EMPIRE

Electromagnetic Propagation Integrated Resource Environment

Remcom is the developer for the Electromagnetic Propagation Integrated Resource Environment (EMPIRE), a joint Naval Information Warfare Activity (NIWA), Naval Research Labs (NRL) and 453 Electronic Warfare Squadron (USAF/ACC/AIA/AFIWC) program that provides RF propagation predictions for DoD Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaisance and Electronic Warefare (C2ISR & EW) operations planning. EMPIRE is a custom computer application programming interface (API) that grants users easy and direct access to a wealth of electromagnetic propagation prediction models, thus resolving the problems of limited compatibility that exist within such a varied assortment of applications. EMPIRE can be used with applications running on Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP, Linux, Sun, and IBM Power4/Power5 systems, conforms to the current versions of all software integrated into it. It also conforms to the software interfaces of electromagnetic propagation prediction software, including the following: the Advanced Propagation Model (APM), the HF field strength model from SSC-San Diego, the standard propagation model (also referred to as FFACTR), the Millimeter Wave Propagation model (MMWPROP), the Radio Physical Optics (RPO) model, the Variable Terrain Radio Parabolic Equation (VTRPE) model, The Terrain Integrated Rough Earth Model (TIREM), The Irregular Terrain Model (ITM) and other atmospheric, ionospheric, and terrain models and data sources.

EMPIRE is a suite of intelligent propagation tools incorporating a variety of environmental data sources such as Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED), AFWA MM5 and FNMOC COAMPS weather forecasts, and other data sources valid for radio frequency from 100 KHz to 300 GHz. Through its object-oriented C++ and/or XML-based interfaces, Tactical Decision Aids (TDAs) use EMPIRE to perform high fidelity propagation analysis. EMPIRE can be described as an "intelligent" interface, in that it is fully capable of providing TDAs with expert insight into the electromagnetic propagation environment.

The EMPIRE distribution includes a C++ API and an executable application for performing EM propagation loss calculations using text files written in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and conforming to the EMPIRE Document Type Definition file (DTD).

The XML API consists of a set of Simplified API for XML (SAX) handlers that are used by the XERCES-C parsing engine for the elements in the EMPIRE DTD. (XERCES-C is freely available as part of the Apache project at http://www.apache.org ). This API may be used and extended by developers in the same way as the EMPIRE C++ API.

The executable application is an XML processor named ECLPSX which itself uses the handler API. ECLPSX provides a non-application programming interface method of computing propagation loss with EMPIRE, and provides both file and server capabilities for processing XML documents. A user need only write simple XML text to perform complex EM propagation calculations using ECLPSX .

Urban Geolocation

Urban Geolocation 

The Government Services Division is currently developing techniques that may be used for single point urban geolocation. These techniques are modeled after those used by U. S. Wireless in their use of urban multi-path resources to locate the source of a signal, yet unlike the U.S. Wireless system, the GSD is using predicted urban multi-path methods. Success in this venture is ensured through the use of accurate high fidelity urban propagation predictions.

ABL

Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The GSD commitment to SPAWAR PMW-185 (presently known as PMW-155) is evidenced by several cooperative ventures, including the sponsorship of the evolution of a Tactical Environmental Data Server (TEDS) server connection for EMPIRE, spatial interpolation algorithms, and the fusing of Monin-Obokhov boundary layer theory into EMPIRE. These important innovations allowed EMPIRE to provide an intelligent and hi-resolution weather forecast data engine, and also marked the beginning of the division’s current engagements in atmospheric boundary layer model development. These efforts are representative of their sustained dedication to realistic high fidelity propagation modeling, and especially the modeling of additional tactically significant phenomena neglected in earlier boundary layer theoretical work. SPAWAR’s support of this research is endowing Navy TDAs with an ability to perform mission analyses using the latest high-resolution weather forecast data.

Parallel Computing

Parallel Computing 

The GSD has extensive experience in parallel computing, and has available on site a Beowolf cluster that is used for implementation and testing a variety of parallel methods. Our team is also highly proficient in the employment of the Message Passing Interface (MPI)on parallel computing clusters. Moreover, our MPI skills have not been limited to classical parallel paradigms, but have also reached out to integrate Object Oriented (OO) techniques, with specific respect to the application of MPI to C++. Our High Performance Computing (HPC) efforts are largely focused on unearthing computational solutions for the significant EM problems that exist within projects related to both antennas and propagation. In particular, Remcom has experience with fine grain parallelization for Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD), ray tracing techniques, and parabolic equation methods (PE), and coarse grain paralleling techniques for EMPIRE.