Low-Cost GPS Datalink for Telemetry

This proposal addresses the needs of telemetry datalink development groups at various DoD bases involved with missile and aircraft testing, for a low-cost, air-to-ground system, accommodating up to 20 airborne units, at data rates up to 50 kbps perparticipating unit, and a range up to 100 km. Mayflower proposes to use spread-spectrum modulation for the datalink signal, similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) C/A-Code modulation, to implement an L-band system operating at about 1400 MHz andusing code-division-multiple-access to transfer data from custom, multiple-channel, airborne transmitters to a commercial, multiple-channel ground receiver. The cost of the transmitter equipment is expected to be less than $3,000 per unit, and the cost ofthe receiver equipment is expected to be in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 for a 20-unit system.Development of military datalinks for precision-guided munitions and small missiles. Development of military datalinks for real-time environment monitoring.Development of civilian datalinks for remote environment monitoring for meteorology and water/soil/air pollution.