Application of Cognitive Radio Technology to Legacy Military Waveforms in a JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) Radio

There is a significant development of cognitive radio (CR) technology taking place under the DARPA next generation (XG) communication program based on spectral sensing, adaptive waveform operation, machine readable spectral policy and policy reasoning engines. This paper describes how machine readable policy and reasoning technology from the XG program can also be used to benefit the operation of legacy waveforms on a multi-waveform programmable radio. In general a multi-waveform radio will possess the ability to generate transmissions which are not permitted everywhere the radio might be used. It then becomes the burden of the radio operator to be aware of their location, the operating rules for that location and using the radio appropriately. Machine readable policy and policy reasoning engines when combined with GPS based location awareness provides the opportunity to prevent a programmable radio from using prohibited waveforms in restricted regions without direct operator intervention. This paper describes a prototype waveform policy reasoning system that was developed on a software communication architecture (SCA) platform and presents several examples of the utility of this capability to a radio system which operates in various policy regions. This capability is very beneficial to ensure network connectivity for an aircraft radio which traverses numerous radio policy regions during a mission but also offers utility in ground based and littoral scenarios as well