Easy-to-mount L-Band unit offers affordable, extended coverage networking in remote areas

NEW YORK, New York—Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today the release an L-Band Integrated Sector Antenna, designed to support high-bandwidth network users on forward operating bases, test ranges, and other remote or sprawling military sites.

The L-Band Integrated Sector Antenna, a part of the Integrated Antenna Series line of products, directly incorporates the same highly scalable Wave Relay® mobile ad hoc network (MANET) as Persistent’s MPU5 tactical networking device. It encapsulates a 10W L-Band RF module within a 12 dBi sector antenna to provide 90° beam width of unprecedented range and performance. With the MPU5, military operators can share voice, video, text, location, and sensor data while on the move.

“The L-Band sector antenna, working in conjunction with a fixed directional antenna, as part of our Integrated Antenna Series, extends the reach of these MPU5 users,” said Louis Sutherland, VP of Business Development at Persistent Systems, “so they can connect all the way back to the enterprise network.”

This gives users access to additional sensors and software, making operators more effective in the field.

The weather-protected L-Band sector antenna can be mounted on a pole, tower or building and can blanket large areas. The combination of the antenna and the network in one device, plus a simple mounting bracket and single cable for power and data, makes it extremely fast and easy to deploy.

Sutherland expects the full range of the Integrated Antenna Series to be a game-changer. “When covering hundreds of miles, speed and simplicity of installation become the limiting factor. These antennas were purpose-built to reduce this time, cost, and complexity,” he said.

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NEW YORK, N.Y. –  Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today the introduction of the Auto-Tracking Antenna System, the new portable ground-to-air antenna that operates on the Wave Relay® mobile ad hoc network (MANET). Designed to incorporate aircraft into the MANET, the Auto-Tracking Antenna System is a complete, easy-to-assemble system, built to match the performance standards users have come to expect from Persistent.

“The Auto-Tracking Antenna System represents a major step towards achieving the vision of a truly networked battlefield,” said Herb Rubens, CEO of Persistent Systems. “The tracking antenna rotates to follow air assets, keeping them connected to the MANET. The air platforms orbit over our users on the ground, extending the MANET bubble and keeping soldiers connected to the enterprise. High throughput, low latency connectivity empowers the warfighter and decreases the dependence on SATCOM, which both reduces cost and increases network availability.”

Designed for ease-of-use, quick assembly, and portability, the Auto-Tracking Antenna System can be assembled and deployed in less than 15 minutes. The portable and lightweight design is completely collapsible, with the main five-foot parabolic dish breaking down into eight individual petals. The entire system fits into most standard-sized SUVs for easy transport and compact storage.

Mimicking the MPU5’s modular RF structure, the Auto-Tracking Antenna System has interchangeable S-Band, L-Band, and C-Band MIMO feeds that allow it to cover all frequencies where Persistent’s five radio modules operate. The antenna feeds twist-lock into place for quick and simple installation. An Automatic Heading System enables the tracking antenna to self-calibrate prior to operation for greater precision and less than one-degree pointing accuracy.

“Our customers require a system that is simple to put together, turn on, and works,” said Louis Sutherland, Vice President of Business Development at Persistent Systems, LLC. “They want to extend the Wave Relay® MANET out to aircraft and achieve high data-rates and reliable HD video transmission. The Auto-Tracking Antenna System truly delivers.” The large parabolic dish enables video streaming out to distances of 130 miles (over 200km) while maintaining high throughput and strong signal strength.

Combining the precisely aimed tracking system with the MPU5 radio and Wave Relay® MANET achieves optimal connectivity and reliable communications for manned and unmanned aircraft to communicate further than ever before.  The antenna is IP67 rated and built to endure harsh environments and weather, so it can be setup and left out for as long as the mission requires.

Persistent is now accepting orders for the Auto-Tracking Antenna System.

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NEW YORK, N.Y.— Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today that it has released new 10W versions of its S-Band and L-Band RF modules. The new RF modules leverage cutting edge advancements in power amplifier technology, delivering increased output power and greater power efficiency. The RF modules also implement a more advanced RF filtering architecture providing increased noise immunity in congested and contested RF environments.

“We have taken everything we have learned and every new advancement in power amplifier and filtering technology and completely redesigned our S-Band and L-Band RF modules. Our customers value every bit of range and performance, and these modules truly deliver,” said Eric Stern, Director of Engineering at Persistent.

Solid state radio technology is improving at an unprecedented pace with every new advancement in the commercial wireless world. Persistent specifically designed the MPU5 architecture to be modular and upgradable, so that customers can take advantage of these advancements without needing to purchase a whole new system. The new 10W RF modules represent the first RF module upgrades to the MPU5 system.

