Adaptive HF radio performance evaluation using automated instrumentation

The Federal Standard 1045 and companion Military Standard 188-141A, defining a new automatic link establishment (ALE) technique for communications with HF radios, prompted the US Government to provide a testing service to determine performance and interoperability of different implementations of radios and controllers. The authors describe the automation of instrumentation and a Watterson model simulator utilized in the measurement of adaptive HF radio performance parameters. Attention is given to performance testing objectives, testing techniques, and data processing and analysis. The software system developed and refined in the months following the initial testing in 1990 has provided the government with an excellent portable tool for rapid measurement of the ALE controller/radio performance and interoperability assessment