Rapid prototyping and test of a C4ISR Ku-band antenna pointing and stabilization system for communications on-the-move

A key requirement of the Army's future combat system (FCS) is that of wideband communication-on-the-move (COTM) while traversing rough, off-road terrain at moderate speed. This capability was recently demonstrated during COTM exercises involving the C4ISR Ku transmission subsystem operating on a HMMWV and communicating with an airborne vehicle. This paper provides an overview of this data link's functional architecture with emphasis given to the design, implementation, and test of the pointing and stabilization subsystem. Development cost and schedule advantages realized by using a model-based design approach for realization and test of the embedded control software are described. The performance of the stabilization system on MIT's 6DOF motion table is provided, and the end-to-end operation of the entire communication link on-the-move at Lakehurst NJ on a HMMWV while receiving live data from an airborne target is discussed.