1. Glenn Weathers, Applied Data Trends, Inc.
Radio Frequency Propagation Modeling in the Luciad GIS Based Terrain Analysis System (TAS) Supporting Mission Planning and Force Operations
Glenn Weathers, Applied Data Trends, Inc.
Brad Smith, SAIC
Harold Fears, COLSA
November 15, 2011

2. Contents Overview of the ADT Terrain Analysis System (TAS)
Military value of functionality provided by TAS
The TAS RF Propagation Analysis service in more detail
Including a RF propagation analysis, testing, and validation tool implemented in Mathcad
Current status of TAS
Future development plans for TAS

3. Overview
Product software was written in Java and operating in the Luciad commercial GIS environment
A TAS C++ version runs with ESRI GIS
What was the primary advantages of basing the TAS upon the Luciad commercial GIS?
Ease and speed with which information can be presented
Copes with large data sets and can cover large study areas
Includes means to conveniently select any sub-study area
Copes with unlimited and frequent edits and changes
Robust, stable, and resistant to data loss
Fast and efficient execution
Productive development environment
         *      

4. Overview
What was the primary disadvantage of basing the TAS upon the Luciad commercial GIS?
Diagnostic algorithms based upon a "step" size that had the potential of "skipping" terrain features if set too large.
Why was Luciad selected as the GIS to be the basis of TAS?
Luciad was easier to integrate into the objective services oriented overarching architecture per software architects
What is the operating system under which the TAS executes?
UNIX (Linux) but a port to Windows would be straightforward

5. Overview What is the software development environment?
Eclipse IDE (Integrated Development Environment) with calls to the Luciad libraries.   Luciad was used to:
Read data
Manipulate geometry
Generate line of sight between geometries
Contour generation
TAS Can process feature data in Oracle, DB2 and ESRI shape files.
TAS leverages support for "complex query" capability like "select all cropland features with a slope < 5%“
Does the GIS vendor provide support during development?
The Luciad software package and documentation was an easy to understand and use and Luciad provides good support

6. Military Value of TAS RF Attenuation Analysis
Planning command post or communications relay position
Support RF communications with ground or air platforms or with dismounted troops
Planning ground or air maneuver routes
platforms on these routes have RF communications support with one or more fixed locations.

7. Military Value of TAS Viewshed
Planning the location of forward observer sites
Planning the routes of UAVs equipped with electro-optical sensors

8. Military Value of TAS LOS
Planning ground maneuvers to avoid LOS with known enemy positions
Planning direct-fire missions

9. Military Value of TAS Discernability
Planning operations with specific criterion involving feature data, for example, finding a road with no line-of-sight to a specific enemy position
Planning command post or platform positions where a building partially blocks expected enemy RF communications jamming
Planning a UAV electro-optical sensor mission that will have LOS to several transportation features (roads) possibly in use by the enemy.

10. Military Value of TAS Elevation Service
Generate elevation profile for a point, line or area for planning deployment of assets
Determine slope and aspect at a point to plan to meet deployment constraints
Determine minimum and maximum elevations within an area to search for potential observer deployment points

11. Military Value of TAS Intersections
Calculate where a flight path trajectory will intersect terrain and/or terrain features such as buildings to aide in flight planning
Returns vector information for each intersecting segment.
geometry
Feature information

12. Military Value of TAS Region of Influence
Used to generate a buffer zone around a given feature in the terrain
Example: buffer zone around a linear feature

13. Military Value of TAS Traversability
Find limiting factors to vehicle movement along a route to aide in maneuver planning

14. TAS Support of Critical Military Operations Planning Functions
TAS provides functionality to other planners
RF Propagation/Attenuation Modeling
Communications Network planning
Sensor planning
Force Protection planning
LOS/Viewshed
Course of Action planning
Force Protection Planning
Discernability
Maneuver planning

15. TAS Support of Critical Planning Functions
Intersections
Mission planning
Maneuver planning
Region of Influence
Course of Action planning
Fires and Effects Planning
Transversability

16. TAS: RF Propagation Analysis
Requirement to calculate attenuation from Site 1 to all possible locations of Site 2 in a map area.
Deliverable product written in Java and operating in the Luciad GIS environment
System Engineering efforts used Mathcad as a means of generating “Executable Specifications”:
Support testing of the mathematical models and algorithms
Verify Java/Luciad implementation by comparison of results

17. RF Propagation Models Sky Wave Ground Wave Vegetation attenuation
Direct path
Reflection path
Atmospheric refraction
Atmospheric absorption
Ground Wave
Diffraction path
Terrain blockage
Structure blockage
Vegetation attenuation
Weather attenuation

18. Area of South Korea Used for Test and Analysis

19. Terrain View: Color Coded Elevation
1200 arc-second By
(Approximately
40 KM by 40 KM)
Centered on
36 degrees 40 Minutes North Latitude and 126 Degrees 40 Minutes East Longitude
(An area of South Korea)
Terrain resolution: 12 arc second samples
Example:
Site 1 Radio location is the center of the map indicated by the intersection of the two white lines

20. Test Area 3-D Terrain View

21. Typical Mathcad Based Tool Results
RF Attenuation
Contours in dB
Antenna H1 = 10 m
Antenna H2 = 2 m
Frequency = 400 MHz

22. Mathcad Attenuation Versus Frequency Animation
Sweep Frequency from 20 MHz to
2 GHz: Attenuation with One Contour at
177 dB Threshold Level (defines “no-go” areas)
Click in Graphic

23. Mathcad Animation of Moving Transmitter
Click in Graphic

24. TAS: Current Status
Functionality implemented via TAS and currently available through the TAS I/O Kit.
RF Attenuation
LOS/Viewshed
Discernability
Functionality implemented in TAS but to become available through the TAS I/O kit.
Elevations
Intersections
Altitudes
Region of influence
Transversability
Feature Attribute

25. Planned TAS Enhancements
Automated assistance in placement of communications terminals and sensors
Suggest best locations to the warfighter based upon RF propagation, LOS/Viewshed, and using Discernability for best relationship to GIS feature data such as transportation features
Include acoustic propagation modeling to support automated acoustic sensor placement
Enhance RF propagation modeling to better support electronic warfare planning

26. Planned TAS Enhancements
 Add weather effects for
Viewshed/LOS
 Add solar/lunar shading capabilities
 Add a smart “trade-off” algorithm controlling geospatial sampling step size to make sure all buildings are considered while controlling memory use and run-time. 
Viewshed
RF Propagation            

27. Questions