The use of MIL-STD-188-141A in HF data networks

HF data communication has become more reliable and user friendly with the advent of first-generation HF automatic link establishment (ALE) equipment. The newly released MIL-STD-188-141A established a more robust, flexible, and interoperable ALE protocol, and resulted in a second generation of ALE equipment. With the addition of a supervisory network controller to the ALE equipment, advanced networking capabilities can be fully automated. The authors examine a typical HF network node; communication responsibilities are allocated between the MIL-STD-188-141A ALE equipment and a supervisory network controller. MIL-STD-188-141A can furnish the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) physical and data link layers for more sophisticated networking communication nodes. The real-world implementation of the two lowest OSI layers is found in ALE systems such as the RF-7200 Autolink II. The higher OSI layer can be implemented in a network controller, such as a personal computer