Defence Waveforms

Software has surpassed hardware as the most complex element in a wireless system. This increases capability, but also makes the interoperability, development, acquisition and use of tactical systems more complex. Etherstack helps manufacturers and defence organisations navigate this.

Etherstack was the first company in the world to design, develop and supply wireless air interface protocol stacks (waveforms) as a specialist commercial activity and we pioneered unique techniques for hardware abstraction and successful waveform development.

Waveform Supplier

Etherstack was founded in Sydney Australia as an independent developer and licensor of portable, platform agnostic air interface protocol stacks (bearer waveform software) for third-party defence and critical communications radio manufacturers internationally.

Etherstack is now a recognised international specialist in waveforms, and licenses NATO waveforms, sovereign waveforms and waveforms for national security (P25/TETRA/DMR) to radio manufacturers and partner nations with access to the relevant standards in the United States, UK, Australia, Japan and Europe.

This has exposed Etherstack to global radio manufacturing, wireless chipset, telecommunications and tactical communications industries, and to radio platform and system architectures used around the world.

Working with Etherstack

Etherstack works with all equipment vendors equitably. With over two dozen customers from the world’s leading radio manufacturers, Etherstack waveforms have been ported to more than twenty radio platforms used in the field, including the L3Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-152C, L3Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-117G, Thales AN/PRC-148 (MBITR), Cobham Aerospace NPX136D (Avionic), Rockwell Collins iForce and a wide range of other handheld, in-vehicle, avionic and SIGINT platforms. Etherstack technology is proven to reduce costs and increase interoperability in tactical communications.

With correct waveform design, the real value of software – reusability, upgradeability and portability – can be achieved. Our aim is to minimise our customers’ costs, risk and time to market, whilst providing portable waveform software that is uniquely flexible, reusable and maintainable, and can be optimised for best performance on small and power constrained embedded radio platforms.

Waveform Test, Development and Simulation Tools

Waveform assets last for decades, and Etherstack was driven by commercial imperative to innovate in waveform portability, reusability and maintainability – including developing waveform development methods and tools. Etherstack’s waveform implementation, test and diagnostic tool suites and bespoke waveform implementation methodologies are widely used internationally to successfully develop and port waveforms; allow waveform software to be maintained, evolved, reused, debugged and regression tested over decades; de-risk system integration; and “lift the lid” on the operation of the radio system during verification, field testing, deployment and sustainment.

Etherstack was one of few non-US suppliers to the US Army Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program and has hands-on experience with the SCA Core Framework and deploying Etherstack waveforms as SCA waveforms on SCA platforms.

Research and Technology for Resilient Communications

In addition to waveform development (MANET/BLOS/LOS/P25/sovereign), digital signal processing and embedded software design for radio communications, Etherstack licenses all elements of a deployable communications system, including MANET and centralised voice and data networks, radio transceiver designs, AES256 cryptography and key management; critical applications; and gateways for integration of radio, C2, 3GPP MCx, LTE and satellite systems.

We also undertake advanced research in resilient deployed communications for customers and partners in the UK, Europe, Australia and the United States.