TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Network Enterprise ACAT I

OBJECTIVE: Develop a middleware specification and corresponding development tools that enable software-defined, hardware-independent high-speed communications among distributed processors in an environment in which size and power consumption must be minimized.

DESCRIPTION: Increasingly, military and commercial devices utilize a distributed processing approach that maximizes the usage of existing chipsets and software/firmware to implement complex systems. In addition, the scale of these complex systems is being reduced down to battery-powered small form-factor devices utilizing embedded processing such as smart phones, PDAs, Software Defined Radios (SDRs), and expendable sensors. Currently, software for these devices is strongly hardware dependent; this minimizes the potential for software reusability among similar hardware platforms produced by different manufacturers. Middleware used commercially in devices such as smart phones and low-end networking devices is very limited in scope and not applicable to military systems. Legacy open-standard middleware currently used in military systems, such as the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), provide adequate capabilities but are too complex for economical use in the small form-factor devices that commercial and military customers demand.

A scalable, expandable, middleware architecture is needed that can meet the current and future needs for high-speed data interface, extensive control functionality, isolation among processing segments, and hardware-independent reusable software while optimally utilizing the next-generation of low-power microprocessors. Core functionality must be implemented using a very low overhead approach and developers need to be able to utilize additional functionality as needed to optimize the usage of available hardware capabilities.

PHASE I: Beginning with existing open-standards, develop an enhanced specification that addresses the anticipated next-generation requirements of military and commercial distributed processing systems. Define the software interfaces and middleware functions that will be required to implement the capability. Perform a simulation experiment to demonstrate that the approach when implemented will result in a significantly reduced overhead load compared with legacy middleware.

PHASE II: Implement and test the performance of the proposed standard when integrated into a reference Software Defined Radio intended for emergency services and commercial applications (i.e., no Type I encryption). Using an actual embedded hardware/software system or a high-fidelity simulation, demonstrate that the middleware meets the Phase I requirements.

PHASE III: Complete development of the standard functionality and development tools. Work with a prime vendor of a Joint Tactical Communication System (JTRS) radio set to integrate the capability into a production model. Promote the new standard for use in commercial, foreign, and other military applications.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Commercial, international and Homeland Security embedded distributed-processing products utilize middleware. This new specification will result in improved performance and enable smaller form-factor products to be developed. This vendor would sell, maintain, and support middleware to the product manufacturers.

REFERENCES:
1. Bob Blakley, CORBA Security: An Introduction to Safe Computing with Objects, Addison Wesley Longman; 1st edition (October 27, 1999).

2. Michi Henning, Steve Vinoski, Advanced CORBA Programming with C++, Addison-Wesley Professional; 1st edition (February 17, 1999).

3. Joshua Noseworthy, James Kulp, "An-OCP compliant component model for FPGAs", MILCOM 2006 - IEEE Military Communications Conference, vol. 25, no. 1, October 2006 pp. 2008-2013.

4. Object Management Group (OMG), CORBA Security Service, Version 1.8.

KEYWORDS: software defined radio; CORBA; embedded computing; security; JTRS

TPOC: John Yen
Phone: (619)553-9404
Fax:
Email: [email protected]

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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