ASTM F2594-06
(Guide)Standard Guide for Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Communications
Standard Guide for Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Communications
SCOPE
1.1 This guide establishes the basic communications requirements for Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs). In its first instantiation, this guide serves as only a guideline, and not a definitive directive on acceptable UUV communication standards. In fact, this initial version is more accurately considered a compendium that addresses myriad communication modalities, where the selection of listed standards is determined after communication requirements are tailored to specific UUV applications and payloads.
1.2 This guide is intended to influence the design and development process for the acquisition and integration of vehicles, payloads, and communication system components, while at the same time to avoid specifying particular solutions or products. In its initial release, an additional intent of this guide is to address the communication standards required for operation of the U.S. Navy's planned 21-in. Mission Reconfigurable UUV System (MRUUVS) which is representative of its heavy weight class of UUVs. Guidance provided by the newly mandated and continually evolving, DoD IT Standards Registry (DISR) in the realm of existing military communication standards is also provided as a reference. Although there is a certain emphasis on U.S. Navy UUV missions, there is broad utility across the spectrum of commercial applications as well.
1.3 The breadth of standards addressed within this guide encompasses widely recognized Network standards and RF communications standards, including line of sight (LOS) and beyond line of sight (BLOS). Discussion of optical laser and underwater acoustic communications standards that are in development is also included. Besides identifying existing communication infrastructure, waveforms, and standards, this guide also briefly addresses related issues, security considerations, and technology forecasts that will impact fleet communication systems in the near future (5 to 10 years).
1.4 For ease in reading and utility, specific recommendations of existing standards are captured in tables segregated by communication domain. In some cases where standards are still under development or do not yet exist, details have been reserved for future revisions to this guide. Similarly, in various sections, elaboration of certain topics has either been determined to be beyond the scope of this guide or more appropriate for forthcoming revisions.
1.5 Readers of this guide will also find utility in referencing the related Committee F41 Guides on UUV Sensor Data Formats, UUV Payload Interfaces, and UUV Autonomy and Control. There is a clear relationship that exists in terms of communication systems, external interfaces, data formats, and information/data exchange which can be applied in context with the standards invoked in those documents.
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.7 Table of Contents
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
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Designation:F2594–06
Standard Guide for
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Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) Communications
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 2594; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
ASTM has prepared this series of standards to guide the development of autonomous unmanned
underwater vehicles (UUVs). The standards address the key capabilities that a UUV system must
possess in order to be considered autonomous and reconfigurable:
Autonomous—Capable of operating without operator input for extended periods of time. Implicit in
this description is the requirement that the UUV’s sortie accomplishes its assigned goal and makes the
appropriate rendezvous for a successful recovery.
Reconfigurable—Capable of operating with multiple payloads. The top level requirement is
established that the UUV systems will consist of:
Payloads to complete specific system tasking such as environmental data collection, area
surveillance, mine hunting, mine countermeasures, intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance (ISR), or
other scientific, military, or commercial objectives.
Vehicles that will transport the payloads to designated locations and be responsible for the launch
and recovery of the vehicle/payload combination.
While the payload will be specific to the objective, the vehicle is likely to be less so. Nevertheless,
commonality across all classes of UUV with respect to such features as planning, communications,
and post sortie analysis (PSA) is desirable. Commonality with regard to such features as launch and
recovery and a common control interface with the payload should be preserved within the UUVclass.
In accordance with this philosophy, ASTM identifies four standards to address UUV development
and to promote compatibility and interoperability among UUVs:
F 2541 Guide for UUV Autonomy and Control,
WK11283 Guide for UUV Mission Payload Interface,
F 2594 Guide for UUV Communications, and
F 2595 Guide for UUV Sensor Data Formats.
The relationships among these standards are illustrated in Fig. 1.The first two standards address the
UUV autonomy, command and control, and the physical interface between the UUV and its payload.
The last two ASTM standards address the handling of the most valuable artifacts created by UUV
systems: the data. Since there are many possibilities for communications links to exchange data, it is
expected that the UUV procurement agency will provide specific guidance relative to these links and
the appropriate use of the UUV communications standard. In a similar manner, specific guidance is
expected for the appropriate use of the UUV data formats.
F 2541–Standard Guide for UUV Autonomy and Control—The UUV autonomy and control guide
defines the characteristics of an autonomous UUV system. While much of this guide applies to the
vehicle and how the vehicle should perform in an autonomous state, the relationship of the payloads
within the UUV system is also characterized. A high level depiction of the functional subsystems
associatedwithagenericautonomousUUVsystemispresented.Theimportantfunctionalrelationship
established in this guide is the payload’s subordinate role relative to the vehicle in terms of system
safety. The payload is responsible for its own internal safety, but the vehicle is responsible for the
safety of the vehicle-payload system. Terminology is defined to provide a common framework for the
discussion of autonomous systems. System behaviors and capabilities are identified that tend to make
a system independent of human operator input and provide varying levels of assurance that the UUV
will perform its assigned task and successfully complete recovery. A three-axis sliding scale is
presented to illustrate the system’s level of autonomy (LOA) in terms of situational awareness,
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F2594–06
FIG. 1 Notional System Interfaces and Governing Standards
decision-making/planning/execution, and external interaction. The control interface (messages ex-
changed between the vehicle and the payload) is described and instantiations of this interface for the
various classes of UUV are presented in associated appendixes.
WK11283–Standard Guide for UUV Physical Payload Interface—The UUV physical payload
interface guide is a physical and functional interface standard that guides: the mechanical and
electrical interface between the vehicle and the payload, and the functional relationship between the
vehicle and the pa
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