GDR 99 - Communications Systems

Assurance Technology
Corporation


Section Articles
• Nato & European Digitisation • The Tactical Infosphere • Satellite Revolution • C21 Battle Innovation • Systems Expert
Top: An Army Embedded GPS Receiver (AEGR) with GRAM, SAASM, Direct Y

30 years in aerospace and C4I systems development.

Assurance Technology Corporation (ATC), with facilities in New England, Washington DC, Alabama and Florida, has over the past three decades developed a leadership role in the development of military space and command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems, and in providing engineering and management consulting in those disciplines that assure success in the development and operation of today's advanced technology platforms.

The whole spectrum
ATC-developed space, avionics and terrestrial systems cover the entire breadth of today's electronics and software technologies. These systems include microprocessor-based controllers and data processors, command-and-control systems, special purpose computers, radio frequency, IR, optical and UV sensor systems, power converters and systems, spacecraft electrical power systems, advanced multi-band, multi-mode software radios, GPS systems and many more. ATC also provides engineering and management consulting in a wide array of development and operations-related disciplines, including mission/system requirements analysis, concept of operations development, enabling technologies and architectures development, design review and analysis, quality assurance, process development, reliability/maintainability/availability, engineering, integrated logistics support, space radiation hardness consulting, parts and materials engineering, programme planning, management visibility and control systems, cost/schedule control systems and configuration management.

ATC currently supports the office of the US Secretary of Defense Open Systems Architecture Special Task Force, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the Navy Center For Space Technology (NCST), the Army Digitization Office (ADO), several weapon system Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

Information terminal


The Joint Combat Information Terminal (JCIT) is a Multi-Band, Multi-Mode, on the fly software programmable terminal that hosts a wide range of communications waveforms and protocols and provides automated cross link conversion.

One representative ATC advanced technology system is the joint combat information terminal (JCIT), the enabling technology for the US Army's airborne command and control system (A2C2S). C4I connectivity at the strategic, operational and tactical levels is simultaneously available to the commander on the move.

The JCIT is a sophisticated multi-band, multi-mode, on-the-fly, software-programmable terminal that hosts a wide range of communications waveforms and protocols. It also manages antennae, provides INFOSEC processing, prepares message formats, recognises addressing schemes and handles graphics and symbols. JCIT incorporates an automated cross-link conversion/management feature that uniquely supports joint/coalition forces. It can receive a message on one link and automatically transfer that transmission to any other. Each country may develop and house their technology in a module that allows for full interoperability with their allies.


CRRES Microelectronics Radiation Effects Package

Another ATC product, the Army Embedded GPS Receiver (AEGR), consists of a single printed circuit card assembly in a 6U VME (also available in SEM-E) format that receives, tracks and processes the GPS signals from an antenna and provides the appropriate position, velocity, and time (PVT) information to the host system. The GPS receiver application module (GRAM) is a dual-frequency Link One (L1) and Link Two (L2), continuous tracking P(Y)-code receiver with selective availability and anti-spoofing (SA/AS) capabilities.

AEGR isolates the receiver from the host LRU. Adding a new NAVWAR receiver is simply a matter of removing the old receiver, inserting the new one, closing the unit and porting the new software. No changing of ICDs or external features is required.

Analysis services


Above: Powerblock Controller Below: HTSSE Controller

The ATC High Reliability Parts Screening and Destructive Physical Analysis Services are among the foremost in the space and military communities, with more than 30,000 lots and three million parts processed in the past decade for government agencies and space system manufacturers. ATC also provides the aerospace industry with system, component and device failure analysis using the latest in analysis equipment and technologies, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and computer-aided optical analysis.

ATC Power Systems, located in Merrimack, New Hampshire, produces commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), military off-the-shelf (MOTS) and custom power supplies and systems Ð primarily for military avionics, missile, shipboard, tactical and ground applications. These advanced technology power supply products are among the industry leaders in lightweight, high-density, high-performance, high-reliability power systems.


Link: www.assurtech.com

ATC's history and experience demonstrate a deep and lasting commitment to the space, aerospace, avionics/vetronics and C4I communities. The company's growth record reflects its success in meeting the needs of these communities with technical and managerial excellence, responsiveness, conscientiousness and honesty.

ATC may be your ideal team member, subcontractor, on-shore US producer, QA facility or ILS/warranty service provider. ATC's products may be one of your system's key components, providing digital C4I connectivity on the coalition battlefield.