For a limited time, Persistent is enabling customers to trade in their existing S-Band and L-Band RF modules and purchase new 10W versions at a significantly reduced cost.

“We expect our customers to achieve many years of service from their MPU5 radios. These upgrades demonstrate our commitment to the MPU5 platform, ensuring that it exceeds our customers’ requirements over the years to come,” said Leslie Hulser, Director of Programs at Persistent.

For more information on purchasing or upgrading your existing MPU5 radios, please reach out to your Persistent account representative.

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NEW YORK, N.Y. – May 9, 2018 – Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today that it has received a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 security validation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for its MPU5 networking radio and Embedded Module products. Government agencies that require this information security validation will now be able to make wider use of Persistent products.

The MPU5 runs the Wave Relay® mobile ad-hoc networking (MANET) routing protocol, allowing users to transmit and relay voice, video, text, and sensor data in a true peer-to-peer fashion. The Embedded Module delivers similar capabilities in a smaller model made for integrating into unmanned systems and sensors.
“We offer a self-forming, self-healing, scalable MANET that is robust and dynamic and can operate in austere and challenging environments that would normally disrupt other communication systems,” said Eric Stern, Director of Engineering at Persistent Systems. “This makes the MPU5 and Embedded Module very attractive for government users.”

Customers in the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and elsewhere already use the MPU5 in daily operations. However, to connect to federal enterprise networks, many agencies require a FIPS 140-2 validation, a standard for hardware and software cryptography that ensures devices can protect the security and integrity of sensitive data.

To get validated for FIPS 140-2, the MPU5 and Embedded Module were put through the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), which are the security requirements for cryptographic modules. The CMVP is a joint initiative between the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the United States and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) in Canada. Persistent has been putting its MANET radios through FIPS 140-2 validation since 2010, and the MPU5 and Embedded Module’s validation continues Persistent’s commitment to security.

“Our customers utilize our products on operations and events which are critical to national security,” said Stern. “Therefore, we design our MANET systems from inception to meet the federal cryptographic standards of the United States of America and Canada. Security is always our priority.”

A list of wireless networking products that are FIPS 140-2 validated can be found on the National Institute of Standards and Technology:

csrc.nist.gov/Projects/Cryptographic-Module-Validation-Program/Validated-Modules

Government customers should ensure that wireless networking products are on this list prior to purchase.

The latest MPU5 firmware can be obtained by Persistent customers from the product support portal.

Please visit www.persistentsystems.com to learn more.

Mobile ad hoc networking solution delivers reliable comms, situational awareness, under rough conditions.

NEW YORK, N.Y. Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today that it successfully demonstrated that its MPU5 smart radio could scale up to an unprecedented 320-node mobile ad hoc network (MANET) at a military operation urban training facility, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The MPU5 runs the Wave Relay® MANET routing protocol, allowing the radio to transmit and relay secure voice, video, text, and sensor data in a robust, peer-to-peer fashion—all without external communications infrastructure. It’s a capability that the U.S. Army has been looking for with its Brigade Combat Teams.

“The Army wants a MANET that can scale up to 250 mobile radios in a flat, layer-2 network,” said Herbert Rubens, founder and CEO of Persistent Systems. “However, such a network would exceed the capability of most other solutions currently available.”

By contrast, Persistent’s Wave Relay® was designed to achieve extremely high levels of scalability without any limitation on the number of nodes or routing hops permitted in the network. And the Fort Bragg demonstration—in which, 320 MPU5 radios, spread across 37 multi-story buildings including basement levels, communicated successfully on a single RF channel—proved this capability.

“Let’s be clear: A flat MANET network of this size has never been demonstrated by any other organization,” Rubens said. “We not only proved that it is possible to scale up to a 320-node, flat, layer-2 network, but that it works, and it works well.”

During the demonstration, the MPU5:

• Tethered with Samsung Galaxy S7 phones, reported their GPS locations, to provide situational awareness in both ATAK and WinTAK;

• Connected a video camera on a Polaris DAGOR lightweight tactical vehicle, streamed more than 2 Mbps of multicast video over the network; and

• Used its Radio over IP (RoIP) capability to tether multiple legacy land mobile radios into the network, allowing dismounts to speak on Tactical Satellite while carrying only an MPU5 and the Persistent Dual PTT Device.

The load on the network was representative of an extremely large team running voice, video, and situational awareness. Yet despite the load on the network, the MANET still had additional capacity to spare.

“Persistent has a reputation for advancing the state-of-the-art in scalable MANET technology,” Rubens said. “And we have proven that the MPU5 can deliver a tactical MANET network that scales beyond the Army’s requirements.”

Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) today announced the release of its Upper C-Band module for the MPU5 mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) radio, which transmits and relays voice, video, text, and sensor data in a robust, peer-to-peer fashion.

