Array Manifold Management
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Array Manifold Management
1 Description
1.1 The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Intelligence Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD) is seeking feedback on I2WD's standardized array manifold format known as Array Manifold Management (AMM) for use across RF missions, such as electronic warfare (EW), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and radar, and with a particular focus on such RF functions as direction finding (DF) and beamforming. This standardized array manifold information is a small but important part of CERDEC's ongoing efforts towards providing a suite of open architecture standards and implementations. However, it is expected that this standard will be beneficial across many organizations within the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) even when employed outside of an open architecture.
1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Final Solicitation or a promise to issue a Final Solicitation in the future. This notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in responding to this notice; all costs associated with responding to this notice will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future Final Solicitation, if issued. If a Final Solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential responder to monitor the FedBizOpps website (HTTP://WWW.FBO.GOV) for additional information pertaining to this requirement.
2 Background
The U.S. Army CERDEC has developed a specification for the standardization of array manifold information and data management. The objective of the AMM specification is to standardize the format of both the descriptive information and manifold calibration details for advanced arrays. This is an essential component in enabling multiple processing resources to co-use an advanced radio frequency (RF) array implementation. These processing resources might be supporting a single RF mission or multiple RF missions and could be operating simultaneously or sequentially. Sharing, or co-use, of these advanced arrays is instrumental in minimizing the RF footprint on the platform and in allowing multiple RF missions from a single node.
AMM specifies the organization, content, definition, and format for standardized files that will inform potential users of an array's configuration and calibration information. The AMM specification provides a format for a standardized file set which can be used as a required deliverable for program managers to ensure that usable manifold information and data is retained for use by third-parties leveraging the array and for re-use in future capability drops.
3 Motivations for Array Manifold Management
AMM will establish the first standard to consistently communicate and maintain the detailed configuration information as well as calibration factors and data model associated with a specific complex array manifold. These manifolds support advanced receive and transmit processing in RF missions such as DF and beamforming. The functionality required in a variety of RF missions today rely upon DF and beamforming processes with a significantly increased reliance expected in future requirements.
Programs that utilize advanced array manifolds have long experienced tremendous operating costs for compiling and maintaining advanced array calibrations. In many cases, calibrations have been collected with vendor specific processes and stored in vendor format files. Limited access to these files, as well as a lack of understanding of the files, makes it hard for other vendors to share these array manifolds. AMM will resolve this while still allowing vendors to use unique and proprietary signal processing methods against standardized AMM files.
As systems move towards more open architectures with software-defined applications and processing, these computational engines become more portable across different systems and platforms. To enable such architectures, the information and data stored in AMM must be kept distinct from the processing and must be written, stored, and read in a common and predictable format.
The collection of calibration data is an expensive process which is often unnecessarily repeated due to the lack of a standardized manifold calibration data format. Additionally, the lack of a standard is preventing the use of different processing solutions on a given collection platform to determine the best process for the mission. As an example, each DF engine provider stores the array manifold data in a proprietary format, preventing other vendors from using the array calibration data. To overcome this limitation, a Government-defined standard is required.
Spatial calibration data stores RF magnitude and phase information in a matrix of IQ data samples by element with dimensions of frequency, polarization, elevation, and azimuth. Raw data is collected and refined externally to the array manifold and is typically collected on the platform. The spatial data takes into account three (3) types of data considered static for installation of the array - the variability of the antenna elements' gain patterns, location on the platform of each antenna element, and the lengths of the cables from the antennas to any RF distribution (RFD) unit where a compensation signal may be injected. Calibration is conducted and the resulting data is stored in a single file. If the data has had factors applied to it, the factors are indicated and separately listed so they may be backed-out, if necessary.
Array configuration information is static data which defines where the antennas are located on the platform, array and element identification, antenna characteristics, and other parameters that may be needed by applications to support their algorithms.
N-channel compensation data covers the RF path from the compensation injection point to the digitization of the RF. Typically, there are active components within RFD devices and tuners that change their phase and amplitude characteristics over time and temperature, such as low noise amplifiers (LNAs). By injecting a known signal into the RF path at the front of the RFD and measuring the changes on each of the channels, additional information is collected which can be used to remove the artifacts that the active components create. This data is updated either automatically by the system or by operator request. The standard defines how the compensation data is to be stored and accessed, allowing multiple applications to use the compensation data without each having to conduct a separate compensation activity.
