Relay Signal Combination to Improve Long Range Communication with Multiple Relays

Abstract

This report documents a long-range communications technique involving a single transmitter, multiple redundant relays, and baseband signal-combining at the receiver. In this approach, the transmitter broadcasts to a cluster of inexpensive, airborne relays which re-broadcast the same signal on different frequencies. Distant receivers combine multiple weak signals and time-align them to improve the overall channel bit error rate. This research show that the robustness of a beyond line of sight communications link can be improved without relying on satellites, piloted aircraft, or expensive drones by leveraging multiple relays with minor enhancements to existing radio systems by improving their receiver capabilities.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 07, 2018
Accession Number
AD1059479

Entities

People

  • Aaron E. Cohen
  • David A. Heide
  • Thomas M. Moran

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Airborne
  • Aircrafts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Bandwidth
  • Communication Equipment
  • Communication Systems
  • Communications Techniques
  • Department Of Defense
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Division Multiple Access
  • Governments
  • High Altitude
  • Information Operations
  • Instructions
  • Line Of Sight
  • Measurement
  • Military Communications
  • Military Research
  • Mobile Phones
  • Monitoring
  • Multiple Access
  • National Governments
  • Power Levels
  • Radio Equipment
  • Simulations
  • Standards
  • Transmitters
  • Urban Areas
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Radio communications and signal processing.
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Space