Integration of Independently Designed Military Communication Systems

The existence of many special purpose military communication systems will be pointed out, and the efficiency resulting from integrating these separate systems is discussed, as against the technical complexities involved in modifying them for interconnection. The various degrees of integration is considered, from maintaining separate channels on shared-baseband systems to complete interconnection facilities among the end instruments or input-output devices of the systems concerned. The constraints on switching arrangements dictated by minimum over-all transmission quality are considered, particularly as they affect alternative routing. Also examined is the practicality of reducing these constraints by limiting certain end-instrument stations to access to a limited number of other stations in the many cases in which such end-instrument stations have no occasion to be connected to more than a very limited group of other stations. Automatic interconnection between systems having different numbering plans presents problems which are not always easily solved. The solution by the establishment of a common over-all numbering plan might require small systems with short messages to use too large a precentage of circuit time in establishing a connection. Considerations involved in integrating voice and data systems are discussed, as well as considerations in combining message-switching and line-switching systems. Finally, the importance of definitely established quantitative standards in integrating systems is emphasized, and various activities involved in the establishment of such standards are reviewed.