Implementing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies into a navy tactical display communication system

The communication interface between the computers and the displays for navy tactical systems has used Navy unique hardware and data transmission protocols. These unique hardware and software protocols limited the ability of these systems to support improved transmission capabilities such as multicast. In addition certain new capabilities such as multiple radar displays and the use of graphical displays of maps were not possible. As part of the LHA Amphibious Assault Ship (General-Purpose) Display Upgrade program, the communication interface between the computers and the displays was changed to use a commercial local area network (LAN) protocol. To enhance the data communication interface, the use of reliable unicast and reliable multicast were added. In addition, the display hardware was changed to use commercial off the shelf (COTS) Unix workstations with LAN interfaces. These new Unix workstations would use emulation software to provide the existing capabilities of the standard tactical displays while allowing the implementation of the new capabilities such as graphical color maps. To minimize the changes to the operational software being development for the tactical computer, it was required that the display interface implemented within the tactical computer software not change from the previous version. This required the development of a new unit, one that would convert the existing display interface protocols that were transmitted from the tactical computer to the LAN protocols that were being used by the displays. In addition, a LAN interface card was developed that provided both unicast and multicast transmission protocols along with the LAN interface protocol. The architecture of the new display system along with the definition of the commercial protocols is described. The ability of commercial products in this application to support tactical data requirements is reviewed in terms of the issues raised such as testing and logistics supportability.