MOBILE OPERATIONS UNIFIED SYSTEM EXTENSION (MOUSE)

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with section 3.5 of the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: CREATE MUOS RADIO 5G BRIDGE EXTENSION DESCRIPTION: The need for expanding communications to meet increasing data requirements continues. Operation in open and closed military environments, and commercially enabled environments requires maximization of bandwidth efficiency to meet new challenges. The US Army, in conjunction with the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) program, is interested in acquiring a communications hub controller for broadening tactical radio capabilities within the current MUOS satellite constellation. In addition to this capability, the interests are furthered in respect to follow-on MUOS satellite builds. In operating parallel to the existing MUOS communications hub controller, a new communications hub controller must be developed under this effort to perform signal processing to access, host and power correct Radio Frequency (RF) signals as needed for non MUOS waveforms. As with most network hub receivers, multiple remotes must be handled by a network controller. All remote terminals using Division Multiple Access (DMA) are associated with at least four different time windows. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) time windows must include guard time, transmission connect time, transmit duration time, and termination time. In a Code DMA (CMDA) the time windows are not as paramount, but still require innovative design to provide this capability, while not interfering with the current MUOS communications hub controller. It is crucial that each remote user, upon access of the communications hub controller, is de-conflicted with the MUOS network. The de-confliction will only be required when the MUOS waveform is present. The communications hub controller will interface to the existing architecture via RF at the frequency range of L-band. The data will interface with a secure network that requires standard Ethernet data interface packets. The requirement of this effort is to design and build a scalable communications hub controller to handle multiple Multi Product UHF L-band System Extension (MPULSE) Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) waveform radio accesses that are deploying Direct Sequence Spread Spreading (DSSS) for broad use. MOUSE design must allow additional PSK waveforms to be incorporated later with minimum adjustments required. PHASE I: The work to be done in Phase I is to deliver a design document. The design document should include the strategy, proposed hardware elements, such as Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) components, high-speed multi-FPGA backplane and the standards utilized in accomplishing the tasks to create the communications hub controller. It is significant to note that expectations of accessing thousands of users simultaneously will require a significant amount of parallel processing. PHASE II: The work to be done in Phase II includes the delivery of the communications hub controller prototype based on the designed developed in Phase I with windows-based management software and standard user documentation. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Success in building the MOUSE controller will prove value to other military and commercial architectures that are upgrading spectrum efficiencies, especially those particular to de-conflicting pre-existing legacy waveforms. A phase III strategy should include the means to develop and market to commercial and military entities. REFERENCES: 1. RAMLALL An automated framework for testing MUOS voice calls", 2015, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7356511; 2. AKCAN, Direct Sequence Spread-Spectrum Based Covert Communication Using Random Pulse Width Modulation," 2019, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8806617; 3. MEDINA, Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) to legacy UHF Gateway Component(MLGC)", 2010, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5680271; 4. OKRAH, Channel and interference mitigation in the MUOS base-to-user link , 2008, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4753492 KEYWORDS: Hub, Satellite, Control, Controller, Direct Sequence Spread, MUOS, Tactical Radio, GEO