NTIA Seal Radio Spectrum Measurement System (RSMS) Program
Current RSMS Activities:

RSMS Planned Upgrades:

ITS, in cooperation with NTIA's Office of Spectrum Management (OSM), periodically compares current RSMS capabilities with the agencies' current and projected measurement needs and requirements. Required upgrades in RSMS capabilities are defined and are implemented on a yearly basis.

Major RSMS capability upgrades that are in progress or planned include:
  • IF measurement bandwidths of 10-100 MHz;

  • Advanced digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities, including:

    • Synthesization of custom IF bandwidths from wide-bandwidth measurements;

    • Simultaneous peak and average measurements on impulsive waveforms;

    • Improved land mobile radio usage statistics measurements;

  • Advanced direction-finding (DF) capabilities between 400 MHz - 20 GHz, emphasizing DF on radar transmitters;

  • Software upgrade from Basic 7.0 program currently used to a new program developed in the National Instruments Labview© environment. Software upgrades to include:

    • Improved file handling;

    • Storage of complete set of calibration data with raw data, to replace current system of storing corrected data without calibration file;

    • Additional automated measurement capabilities, including characterization of air traffic control beacon signals without interruption of beacon operation;

    • Automatic insertion and deletion of RF attenuation in stepped-spectrum measurements on radar signals, achieving higher speed and greater reliability in those measurements, as well as unmanned measurements of high-power radar signals in automated site-survey modes;
RSMS Recent Field Activities:
  • Broadband spectrum surveys at Ft. Irwin, CA to determine amounts, patterns, and types of radio usage on the electronic battlefield environment;

  • Broadband, wide-dynamic range emission spectrum measurements on TPS-59 and TPS-117 radars to support U.S. Efforts at the International Telecommunications Union, Section R (ITU-R);

  • Emission measurements on ultrawideband transmitters at the FCC Columbia, MD laboratory;

  • Channel usage and propagation measurements in New Orleans, LA to support Coast Guard development of high-precision positioning systems on U.S. waterways.
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