1. Advanced Digital Modes: Winlink 2000 & Automatic Link Establishment Ken Heitner AFA3PB / AFD3AL NE Division Conference September 2013

2. Why Digital Messaging? Allows Emergency Traffic to be Handled Quickly and Automatically Works with Existing E-mail Systems when They are Available Uses Available Internet Resources Messaging Mode is Familiar to Most Users Can Effectively Utilize Available HF Channels

3. Winlink 2000 – Winmor How Does It Work? Goal is Low Cost with Robust Performance Uses Standard Personal Computer components: –Soundcards, and –USB or Serial (COM) Ports All Critical Features are Built into a Virtual Terminal Mode Controller (as software) Software Can Also Control the Frequency Setting of the HF Radio Being Used

4. Winlink 2000 – Winmor Virtual Terminal Node Controller Handles: Digital Modulation & Demodulation Automatic Retry Requests (ARQ) Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Forward Error Correction (FEC), and Radio Tuning & Soundcard Time Base Errors PC Sets Radio Frequency for Best Link to Target Station

5. Winlink 2000 – Winmor And the Bottom Line Is: Most Critical Functions of Digital Message Transfer are Handled in Software Operator Sets: –Radio mode (and maybe frequency) –Transmit power levels (for radio & amp), and –Choice of initial operating bandwidth Most Soundcards Seem to Work Acceptably Local and System Software Automatically Route Message to the Addressee

6. WinLink 2000 - Winmor Network is for All MARS

7. Automatic Link Establishment ALE is Based on a Network of HF Radios Using the Same Channels & Parameters AF & Navy MC MARS has 10 Channels 2 – 28 MHz for its ALE Network Army MARS has Separate ALE Network Each ALE Station Scans All Channels for Soundings to Build Link Quality Analysis (LQA) Each Station Sends One Sounding per Hour on Each Channel to Establish Link Quality LQA is Used to Choose Best Channel for Next Link Automatically

8. Automatic Link Establishment 2 When a Link is Needed for Voice or Data Communications are Automatically Established on the Best LQA HF Channel Equipment Requirements: –Controllable HF Transceiver (CAT Protocol) –Fast (1 GHz+) Pentium Computer (Win XP) –Wide Dynamic Range Soundcard (16-24 Bits) –Soundcard: Stable Timebase & Low Jitter –Wide Band Antenna or Fast Antenna Tuner

9. ALE MIL-STD 141-110A Data Modem Terminal

10. ALE MIL-STD 141-110A Data Modem Terminal 2 M110A DMT Operates Either Independently or With ALE in Follow On Mode In Receive: M110A DMT provide Autobaud for Data Rate and Interleave Autobaud Eliminates Need to Agree on Settings Before Transmission In Transmit: Operator Sets Data Rates and Interleave Based on Experience

11. Automatic Link Establishment 3

12. For Additional Information Contact Ken AFD3AL kenheitner@hotmail.com kenheitner@hotmail.com –E-mail to: kenheitner@hotmail.comkenheitner@hotmail.com –WL2K Message to: AFA3PB AFA3PB@AFE3MC AFA3PB@AFE3MC –TPN Message to: AFA3PB@AFE3MCAFA3PB@AFE3MC –Phone: 703-538-4747 Join The Digital Revolution in MARS Today !!! You Might Just Learn Something New !!