Communications in Rapid Environmental Assessment

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Communications inRapid Environmental Assessment

• Alex Trangeled
• Daniel C. Conley
• NATO Undersea Research Centre
• La Spezia, ITALY

NATO RESTRICTED
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Rapid Environmental AssessmentDefinition

• The acquisition, compilation and release of
  tactically relevant environmental information in
  a tactically relevant time frame.
• Integration of traditional methods of information
  gathering in Military Oceanography with modern
  communications and data processing techniques, to
  ensure the timely delivery of environmental data
  to naval forces and commands in the course of a
  crisis situation.

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REAMREP Goals

• Develop efficient information distribution
  architecture and communication paths
• Test different implementations
• Define a basis for further use in operational
  scenario
• Identify and reduce possible drawbacks in data
  fusion and REA/REP communications

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NURC Dynamic MREP System Concept
Tactical system
SURDRIFT (SAR and mines) Visibility Maps Acoustic
Decision Aids MW products Beach Mapping
Updates MIMS
DISCRETE and SECURE environmental monitoring of
denied areas
FUSION
O1D
Real-time access
O1A

GIS Tools
REP/COP PRODUCTS
Initialization
O1B
Validation
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NTOMS

O1B
Operational Ocean models
DIOPS NCOM HOPS FOAM
Adaptive sampling

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Embedded Systems

• Deployable Underwater Surveillance - remote
  control

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MOTIVATION

• Surf zone environmental parameters such as
  breaking wave height, surf zone width, and
  longshore current strength are of fundamental
  importance for planning and executing amphibious
  operations, VSW mine reconnaissance and
  clearance, and special operations.
• Models can provide predictive capabilities but
  the reliability of existing models are
  questionable in complex environments.

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MODEL BASED TDA
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EMACS objectives

• Remote data logging of environmental parameters,
  including configuration
• Integrated LEO/WLAN communications
• Data delivery via standard HTTP and FTP
  protocols
• No in-situ expert knowledge required

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EMACS highlights

• Configurable for a variety of sensors
• Remote configuration and control, including
  recording and transmission interval
• Full on-board processing, compression and
  transmission via LEO sat and/or wireless network.
  
• Low cost COTS disposable
• Relay - Data exchange based on RIAB
• Prototypes built for realtime surf monitoring

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Hardware description

• Eurotech
• CPU-1232

• Coastal Environmental Weatherpak

• Iridium Modem

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Software Description

• Linux Red Hat 7.2 - kernel 2.4.19
• Modifications of Kernel and startup scripts
• Weatherpak interface
• Configuration of PPP server, telnet, HTTP e FTP

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Embedded LEO FE systems
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Northern Lights/MREA04
Communication Channels
Embedded Maritime Acquisition and Control System

• EMACS Iridium Meteo Station
• EMACS Globalstar Nortek system
• VSAT Surf monitoring system

? NL/MREA/Forward Eyes
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SENSORS DEPLOYED
Meteo Station

• Measures wind speed, direction, temp, pressure,
  rel. humidity every 30s
• Provide input to circulation models as well as
  NBC dispersion models
• Data transferred back to Centre via Iridium hourly

Current Meter

• Measures 3 components of velocity and pressure
  for 12 minutes at 8 Hz.
• Calculates wave directional spectra and wave
  statistics (converting 4 Mbytes of data to
  1Kbyte).
• Determines wave height, period direction, mean
  depth and currents and strength of wave currents.
  
• Data transferred back to Centre via Globalstar
  every 2 hours.

Camera System

• Provides high resolution digital images time
  exposed images of study area
• Images automatically transferred over
  high-bandwith Vsat system.
• Processed images can determine surf zone width
  and location, identify constant current features
  and submerged bars.

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EMACS system - Meteo
LEO link
Raw Data
Processed Data RS-232 - PPP
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EMACS Nortek
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REA VSAT System

• In the field ADSL comparable link
• 512 kbs downlink
• 128 kbs uplink
• Footprint European Partial worldwide
• VERY cost-effective flat-rate system
• Applications
• Distributed Data Fusion - RIAB
• Remote command Control in expeditionary warfare
  disaster areas
• In-theatre relaying of remote sensors (e.g.
  surveillance video/FLIR, radar picture) to HQ

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VSAT Component
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TIME EXPOSED IMAGES
10 minute time exposure Take average intensity
values over a long period of time.
Make a time exposure
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IMAGE RECTIFICATION MERGING
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Data rates during NL03
Best choice for sensor/portable TDA
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Iridium EMSSEnhanced Mobile Satellite Services

