Cirrus APS

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Cirrus
Arbiter Primary Agile Dissemination System
Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems
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Introduction to Cirrus
Cirrus designs advanced software for real time
applications requiring deterministic performance
and high reliability.
capabilities
We have significant levels of proven, COTS IP
for military, tactical and communications domains.
credentials
Systems deployed with the ADF since 1996.
Cirrus winner of Cisco Innovation award and NSW
Telstra Small Business of the Year award.
Completed approx 50 contracts to CoA, and PSIs.
Played significant roles in, and developed a
strong track record from, many major Defence
projects.
Award-winning, patented technologies.
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Technologies
Cirrus expertise is the development of complex
real time software intensive systems
breadth of
capability
Over our history, we have successfully developed
such systems in many different application areas
sensor data acquisition,
contact management,
and simulation of complex systems.
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Arbiter PAD System
Problem space
Overview
Avenues for addressing challenge
Primary Agile Dissemination
APS and scenario.
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Arbiter PAD System
UAV surveillance platform, relaying sensor data
via a bandwidth limited link to an IGE.
Context
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Arbiter PAD System
Insufficient link bandwidth to simultaneously
access all sensor data available at the platform.
Problem
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Arbiter PAD System
A. Sensor (eg. optic, radar, IR etc.) signals
exhibit dynamic bandwidth variability
Avenues for
improvement
Possibility of improving overall bandwidth
utilisation if down-swings in one signals
bandwidth is utilised by another item of sensor
information
Technical implication Dynamic multiplexing at
platform of multiple information streams into
link.
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Arbiter PAD System
B. Sensor signals may be compressed, with
trade-off between imagery QoS and bandwidth
Avenues for
improvement
During transits, platform may not have any ToI
under surveillance, and lower QoS may be
acceptable for one or more sensors
Technical implication Dynamic compression of
imagery to suit circumstance.
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Arbiter PAD System
C. Intelligence analysts at (eg.) IGE might wish
to view the same imagery as a sensor operator
Avenues for
improvement
Technical implication Ground side system avoids
dual dissemination by replicating received stream
D. Intelligence analysts might wish to re-view
imagery already viewed by a sensor operator
Technical implication Ground side system
caching of all received information avoids repeat
dissemination.
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Arbiter PAD System
E. During a loiter over a TOI, insufficient
bandwidth might mean not all sensor looks at
the TOI can be assessed in real time
Avenues for
improvement
At subsequent transit, intelligence analyst might
wish to view the contact imagery that was not
able to be viewed in real time
Technical implication Platform caching of all
sensor information to cater for delayed
transmission, and ground side software to
identify only those portions of imagery not
already received for download.
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Arbiter PAD System
F. During a loiter over a TOI, insufficient
bandwidth to access all sensors at full QoS, but
some at full QoS and others at reduced QoS may be
achieved
Avenues for
improvement
At subsequent transit, intelligence analyst might
wish to view the contact imagery that was not
able to be viewed in real time at full QoS
Technical Implication Potential for bandwidth
efficient interoperable compression schemes
where the full QoS imagery is not retransmitted
in full.
Instead only a complementary data set is
transmitted that upgrades the previously
received, low QoS, primary imagery to full QoS.
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Arbiter PAD System
PAD is a concept that draws on the following
elements
Primary Agile
Dissemination
Decoupling of sensors from communications links
Interoperable dynamic compression of imagery
streams
Dynamic, prioritised multiplexing of streams into
shared communications link
Caching of sensor data at both platform and ground
Ground based management of data accesses, to
avoid duplicate transmission of data.
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Arbiter PAD System
The Arbiter is a software based data switching
system, customisable to manage arbitrary traffic
types
What is the
Arbiter ?
The Arbiter provides tools to create plug-in
software modules that manage specific traffic
types
The Arbiter is the technology of choice for the
rapid development of NCW applications that must
manage QoS of information communicated through
bandwidth limited links
The Arbiter PAD System (APS) is one example of
this type of NCW application built from Arbiter
technology.
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Arbiter PAD System
Scenario
Platform equipped with IR and Optic sensors
Link bandwidth insufficient for both IR and Optic
at full QoS, but can handle 1 stream at full QoS
and 1 stream at partial QoS
IR sensor considered (eg.) to be of higher
intelligence value to mission
Image analyst downloads still shots
Link performance suffers temporary degradation
Image analyst views missing optic data from
loiter not previously (in r-t) viewed in full
resn.
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APS - Scenario
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APS - Scenario
T1 Optics operator requests live imagery
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APS - Scenario
T2 IR operator requests live imagery
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APS - Scenario
T3 Image analyst requests delayed imagery from
interval B
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APS - Scenario
T4 Download of delayed optics completes
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APS - Scenario
T5 Image analyst requests still shot imagery
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APS - Scenario
T6 Available bandwidth drops
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APS - Scenario
T7 Link bandwidth restored
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APS - Scenario
T8 Image analyst requests full resn optics
from interval F
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Arbiter PAD System
The intelligence benefit from unmanned
surveillance platforms is constrained by access
bandwidth
Conclusion
Introduced a variety of avenues through which
bandwidth efficiency may be improved
APS utilises all implied techniques to better
exploit available bandwidth
Use of APS to gain greater surveillance benefit
from available bandwidth highlighted via scenario.
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Arbiter PAD System
Discussion has focussed on the core bandwidth
management challenge, and has not covered
Not covered
Dynamic reassembly of received imagery, and
selectable latency vs. jitter settings.
APS dissemination of non imagery information,
including files, and generic TCP and UDP streams
APS configurability of mission priorities
APS as battlespace communications and information
management hub.
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more on the Web www.cirrusrtps.com.au
Conference paper, powerpoint and imagery files
will be hosted on the news page of our site.
or contact Peter Freed 61-2 9281
4449 Peter.Freed_at_cirrusrtps.com.au