SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Modular Open Radio Frequency Architecture (MORA) - RFI- Modular Open Radio Frequency Architecture (MORA)
- Notice Date
- 3/28/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - APG (W56KGU) Division A, 6001 COMBAT DRIVE, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 21005-1846, United States
- ZIP Code
- 21005-1846
- Solicitation Number
- W56KGU16RA311
- Archive Date
- 7/28/2016
- Point of Contact
- David A. Greaves, Phone: 4438614648, Oladayo Kaka, Phone: 4438614636
- E-Mail Address
-
david.a.greaves4.civ@mail.mil, oladayo.a.kaka.civ@mail.mil
(david.a.greaves4.civ@mail.mil, oladayo.a.kaka.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Modular Open Radio Frequency Architecture (MORA) 1.0 Description 1.1 The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) Intelligence Information Warfare Directorate (I2WD) is seeking information on how an interested contractor could implement a converged Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and Electronic Warfare (EW) architecture which maximizes the use of open architectures and standards, reduces size weight and power (SWaP), and facilitates the use of common radio frequency (RF) component types across communications and EW technologies on Army platforms. 1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes - it does not constitute a Final Solicitation or a promise to issue a Final Solicitation in the future. This notice does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Furthermore, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in responding to this notice; all costs associated with responding to this notice will be solely at the interested party's expense. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future Final Solicitation, if issued. If a Final Solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential responder to monitor the FedBizOpps website (HTTP://WWW.FBO.GOV) for additional information pertaining to this requirement. 2.0 Background The U.S. Army CERDEC established the Hardware/Software Convergence Working-Level Integrated Product Team (HW/SW-WIPT) to develop and execute a detailed plan to achieve a modular and open family of hardware and software components for implementing interoperable C4ISR/EW capabilities on Army platforms. The plan defined by the HW/SW-WIPT matures the following standard specifications by developing reference implementations and conducting a series of incremental demonstrations: • OpenVPX: Backplane standard that uses serial fabrics with a high density connector, coupled with a systems level approach that defines standard profiles for pins, protocols, and interconnections. Additional information is available at http://www.vita.com/. • Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (VICTORY): Defines a network-based data bus called the VICTORY Data Bus (VDB) to integrate C4ISR/EW and platform systems on Army ground vehicles. Additional information is available at http://victory-standards.org/. • Modular Open RF Architecture (MORA): Extends VICTORY to support radio frequency (RF) systems. Decomposes monolithic radio systems into high-level components with well-defined functions and interfaces. Component types include Software Defined Radios (SDRs), RF Conditioning & Distribution (RCDs), and Radioheads (RHDs). A RHD is typically the integration of the antenna (or multiple antennas) and RF conditioning circuits such as power amplifiers (PAs) and/or low noise amplifiers (LNAs). RCDs may exist between RHDs and SDRs. MORA also defines a low latency high speed bus, called the MORA Low Latency Bus (ML2B), to minimize platform discrete signaling needs. • REDHAWK: Software framework and associated interfaces intended to facilitate the development, deployment, and management of SDR applications. Additional information on the REDHAWK framework and associated interfaces is available at http://redhawksdr.github.io/Documentation/. 3.0 Requested Information The primary purpose of this RFI is to get feedback on the draft MORA V2.0 specification in support of HW/SW Convergence and other initiatives. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to: 1. Software Defined Radio: Information on existing designs and the level of effort to transition those designs into MORA compliant designs which would utilize VDB and ML2B networks in future modular system implementations 2. RF Conditioning & Distribution: Information on existing designs and the level of effort to transition those designs into MORA compliant designs which would utilize VDB and ML2B networks in future modular system implementations 3. Radiohead: Information on existing designs and the level of effort to transition those designs into MORA compliant designs which would utilize VDB and ML2B networks in future modular system implementations 4. MORA Signal Port interfaces (Analog & Digital, Receive and Transmit) including the incorporation of VITA 49.2 context, control, and data packets for Digital IQ signal representation 5. Use of VITA 49.2 for digital RF distribution of data, context, and control between chassis resources and an advanced Radiohead which may host the traditional RF front end circuitry as well as advanced functions such as frequency conversion, digitization, and waveform generation 6. Off-the-shelf application software for processing RF signals in digital IQ format (VITA 49.2) 7. MORA Processing Port interfaces including possible Radiohead on-board processing to alleviate pre-detection data traffic (e.g. DF, spectrum FFTs) 8. Software development frameworks and operating environments for RF applications and waveforms 9. Use of REDHAWK in conjunction with hardware acceleration such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and digital signal processors (DSPs) 10. The combined use of the VDB for resource management and the use of the ML2B for low latency control messaging in a multi-enclave environment 11. The roadmap for Ethernet switches and IP cores that can support 40 Mbps and 100 Mbps for low latency messaging