The neXt Generation program or XG is a technology development project sponsored by
DARPA
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.
Originally known as the Adv ...
's
Strategic Technology Office
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
, with the goals to "develop both the enabling technologies and system concepts to dynamically redistribute allocated
spectrum
A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...
along with novel waveforms in order to provide dramatic improvements in assured
military communications
Military communications or military signals involve all aspects of communications, or conveyance of information, by armed forces. Military communications span from pre-history to the present. The earliest military communications were delivered b ...
in support of a full range of worldwide deployments."
It is financed by the United States government within the aim of developing a ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' standard for cognitive radio and dynamic spectrum regulation.
Background
Particularly, XG is focused on the development of dynamic spectrum access (DSA) demonstration and capability as well as the evaluation of three fundamental principles, namely: the principle of "Do No Harm"; "Add Value" principle; and, DSA devices development that provide equivalent reliability and service.
The first principle involves the design of DSA radios in a way that does not interfere with viable links while the second maintains that DSA radios offer positive benefit after all the overhead costs and resources are considered.
In the Wireless World Research Forum of 27 October 2003, Preston Marshall, program manager of DARPA XG Program, said "The primary product of the XG program is not a new radio, but a set of advanced technologies for dynamic spectrum access."
Projects and initiatives
From 2006 to 2008, DARPA held numerous XG program demonstrations such as the experiment that involved the deployment of a field of conventionally deconflicted wireless links that included typical military, public safety, and civilian point-to-point links, covering several kilometers.
In 2006, an XG technology was deployed in a field trial and demonstrated a robust networking capability amid challenging mobile scenarios.
The program is also engaged in the development of
architectural framework
An enterprise architecture framework (EA framework) defines how to create and use an enterprise architecture. An architecture framework provides principles and practices for creating and using the architecture description of a system. It struct ...
,
protocol design, and building
prototypes
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...
for DSA networks.
One of its notable projects is the One Shot XG system, which is being developed to improve the accuracy of military
snipers
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
by calculating variables such as crosswind condition, maximum effective range of the weapon, and weapon alignment.
See also
*
DySPAN
The Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks Standards Committee (DySPAN-SC), formerly Standards Coordinating Committee 41 (SCC41), and even earlier the IEEE P1900 Standards Committee, is sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ...
: formerly known as the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 41 and previously the IEEE 1900 Standards Committee; works on Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks (DySPAN).
References
External links
DARPA - The Next Generation Program official websiteShared Spectrum Company - The XG Phase III contractorSRI International - The XG Policy Control contractorBBN - The XG Working Group
XG
Research projects
SRI International
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