Tove RF data connection.
Tove is the first in a family of RF data communication systems for ISR, with the potential to install UGV and USV, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.
Enterprise Management Systems (ECS) will present a certified DO-160 and a reduced form factor RF data connection to control autonomous platforms in DSEI, company officials confirmed.
Speaking with Shepard Prior to the London show on September 14-17, ECS staff described how the “small, light and low power” Tove RF data link was designed to use Tier 2 and Tier 3 drones, as well as UGV and USV.
According to ECS Business Development Director Jackson White, Tove is the first in a family of low-profile and lightweight form factor data links capable of supporting ISR missions in the air, sea or on land in “extreme ranges” up to 100 km.
Featuring HDSDI, CVBS, USB and Ethernet inputs, Tove is compatible with old and future solutions for ISR sensors, added White, before confirming that the data connection is currently at level 7.
Tove ‘benefits from software defined radio technology “, he explained, which allows the maintenance of a stable long-distance connection with fast reconnection. It also allows seamless integration with ECS’s existing terrestrial receiver infrastructure. “
Tove weighs only 190g and measures 110x75x17mm (length x width x height). Requiring 17-21W power supply, the solution provides UAV with data rates up to 21Mbps.
The payload is also available with options for 5 / 10W power amplifiers, a ground data terminal, a manual receiver and a key filling device.
White said that Tove can be delivered to customers with its own encryption and management systems to meet the requirements for sovereignty and security of end-user data, adding: “Tove has been developed in response to the opportunities offered by emerging markets. UAV, UGV and USV. These platforms represent significant cost, time and opportunity benefits compared to the deployment of high value platforms for fixed and rotating wings to perform the same task. “
According to White, the high-resolution, low-latency video encoder optimizes compression, reduces channel bandwidth, and increases spectral efficiency. The solution also includes GPS and telemetry data for the location information of fixed or mobile receiving stations.
ECS has a client to launch Tove, although White has failed to verify his identity. However, he added that ECS is in talks with a number of OEMs to integrate Tove on board fixed and rotating drones by the end of 2021.
Subsequent variants in the Tove family will include an “asymmetric variant” capable of two-way communication. White said: “In principle, this will give them a similar ability to a mesh network. We look at this as the second member of the family and then look at the new coding methods and modulations for the third member of the mini data link family, ”he said before confirming the spread over the next two to three years.
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