Modular Electronic Warfare Simulation System Based on NI PXI Platform

challenge:

Design and deploy flexible, scalable, modular electronic warfare simulation systems using the latest commercial off-the-shelf technologies.

Solution:

Using multiple PXI systems and arbitrary waveform generators, T-Clock technology can be used to accurately synchronize and coordinate pulse signals, frequency signals, and scan modulation waveforms to generate complex signal waveforms. This can meet the needs of comprehensive functional testing of military electronic systems in a workstation based on a remote network architecture.

“The NI PXI platform is the perfect solution that combines small size, modularity, and precise synchronization performance.”

War on the Electromagnetic Spectrum

In recent decades, the battlefields of war have expanded beyond land, sea or air to include electronic warfare. Today, the military uses the electromagnetic spectrum for a variety of tactical purposes. The electromagnetic spectrum has been developed as a medium for detecting and monitoring potential enemy forces, for guiding and controlling military aircraft and missiles, and for general communications between military units. As a result, electronic warfare equipment has a wide and deep application in today's military strategy.

Electronic warfare equipment is vital to a country's defense, but it is very expensive and complex. Therefore, electronic warfare simulators are often used for equipment training and weapon verification testing to avoid the cost of using real equipment. For example, it is much more cost-effective to test electronic warfare equipment in a simulator than in an actual aircraft.

Electronic warfare simulation system

KOR Electronics has designed an electronic warfare simulation system for military use that generates real-time dynamic RF signals to replicate the spectral characteristics of targets on a real battlefield.

To achieve these simulation goals, the system needs to generate multiple time-varying RF pulse signals. In the past, this system has been implemented using custom hardware, but the system is not flexible and almost no modifications can be made.

However, the form of modern warfare is changing rapidly. Through numerous technological improvements, radar systems have achieved tremendous performance improvements, and these improvements have even led to radar system hardware and software being updated every day.

In addition, the life cycle cost of custom hardware is also a long-standing problem for the military. Its high maintenance costs have caused great trouble to customers, and once the custom platform becomes obsolete, it will cause serious problems.

Reducing the life cycle cost of military equipment

In order to meet the requirements of the military and reduce the life cycle cost of equipment, KOR Electronics applied COTS technology to develop an electronic warfare simulator system. In the process of preparing for this solution, KOR Electronics engineers came into contact with NI's product platform based on modular instruments and PXI bus. This small, modular and precisely synchronized platform provided a perfect solution.

Because the PXI platform is based on standard PC technology, Microsoft Windows systems, and NI's advanced driver APIs (NI-FGEN and NI-Sync) to generate precise synchronized waveforms, KOR can develop software faster and simulate signal environments. KOR Electronics saves a lot of time and cost by not having to design and debug custom hardware. KOR Electronics uses a standard upconverter (produced by Elcom Technologies) controlled by an NI PXI-5421 arbitrary waveform generator to generate signals up to 18 GHz.

The new modular system is highly expandable and can be modified at any time, so users can perform comprehensive functional tests on the radar system. The military has been using these systems for several years without any problems.

KOR Electronics provides unique solutions and services to help users expand their development capabilities in the signal and digital RF fields.