58 -- DUAL ANTENNA HANDOVER SYSTEM (DAHS) FOR SHIPBOARD SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

Notice Date

June 7, 2001

Contracting Office

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, 4301 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92110-3127

ZIP Code

92110-3127

Solicitation Number

N00039-01-R-3212

Point of Contact

Stephen Beckner, (619)524-7389, beckners@spawar.navy.mil

E-Mail Address

Click here to contact the Contracting Officer via (lopezm@spawar.navy.mil)

Description

Request For Information (RFI) Dual Antenna Handover System (DAHS) for Shipboard Satellite Communications The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) intends to develop, evaluate and field an innovative Dual Antenna Handover System (DAHS) for shipboard satellite communications (SATCOM) terminals. The DAHS will mitigate satellite communications disruptions caused by antenna handover switching in dual antenna shipboard terminals at L-, C-, X-, Ku-, K-, Ka- and Q-bands operating at full-duplex data rates from 16 kilobits per second to at least 8 megabits per second, with an objective maximum of 30 megabits per second. The DAHS will be required to maintain full-duplex communications with full bit-count integrity during handover interruptions of up to 80 ms on the ship-to-shore link, and up to 1 ms on the shore-to-ship link. Considering that shipboard SATCOM antennas are often separated by large physical distances, the DAHS must also accommodate satellite-to-antenna path length changes up to at least +/- 300 feet during the handover event, with an objective maximum of +/- 600 feet. The DAHS may require hardware both aboard the ship and at the corresponding shore terminal, however SPAWAR prefers approaches that require DAHS hardware aboard the ship only. In either case, the DAHS will be separate from the shipboard and shore SATCOM terminal modems (e.g., unmodified OM-73 compatible modems, IESS-308/309 compliant commercial PSK modems and future more bandwidth efficient modems) and not require modification of either modem. The DAHS may operate on either side of the modem, that is, on the modulated radio frequency (RF) waveform (perhaps at an intermediate frequency [IF]) or on the demodulated baseband bit stream. DAHS approaches that require a dedicated modem or beacon receiver for each shipboard antenna will be considered. The DAHS will not degrade bit error rate (BER) performance when the time between handover events is greater than or equal to 15 seconds, with an objective of maintaining non-degraded BER performance when handover events occur as frequently as once every 10 seconds. Many Navy dual-antenna shipboard SATCOM terminals have an operating mode in which the antennas can simultaneously track and communicate via separate satellites. In this two-satellite mode, the terminal does not hand over tracking of either satellite between the antennas. The DAHS will not degrade the BER performance of such a terminal when it operates in the two-satellite mode. White papers are requested from interested organizations describing your satellite communications experience and DAHS concept(s). The white paper is limited to a maximum of 10 pages in length, the bulk of which should focus on the DAHS approach(s). White papers in Microsoft Word for Office 97 compatible format are due via e-mail no later than 45 calendar days after the date of this announcement to SPAWAR/02-32 Attn: Mark Lopez, 4301 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA, 92110, e-mail address: lopezm@spawar.navy.mil. Technical questions should be directed to: Dr. Roy Axford, SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego, Code D841, 53560 Hull St., San Diego, CA 92151-5001, e-mail address: axfordra@spawar.navy.mil. Technical questions regarding the white papers may be addressed at any time from the date of this announcement until three business days prior to the due date. Every attempt will be made to reply to each inquiry within two business days. The Navy currently plans to utilize Full and Open Competition for any potential procurement to follow the evaluation of the white papers. SPAWAR is requesting the white papers as an aid to identify potential sources and define the scope of the potential procurement.

Web Link

Click here to go to the SPAWAR E-Commerce Central website. (http://e-commerce.spawar.navy.mil)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010611/58SOL013.HTM (W-158 SN50O2F2)