There are 9 Operator DACS processing nodes in the AWACS Communications System. Each of these is responsible for processing audio & control data for 4 operator stations, as shown here.

Each operator station is connected to the rest of the communications network via ASTi's Remote Interface Unit (RIU), the site for analog-to-digital conversion. Information is passed to the operator stations from the DACS processing node via the TDM (Time Division Multiplexed) ring, represented by the dashed red line.

Audio (green arrows) and digital control (orange arrows) data from the operator stations is processed by the DACS and distributed to the DIS and host networks according to the communications environment configuration and host computer instructions.

Audio from an operator in the AWACS simulated communications environment would come in from his/her boom microphone. The RIU converts the analog audio to a digital signal, and passes it to the local DACS node for processing via the TDM ring. That DACS then transfers the digital signal to the Radio DACS processing node over the DIS voice network. The Radio DACS, by way of its internal DSP-based Waveform Synthesizers, converts the digital signal back to analog audio, and passes the transmission through the real-radio interface equipment to be transmitted by the bank of radio equipment into the ether for reception by live assets.

During final on-site installation of the system, the customer ran into difficulties installing a radio remote control device that was meant to send and detect automation control tones as part of the real radio interface. To make matters worse, the equipment was obsolete (ca. 1970s) and the customer didn't have adequate installation documentation or support from the manufacturer.

ASTi made a recommendation to make a simple modification to the existing custom model so that the DACS would perform the remote control functions. The customer made the changes, and within a matter of hours, the remote control portion of the system was up and running.