Feb 03, 2012 – ASTi recently fielded upgrades to Radio-IP Bridge communications systems that support a network connecting several United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) bases. The product upgrades enable USAFE staff to use a web interface to remotely monitor and control military air-ground radios that are dispersed across Europe. The fielding work was performed by ASTi engineering staff at the USAFE Warrior Preparation Center (WPC) in Einsiedlerhof, Germany. ASTi provided a complete fielding services package, including: remote radio control kit installation, validation testing between live radios and networked ASTi Radio-IP Bridge systems and training courses for technical and operational staff.

The WPC depends on ASTi products to provide the core radio-over-IP capability for the program known as the USAFE Remote Radio Network (URNN). The URRN is a critical component of the WPC's training programs for front line combat jobs, including Tactical Air Control Party Specialists (TACPs) and Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs). ASTi Radio-IP Bridges connected to the URRN integrate voice communications between combat aircraft flying over Germany, Italy, England and Belgium with virtual and constructive simulators located across Europe and the United States.

This live-virtual linkage realizes a host of benefits for the Air Force:

• Seamless radio communications coverage between live aircraft and ground assets and networked simulator-based training facilities.
• Conservation of live radio usage: any number of training center operators can share common access to radio assets through network connections. For example, traffic from a single ground-based radio in Belgium can be accessed by scores of airmen and soldiers using ASTi Voisus Thin Client networked voice applications running on their computers.
• The addition of ASTi remote radio control allows system administrators to use a web interface to reach across the network to a distant facilities and adjust radio settings, including: channel preset, frequency, AM/FM, squelch, power, and security modes. They can also monitor radios across the network to check: front panel settings, received signal strength, internal health reports, radio software version, and installed options.
• This powerful remote management capability allows the Air Force to operate and monitor radios and quickly diagnose communications issues using minimal, centrally-located staff.

ASTi has provided networked voice solutions to the WPC since 2006.

More information about ASTi Radio-IP Bridge and Remote Radio Control.

More information about the USAFE Warrior Preparation Center.

More information about Tactical Air Control Party specialists.

Feb 01, 2012 – ASTi's Voisus Thin Client product now incorporates Auto Radio Tuning, an innovation that enables operators to instantaneously establish voice communications with any simulated radio on the network, simply by clicking in a realtime list of "who's online".

Auto Radio Tuning replaces the traditional manual tuning method, where operators were required to have prior, detailed knowledge of radio settings (frequency, AM or FM, crypto and frequency hop fills) in order to tune their radios. It also eliminates the work needed to preconfigure radios by filling them with pre-planned, coordinated settings prior to use. Users can now use the Auto Radio Tuning feature on-the-fly to discover other networked radios and tune in with one click. This is a critical enhancement for operators like training event directors or system administrators who need to quickly establish impromptu voice comms.

Operation is straightforward: Operators simply use Voisus Thin Client software to access a list of active radios on the network, and then click on the radio with which they wish to communicate. Auto Radio Tuning uses the selected radio's settings to automatically configure the operator's local radio. In a fraction of a second, the operator is in-tune with the remote radio, and ready to communicate.

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Voisus Thin Client is a modular, ready-to-deploy networked voice communication product which incorporates simulated radio, intercom and direct and conference calling features that fill critical communications requirements for military, civil and commercial users. Contact ASTi for more information.

Jan 12, 2012 – ASTi recently completed a full sound system update to meet FAA FAR Part 60 regulations on a Boeing Next-Generation 737 full flight simulator for a leading flight training services provider. The project's aggressive schedule ensured the simulator attained Level D and Ready for Training (RFT) certification merely 8 weeks following ASTi's receipt of the request for proposal. ASTi's ability to meet such an ambitious deadline is testament to the responsiveness and adeptness of its engineering and production departments.

During recommissioning of the previously-idle simulator, engineers discovered that its 90s-era sound system failed to meet current FAA Sound Qualification Test Guide (QTG) criteria. ASTi worked closely with the on-site engineering team to replace the substandard equipment with ASTi's Telestra 4 development software and integrated Level D toolset. ASTi's previous experience designing Level D audio systems for the NG737 airframe expedited host ICD development and implementation. The contractor's engineering team in Miami, FL replaced all of the simulator's original speakers with high-performance speakers to ASTi's specification.

ASTi engineers traveled to Miami to perform final system integration and tuning over a period of only three days. The sound QTG was re-run with the FAA during simulator certification testing, and all resultant sound pressure level plots fell within the +/-5dB tolerance prescribed by the regulations.

While this schedule was exceptional, this project demonstrates the flexibility of ASTi's Telestra 4 toolset—specifically, those elements targeted at Level D performance—the experience of the ASTi engineering team, and the cohesive nature of the ASTi organization.