Cobham Technical Services has considerable experience and capability in secure wireless networks at both system and component level. This includes the design of custom solutions, as well as the integration of off-the-shelf products.
Recent developments include:
- ad-hoc personal role radio networks operating in the 2.4 GHz licence-free band for use in battlefield communications
- custom antennas for a millimetre-wave “last-mile” mesh network
- wireless control link in aircraft based on the Zigbee protocol
- novel smart antennas for use in short-range high data-rate UWB communication networks
- low-cost short-range video links for use in industrial applications
- high-efficiency power amplifiers for use with complex digital modulation schemes
Cobham is at the forefront of software defined radio (SDR) and is coordinating advanced research into this technology across an extensive range of product and application areas. By exploiting common hardware platforms, open standards architecture and modular software, we are able to reduce development schedules and as a result our SDR technology is being integrated into a range of platforms and systems.
A number of novel ad-hoc network protocols have been exploited in handheld radios for the defence and first response sector. Leading-edge research has enabled us to develop a system offering the flexibility to dynamically tailor network parameters (including data rates), which allows a network of radios to split into sub-nets. A group of users may break apart and re-establish communications seamlessly when they come back into range.
The system is configured to support both voice and data communications, and to transmit GPS signals to provide situational awareness or tracking requirements. Power efficiency has been optimized to maximise battery life and current research is focused on extremely low power configurations that can be used to network distributed sensors.