188-110A, ACF lengths and interleaved blocks boundaries

MIL 188-110A, unlike other waveforms such as STANAG-4539  or STANAG-4285, does not always show the same ACF value as the data rate changes: it is mainly due to the variations of the frame structure (Table XIX) and the way it interacts with the length of the scrambling sequence. The corresponding periods lengths of the bit streams then make it possible to identify the interleaved block boundaries which in turn depend on the bit rate and the interleave delay (Long or Short). 

Fig. 1 - 188-110A Serial Tone blocks

Table X lists the interleaver matrix dimensions (rows and columns) that shall be allocated for each required bit rate and interleave delay.

The bits obtained from the interleaver matrix are grouped together as one-, two-, or three-bit entities that will be referred to as "channel symbols" (or - more simply - "symbols"): the number of bits that must be fetched per symbol is a function of the bit rate. 
The scrambler is feed with a number from 0 to 7 supplied by the data sequence randomizing generator, a 12 bit shift register with the initial state 101110101101 (0xBAD, hexadecimal). After 160 transmit symbols, the shift register is reset to 0xBAD and this sequence produces a periodic pattern 160 symbols in length.  

The interleaved blocks boundaries can be identified by looking carefully at the probes in the demodulated bit streams. As per MIL-STD 188-110: during the periods where known (channel probe) symbols are to be transmitted, the channel symbol formation output shall be set to 0 (000) except for the two known symbol patterns preceding the transmission of each new interleaved block. When those two known symbol patterns are transmitted, the 16 tribit symbols are set to Dl and D2, respectively, as defined in table XV and table XVII. 

2400 bps
Each data frame has a length of 48 symbols and consists of a data block consisting of 32 data symbols, followed by a probe consisting of 16 symbols of known data. Although the expected ACF is 20 ms, the actual value is 200 ms ie corresponding to a block of 10 frames (Figure 2). Since 10 frames contain 10×16 = 160 probe symbols, the 200ms ACF spikes are likely due to a kind of "resonance"  between the 160 probe symbols and the 160 symbols of the scrambing sequence.

Fig. 2 - 200 ms ACF for 110A 2400 bps

The short interleaver matrix for 2400 bps consists of 40 rows and 72 columns, ie a length of 2880 bit: that means that 960 tribit symbols will be fetched and transmitted as 30 data blocks (960:32); thus, one interlever block needs 30 frames to be transmitted. As you may see in Figure 3,  each three rows the patterns of the last two probes exhibit a discontinuity that is not present in the other probes: that's what we were looking for. Indeed - as seen abvove - 3 period rows contain 3×10 = 30 frames that just identify a single short interleaved block for the 2400 bps speed. The interleaver matrix is fetched  in 600 ms, ie  200 ms  × 3.

Fig. 3 - 2400 bps Short interleaver

A similar calculation can be verified for the long interleaver. In this case the interleaver matrix consists of 40 rows and 576 columns, ie a length of 23040 bit or 7680 tribit channel symbols. Since the 32 symbols length frame, one long interleaved block will be sent into 7680:32 = 240 frames, thus 24 rows (Figure 4). The interleaver matrix is fetched  in 4.8 s, ie  200 ms  × 24.

Fig. 4 - 2400 bps Long interleaver

1200 bps
In case of low data rates (from 150 up to 1200 bps) the data frames are structured as a 40-symbol pattern: each frame consisting of a data block consisting of 20 data symbols, followed by a probe consisting of 20 symbols of known data. The expected ACF value is then 16.67 ms, but the actual one is 66.67 ms ie four times greather (Figure 5). The reason is that four groups of the pairs data + probe  count 160 symbols (4×40) and they are just "in sync" with the scrambler length (160 symbols) causing the strong 66.67 ms ACF spikes of Figure 5.

Fig. 5 - 66.67 ms ACF for 110A 1200 bps

The short interleaver matrix consists of 40 rows and 36 columns, ie a length of 1440 bit: that means that 720 dibit symbols will be fetched and transmitted as 36 data blocks (720:20); thus, one interlever block needs 36 frames to be transmitted.  Nine period rows are indeed the boundary of a single short interleaved block (Figure 6).

Fig. 6 - 1200 bps Short interleaver

The long interleaver matrix consists of 40 rows and 288 columns, ie a length of 5760 dibit symbols that will be fetched and transmitted as 288 data blocks (5760:20); thus, 288:4 = 72 period rows is the boundary of each long interleaved block (Figure 7).