and potentially large digital data transfers from Radiohead(s) to/from resources in an OpenVPX chassis or local area network 12. Use of 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet to provide low latency, deterministic, and reliable messaging 13. The roadmap for advanced time synchronization protocols where highly accurate knowledge of time can be achieved without signal hardlines 14. Information on low SWaP-cost N-channel topologies and implementations that might be integrated into future Radioheads 15. Comments regarding CERDEC's converged architecture consisting of OpenVPX, MORA, VICTORY, and REDHAWK 4.0 Instructions on how to receive a copy of the MORA V2.0 Draft Specification The MORA V2.0 draft specification is unclassified but is For Official Use Only (FOUO) with limited distribution to Government agencies and their contractors (Distribution C). To obtain a copy of the document, it will be necessary for any qualified requester to validate eligibility. To accomplish this, the requester shall register for access to the VICTORY portal at https://portal.victory-standards.org/. Once access is granted, the document can be downloaded. 5.0 Responses Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper. All white papers pertaining to this RFI shall be submitted no later than 28 April, 2016, 05:00 PM EDT (30 days from release date) to usarmy.apg.rdecom-cerdec.mbx.i2wd-mora-specs-rfi@mail.mil. White papers shall be limited to 15 pages for Section 2 and should be in MS Office 2007 or Adobe PDF formats. E-mail messages shall be less than 10 MB in size. If larger files are submitted, they must be broken into separate e-mail messages. Reference W56KGU-16-R-A311 in the e-mail subject. All communications SHALL be submitted ONLY in writing AND directly to the email address identified. Contractors shall not contact any other Government personnel other than the person identified above. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. If any responder does not currently have a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) that would permit the CERDEC I2WD support contractors, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) listed below to review and evaluate white papers submitted in response to this RFI, the responder is requested to sign NDAs with these CERDEC I2WD support contractors for this purpose. The following is a list of support contractor companies, UARCs, and FFRDCs who may review the responses: • Aspen Consulting Group • Johns Hopkins University - Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL) • Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Lincoln Labs (MIT-LL) • MITRE • Pennsylvania State University - Advanced Research Laboratory (PSU-ARL) • Vistronix Section 1 of the white paper shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum: • Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact • Past experience with the design and development of modular C4ISR/EW RF systems and solutions employing VITA Radio Transport (VITA 49) and/or other VITA standards • Copies of executed NDAs with the contractors, UARCs, and FFRDCs supporting CERDEC I2WD technical evaluations (the Government will assume that the responder agrees to the release of its submission to support contractor companies, UARCs, and FFRDCs if no NDAs are provided) The number of pages in Section 1 of the white paper shall not be included in the 15-page limitation, i.e., the 15-page limitation applies only to Section 2 of the white paper. Section 2 of the white paper shall provide comments on the specific topics of interest contained in Section 3 of this RFI and shall be limited to 15 pages. 6.0 Industry Discussions CERDEC I2WD representatives may or may not choose to meet with responders. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification regarding their responses. CERDEC is planning to host multiple Technology Days (technical interchange meetings) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD. The Technology Days will be announced in separate RFIs and will provide a forum for questions/answers. 7.0 Questions Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contracting Specialist, email address: Oladayo.a.kaka.civ@mail.mil. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the Federal Business Opportunities website (FedBizOpps); accordingly, questions shall NOT contain any classified information. If a potential responder's question relates to a proprietary aspect of its response and the question would expose proprietary information if disclosed to other potential responders, the responder may submit the question via email to usarmy.apg.rdecom-cerdec.mbx.i2wd-mora-specs-rfi@mail.mil conspicuously marking it as "PROPRIETARY". With the question, the responder must submit a statement explaining why the question is sensitive. If it is deemed by the Government that disclosure of the question or answer would expose proprietary information, the question will be answered, and both the question and answer will be kept in confidence. If the Government does not concur regarding the proprietary nature of the question, the responder will be notified and given the option to withdraw their question or allow it to be publically answered via FedBizOpps. 8.0 Summary THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify sources that can provide information pertaining to CERDEC's HW/SW Convergence and other initiatives. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The U.S Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Only U.S. citizens may submit white papers; no submissions from Foreign Nationals will be accepted.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/7e12753373c08ab1f152af38433cd7e7)
- Place of Performance
- Address: I2WD 6003 Combat Drive, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 21005, United States
- Zip Code: 21005
- Zip Code: 21005
- Record
- SN04064272-W 20160330/160328234306-7e12753373c08ab1f152af38433cd7e7 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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