The new 5.1 to 5.9 GHz radio module, which is certified for unlicensed use in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) Band, will enable MPU5 users, both in the United States and around the world, to leverage the MANET for a variety of commercial applications, including:

• Live event video streaming,

• Facility security,

• Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) networking,

• Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, and

• Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations.

“To meet the needs of commercial operators, we already offer a FCC certified 2.4 GHz ISM (S-Band) module for the MPU5,” said Adrien Robenhymer, VP of Business Development for Persistent Systems. “Now, the Upper C-Band extends that capability into the 5 GHz ISM band, which is significantly less crowded than 2.4 GHz ISM, enabling higher performance around the world.”

Persistent Systems is a leader in providing communication systems for unmanned vehicles in the defense market. With its new Upper C-Band module, it is now well-positioned to extend its product offerings deeper into the commercial markets.

“We see a huge opportunity to expand the MPU5’s presence further into the commercial sector,” Robenhymer said. “MANET can provide a huge benefit to commercial customers in the growing M2M market, especially as agricultural and mining applications for unmanned vehicles have been expanding.”

He adds that Persistent is currently in talks with several large industrial vehicle manufacturers, which have been looking for precisely those sorts of solutions.

Certified under FCC Part 15 for unlicensed use in ISM Band, the Upper C-Band radio module provides 1W of average transmit power, the maximum permitted in the ISM band. The module also has Japan Type Certification under Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 72 Category: RB (Unmanned Mobile Image Transmission System).

Defense customers have also shown interest in the module as it provides the ability to operate in an unlicensed band, simplifying spectrum coordination. It also allows Defense customers to blend in unnoticed in large cities where 5 GHz commercial operation is quite common. Defense, International, and Licensed customers are also able to take advantage of the radio modules 4W average transmission power, where permitted. This enables extremely long range and high throughput in the 5 GHz band.

Persistent remains committed to the modular radio architecture of the MPU5 and this Upper C-Band module is the fourth frequency module offering for the MPU5 Smart Radio. Customers can be confident when purchasing MPU5 systems, that they can operate the systems legally and effectively around the world. As spectrum relations continue to evolve around the world, that their MPU5 systems can easily be moved to new frequency bands. Both frequency modularity and upgradeability are important characteristics to our customers.

“We are ready to accept orders for the 5 GHz ISM radio module,” Robenhymer said.

www.persistentsystems.com

Dual PTT will improve networked communications and eliminate extra legacy radios

New York, NY  – Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today that it is unveiling its new Dual Channel Push-to-Talk (“Dual PTT”) accessory for the MPU5. The Dual PTT, said company officials, will allow the MPU5’s audio capabilities to reach their full potential.

The Dual PTT allows the user to quickly and easily select between 16 talk groups as well as control volume levels for each talk group independently. When paired with a stereo headset, the two selected talk groups are heard in the left and right ears, and the volume level in each ear can be controlled independently.

With the MPU5 and Dual PTT, a single MPU5 can communicate on two talk groups either independently (by pressing a single PTT button) or simultaneously (by pressing both PTT buttons). In the past, when a user needed to communicate with two different groups (channels) of users, that user needed to carry two separate Land Mobile Radios (LMRs). Therefore, the MPU5 and Dual PTT significantly reduces size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) burdens on users.

This is possible because the MPU5 is an IP radio, where talk groups are multicast addresses, instead of an LMR radio, where channels are different RF frequencies.

“It used to be that a commander would have to carry a PRC-148 and a PRC-152,” said Brian Mcdonald, Field Operations Manager at Persistent. “Now the commander just carries the MPU5 and can use the Dual PTT to talk to both groups. Carrying one radio instead of two will both save money as well as reduce the load on the soldier, which is a major selling point with customers,” Mcdonald explained.
The Dual PTT also serves as the interface into the MPU5’s Radio over IP (RoIP) subsystem. Users can tether legacy LMR radio systems to the MPU5, and associate each of those radios with one of the 16 talk groups as a multicast address on the network. When an MPU5 user communicates on that talk group, the MPU5 “keys up” the LMR radio and transmits audio through it.

“For the warfighter, this means one can tether a TACSAT channel on a vehicle to the RoIP port on the MPU5 and talk on TACSAT from within a building or tunnel while carrying only an MPU5 and Dual PTT,” said Dr. Herbert Rubens, Founder and CEO of Persistent. “The MPU5’s RoIP capability is compatible with PRC-148s, PRC-152s, Tactical Satellite (TACSAT), Fires Net, Public Safety LMRs, or standard walkie-talkies, which means, for example, being able to talk to Command Net, Assault Net, Fires Net, etc. whenever it’s suddenly required by the mission.”

Persistent has begun accepting orders for the Dual PTT.

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