Fig. 7 - 1200 bps Long interleaver

600-150 bps
The short interleaver matrix for 600-150 bps consists of 40 rows and 18 columns. Given that only one-bit per channel symbol is fetched, a single short interleaved block will be trasmitted as (40×18):20 = 36 frames. The boundaries of the short interleaved blocks are clearly visible each 9 rows in the usual 480-bit/4-frame period (Figure 8). 

Fig. 8 - 600-150 bps Short interleaver

The long interleaver matrix for 600-150 bps consists of 40 rows and 144 columns. Given that only one-bit per channel symbol is fetched, a single long interleaved block will be trasmitted as (40×144):20 = 288 frames. By grouping the bit stream in a 8-frame period, the boundaries of the long interleaved blocks are clearly visible each 36 rows (Figure 9).

Fig. 9 - 600-150 bps Long interleaver

As a last thought consider that since the bit streams come from demodulating the on-air signals, we see the "coded" data rate and not the actual "input" data rate... FEC coding is still there.

UK MoD 12800bps bursts: other oddities

I was just monitoring some interesting sequences of 2400Bd PSK bursts occupying 3 out of 6 channels (each 3 KHz width) according to alternate timings of 40 and 20 seconds: frequencies 5742.5, 5748.5, and 5757.5 (all USB). The 119.6 ms ACF value corresponds to a framing of 287 symbols @2400Bd, ie the waveform STANAG-4539: more precisely, according to its self-identifying feature, a 32QAM modulation at 8000bps speed (Figure 1).

Fig. 1 - STANAG-4539 framing structure

Unfortunately, I was not able to get the expected 32QAM constellation but only few states of the outer 32QAM ring (Figure 2).

Fig. 2

I was a bit puzzled until I realized I was seeing an already known signal, more precisely the UK MoD 12800 bps 64QAM bursts [1]: the signals were just badly-tuned (300 Hz frequency offset).
A question arose almost immediately: why, despite the out-of-tuning, the signals are recognized as a 32QAM/8000bps modulation with a sub-carrier error of only 0.2 Hz?  I thought about a decoder error, but examining the 103 preamble' symbols that carry information regarding the data rate and interleaver settings, I found that those are actually different in the two cases of 5757.20 and 5757.50 Hz (Figure 3).

Fig. 3 - data rate and interleaver settings

I repeated the measurements of modulation and speed using other tuning frequencies, results are in the table below. Notice the discrepancies between the tuning frequency and the error detected by the decoder, expecially in 5757.20 and 5757.50 cases where the signal seems to be exactly tuned:

According to SATANAG-4539 #2.1, the accuracy of the sub-carrier frequency shall be 3×10^-5, ie a max tollerance of ±172 Hz @5,757 MHz is allowed: probably the autobaud feature fails since that kind of "symbols distortion"?

Assuming 64QAM/12800bps as the actual mode (as already assumed at the time), I tried to demodulate a same single burst using two different decoders (say A and B, without naming them). The expected length of the bitstream will be:

13 frames × 256 = 3328 symbols × 6 = 19968 bit

Fig. 4

Results are a bit perplexing:

- decoder A, 1536-bit length of the resulting bitstream, seems to successfully demodulate only one frame (1 × 256 × 6)
- decoder B, 36864-bit length of the resulting bitstream, seems to demodulate 12-out-of-13 frames and, in some way, duplicate the results (12 × 256 × 6 × 2)

(the 5750.20 KHz signal was resampled to 8000 Hz before its demodulation).

Fig. 5

I don't know if the use of only 8 out of 20 points of the 64QAM outer ring confuses the decoders, however I think these bursts (and maybe the waveform?) are not fully clarified yet.

https://disk.yandex.com/d/QV_v_N1hDWZvYA

[1] https://i56578-swl.blogspot.com/search/label/8-ary%2F12800bps

yet another STANAG-4481F 50-75Bd broadcast

5716.0 KHz (cf): STANAG-4481F (apparently) 75Bd fleet broadcast from NAU Isabela (PTR), running with the "odd" and already observerd 3-bit format (Figure 1).

Fig. 1

Removing the third column which contains the replicated bits and then reshaping the resulting bitstream to a 7-bit pattern, it turns out the actual 50Bd speed and the usual KW-46/KIV-7 encrypted stream (Figure 2).

