Cyber Defense eMagazine May Edition for 2022

the challenges faced by all RF technologies used in military missions– from radar to satellite to tactical
radios– will be to ensure efficiency, adaptability, and flexibility in using spectrum resources.
Putting it all together: Software Defined Radio (SDR) for CEMA
High-performance software-defined radio (SDR) is a technology that is at the heart of CEMA operations.
This device generally consists of a radio front-end (RFE) and digital back end. The RFE is responsible
for the actual tuning of RF frequencies used in transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) functionalities. The RFE
terminates at SMA connectors which can be connected to various antenna systems for communications
between satellites, maritime vessels, aircraft, drone/UAV control systems, radar, and various other CEMA
operations. On the other end, the digital back end, often with an embedded field-programmable array
(FPGA) consists of a means to conduct various DSP as well as packetize RF data into transportable
Ethernet packets over networks in cyberspace.
Size, weight, and power (SWaP) are also important characteristics of SDRs used in various applications
in CEMA. Fortunately, these SDR devices can be tailored to suit the requirements of various operations.
For instance, an SDR used in a satellite payload has very different requirements than an SDR used in a
radar system.
The software part of an SDR stems from its ability to be reconfigured for tuning to center frequencies,
analyzing different bandwidths, modulating/demodulating signals and data, and generating and
transmitting new waveforms. These features help to solve challenges related to EW and EMSO, whereby
the contested and congested spectrum can be navigated using the flexibility and adaptability inherent to
SDR.
SDRs are also able to solve many of the issues encountered in cyberspace operations. For starters,
issues related to cyberspace attacks, such as flooding or replay attacks, can be mitigated with various
security features embedded into the SDRs FPGA used for de-framing packets. This can include multifactor
authentication algorithms, cryptographic schemes and a means to alert of various attacks.
Mitigation of spectrum management challenges is also possible with SDR. This includes evaluating and
mitigating electromagnetic environmental effects, managing frequency records, and databases,
deconflicting frequencies, frequency interference resolution, allotting frequencies, and EW coordination
to ensure EM-dependent systems operate as intended. SDRs are often combined with storage solutions
on a battlefield in order to be part of the CEMA network or cloud infrastructure.
Particularly important for processing signal data to determine timing, location (i.e. direction finding), or
other RF emitter source information. Through an SDR's high-performance radio front end (RFE), these
systems are able to detect weak signals in a crowded spectrum (by having high instantaneous bandwidth,
exceptional noise figures, and excellent dynamic range in the receiver chains). Moreover, elusive enemy
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