e) Spatial interference mitigation for SRW/WNW radios Commercial Applications: Spectral efficiency enhancement for commercial cellular backhaul: Silvus is excited about the tangential opportunity that a bolt on spatio-polarimetric multiplexing module creates in the commercial cellular backhaul market. The proposed solution is minimally invasive to existing E-band links and can be added to existing fixed commercial cellular backhaul installations, thus improving capacity in the same bandwidth allocation.