Fig. 2

As mentioned, this behavior has already been noted previously in STANAG-4481F transmissions from NSY Niscemi, AJE Barford and just from NAU: for more informations, the related posts are grouped under a specific tag.

https://disk.yandex.com/d/oiw9OS_fQXcK1Q

Canada's East Coast Navy STANAG-4481P broadcasts

STANAG-4481 PSK (4481-P) waveform carrying the KW-46 secured fleet broadcast of the Canada's East Coast Navy.  STANAG-4481P is basically a STANAG-4285 sub-mode which adopts fixed 300 bps data-rate and long interleaving. As well as 4285, 4481-P is mostly used in  NATO Naval broadcast  due to its repeated preamble for which it's easy to maintain sync during long transmissions.  

Fig. 1

 

Fig. 2 - x^31+x^3+1 m-sequence used to sync the receive KW-46 unit

 

Transmitter site is most likely the Naval radio Station (NRS) of Newport Corner (NS). Both the NRS Newport Corner transmitter and NRS Mill Cove receivers were automated and are currently operated by HMCS Trinity at CFB Halifax [1]. 

Fig. 3 - TDoA results

 https://disk.yandex.com/d/aksB6d-IgB1n1Q 

[1] https://military.wikia.org/wiki/CFB_Halifax

unid, and somewhat peculiar, 1200Bd BPSK

Cleaning up one of my hard disks I came across an old recording (year 2014) that had no comment file associated with it, so I decided to take a look at it and see what exactly it was. The recording consists of different length bursts, each burst is modulated with PSK2 at a symbol rate of 1200Bd: nothing particularly interesting unless its ACF and, consequently, its period. Indeed, the ACF results in 373.74 ms (Figure 1) that make a length of the period of 448.5 bit (PSK2 @1200Bd), but after the differential decoding the bitstream shows a 897 bit length period, ie just the double of the value obtained using the phase detector. 

Fig. 1 - 373.74ms ACF corresponding to a 448.5 bit length period

As you know, a such situation is typical in asynchronous framings that have the stop-bit of 1.5 or 2.5 in length: for example, in case of a 5N1.5 framing the bit editor groups two 7.5 bit frames into a single 15 bit pattern because it can't represents a length of half bit. That's just what may happen here: the bit editor reshapes the bistream to a 897 bit length period and draws two frames (Figure 2) consisting of two 100 bit sync sequence, each followed by a data block.

Fig. 2 - 897 bit period

However, it's to notice in Figure 2 that the lengths of the two data blocks are different (348 and 349 bit) while the sync sequences have a constant length of 100 bit. Looking at Figure 3, the synchronization patterns are left and right inclined for periods of length 488 and 489 bits respectively: that behavior may confirm the 448.5 bit frame as measured above.

Fig. 3 - inclined 100 bit patterns in 448 and 449 bit framings

Talking about it with my friend cryptomaster, we agreed two possible hypothesis:

1) the length of the frame is 897 bit: the framing consists of  two 100 bit sync sequences that are interspersed with two data blocks of  348 and 349 bit; the variable length of the two data blocks and the two sync patterns are a proper feature of this waveform;

2) the length of the frame is 448.5 bit: the framing consists of 100.5 bit for the sync sequence (possible, even if unlikely) followed by 348 bit for the data block.

In order to verify the second assumption,  I set the speed of the PSK demodulator to a double value (2400Bd) so to emerge the missing half bit, if any. The resulting bitstream is shown in Figure 4: the period has the expected length of 1794 bit (2 × 897) and it's possible to see sync sequence patterns of 201 bit in length, ie just the extra bit that was missing.

Fig. 4 - 201 bit sequences in the bitstream @2400Bd

Indeed, the 1794 bit period is arranged as: | 201 bit sync  | 696 bit data | 201 bit sync | 696 bit data |;  since the speed of demodulation is doubled, dividing by 2 we get a 448.5 bit frame consisting of 100.5 bit for the sync sequence followed by 348 bit for data:

 

However, keep in mind that the above bitstream was achieved after a forcing of the demodulation speed to 2400Bd (instead of the effective 1200Bd) and the subsequent differential demodulation: more observations are needed to confirm the 100.5 bit length of the sync sequence.

By the way, the 100 bit sequence may be de-scrambled by the polynomial x^7+x^4+1. Looking for a scrambler polynomial in the 201-bit sequence does not make sense since the way it was obtained.

 

Fig. 5 - x^7+x^4+1 polynomial

Back to the signal, it's interesting to note that some burts have a ~230ms preamble consisting of 8 x PSK2 1200Bd "pulse" (Figure 6): I don't know the reasons and what it can depend on, signal strength and fading seem to indicate that it is not an exchange of messages between two nodes or an ARQ mode.

Fig. 6

 https://disk.yandex.com/d/SIqbhycJkrLjAg