4 Requested Information
The primary purpose of this RFI is to get feedback on the AMM specification in support of CERDEC's open architecture initiatives. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1. Completeness (definitions and clarity) of the specification insofar as it provides the required data needed to use both simple and complex RF computational engine types.
2. Resolution of the parameters and fields within the specification to support calculations utilizing the array manifold information and any effect to computational accuracy due to resolution or interpolation limitations.
3. Computational burdens to process and/or down-convert high resolution array manifold information for custom RF processing engines (e.g., DF (closed and correlative) and beamforming algorithms) and any degradation in speed and/or throughput.
5 Obtaining a copy of the Array Manifold Management Specification
The AMM specification is unclassified but is limited in distribution to Government agencies and their contractors (Distribution C). To obtain a copy of the document, it will be necessary for any qualified requester to validate eligibility. To accomplish this, the requester shall gain access to the Defense Intelligence Information Enterprise (DI2E) website (https://www.di2e.net). Once access is granted, the document can be downloaded from the MORA Confluence portion of the website. The AMM Specification is listed under "Space shortcuts" on the sidebar.
6 Responses
Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a written response as described below. All responses pertaining to this RFI shall be submitted no later than 09 OCT, 2018, 05:00 PM EDT (60 days from release date) to usarmy.apg.rdecom-cerdec.mbx.i2wd-amm-spec-rfi@mail.mil. White papers shall be limited to 15 pages (in Section 2) and should be in MS Office or Adobe PDF formats. E-mail messages shall be less than 10 MB in size. If larger files are submitted, they must be broken into separate e-mail messages. Reference "AMM RFI" in the e-mail subject. All communications SHALL be submitted ONLY in writing AND directly to the email address identified. Contractors shall not contact any other Government personnel other than the person identified above.
Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. If any responder does not currently have a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) that would permit the CERDEC I2WD support contractors and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) listed below to review and evaluate white papers submitted in response to this RFI, the responder is requested to sign NDAs with these CERDEC I2WD support contractors for this purpose. The following is a list of support contractor companies and UARCs who may review the responses:
• Aspen Consulting Group
• The Applied Research Lab at Pennsylvania State University (ARL/PSU)
Section 1 of the written response shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum:
• Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact
• Past experience with the design and development of advanced antenna arrays, DF algorithms, beamforming algorithms, and calibration
• Copies of executed NDAs with the contractors and UARCs supporting CERDEC I2WD technical evaluations (the Government will assume that the responder agrees to the release of its submission to support contractor companies and UARCs if no NDAs are provided)
The number of pages in Section 1 of the written response shall not be included in the 15-page limitation, i.e., the 15-page limitation applies only to Section 2 of the written response.
Section 2 of the written response shall provide comments on the specific feedback by section number of the AMM specification and shall be limited to 15 pages.
7 Industry Discussions
CERDEC I2WD representatives may or may not choose to meet with responders. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification regarding their responses.
8 Questions
Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to usarmy.apg.rdecom-cerdec.mbx.i2wd-amm-spec-rfi@mail.mil. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted.
If a potential responder's question relates to a proprietary aspect of its response and the question would expose proprietary information if disclosed to other potential responders, the responder may submit the question via email to usarmy.apg.rdecom-cerdec.mbx.i2wd-amm-spec-rfi@mail.mil conspicuously marking it as "PROPRIETARY". With the question, the responder must submit a statement explaining why the question is sensitive. If it is deemed by the Government that disclosure of the question or answer would expose proprietary information, the question will be answered, and both the question and answer will be kept in confidence. If the Government does not concur regarding the proprietary nature of the question, the responder will be notified and given the option to withdraw their question or allow it to be publically answered via FedBizOpps.
9 Summary
THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that can provide information pertaining to CERDEC's Array Manifold Management Specification. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The U.S Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Only U.S. citizens may submit written responses; no submissions from Foreign Nationals will be accepted.
Maurice P. Hinkson, Contract Specialist, Phone 4438614682, Email maurice.p.hinkson.civ@mail.mil - Nicolas A. Martin, Contracting Officer, Phone 4438614681, Email nicolas.a.martin2.civ@mail.mil