• Worldwide coverage
• Unique DoD features include NSA approved
  end-to-end encryption
• Dedicated defense gateway interfaced to the
  Defense Switched Network (DSN)
• Supports voice and data at 2400bps
• 2 year unlimited airtime

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TACTICAL DECISION AIDS
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TDA on a PDA
GPS
REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE
IPAQ 3970 (400 MHz) NAVMAN GPS
LEO link
MOBILE GROUND STATION
GIS/AML SOFTWARE
FUSION CENTER
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Network analysis tool

• Data Inputs
• Quantity/format and frequency
• Source/destination
• Product description
• Dynamically Outputs
• Minimum required bandwidth at all nodes in
  network
• Data flow
• Warning if bandwidth not available or technically
  feasible

Operational Net Assessment
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Selective datafiltering/reduction
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Selective datafiltering/reduction
smart data ordering subscription agents, and
data compression/transport
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End
QUESTIONS ?
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IridiumMTU size

• Guidelines
• Physical limitations in interactivity
• predominance of burst traffic in interactive mode
• MTU 808 byte
• Good efficiency
• subdivision of interactive traffic delays and
  those resulting from queuing

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Summary

• Embedded Linux allows for optimal control of
  Iridium communications parameters
• Throughput can be increased by 30 utilizing
  correct MTU size

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Features Benefits

• Funziona ovunque.
• Worldwide deployability via Irididium/globalstar
  atellite connectivity.
• Geografically indipendent
• Acquisition parameters can be changed by means of
  standard dial-in interface.
• Data is compressed and transmitted automatically
  to DFC at fixed intervals

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EMACS issues

• Battery capacity
• Power consumption/Processing power
• Communication channels
• Real time/non-real time
• Ease of deployment
• Concept

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Forward Eyes NL03
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Software flowchart
Raw data every 15s
Data Filter
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Rapid Environmental AssessmentDefinition

• The acquisition, compilation and release of
  tactically relevant environmental information in
  a tactically relevant time frame.
• Integration of traditional methods of information
  gathering in Military Oceanography with modern
  communications and data processing techniques, to
  ensure the timely delivery of environmental data
  to naval forces and commands in the course of a
  crisis situation.

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Experimental tests

• Iridium - Iridium

• Iridium - PSTN

• Strumenti
• FTP (client, server)
• ttcp
• tcpdump, tcpstat
• kernel di Linux modificato
• script in perl, gnuplot, octave

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Challenges

• Data thruput
• Linux based Multiplexing
• Wavelet compression
• Vector based GIS/TDA
• Security
• NSA encryption availability
• Iridium - PSTN 0.86 second

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Iridium Performance evaluation

• Transmission speed
• Compressed data 2630 bit/s
• Non-compressed data 9500 bit/s
• Transmission delay
• Iridium - Iridium .99 second
• Iridium - PSTN 0.86 second

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IridiumTransmission Buffer size

• Over-buffering
• with standard parameters

• Timer problems

• Undersized buffer
• Intermittent transmission

• Buffer size 2484 for compressed data

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IridiumData analysis

• Accurate estimation of reception speed

• Evalutation of MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit)
  influence

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Data analysis

• Performance analysis by varying parameters and
  options

• Data Compression

• Usage of TCP options (timestamp, selective
  acknowledgment)

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Internal Kernel parameter analysis

• Congestion window size

• SRTT and RTO trend

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RIABREA In A BOX
Solution deploy tactical wireless networks
granting coverage of the local area of interest
using SATCOM gateways to interconnect with
land-based infrastructures (e.g. Wide Area
Networks, REA Fusion Centre)

• Robust, user friendly, readily deployable system
• Based on low cost COTS hardware and open source
  software
• Area independent WAN connectivity
• High-speed data exchange between survey vessels

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RIAB V1
Ingest/transmit verify/feedback
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EXTAC 777Next-generation RIAB system
Maritime WLAN Ship-2-Ship LAN over-the-horizon
(est. 90 km) wireless network High speed data
exchange between units VSAT/LEO relay from
shore/AUVS via buoys
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EXTAC 777Next-generation RIAB systems
VSAT Portable self-installing data relay
stations COP delivery to Military commanders
LEO/PDA portable TDA Pre-loaded portable TDA
based on PDA/LEO In the field real-time update
of REP/COP via LEO satellites
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CURRENT METER
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METEO STATION
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VIDEO MONITORING
VIRTUAL LABORATORY
Technology Courtesy of R. Holman CIL OSU T.
Holland NRL-SSC