DRS Technologies' Neptune, Sentry UAVs use Enerdyne sensor digital data link

EL CAJON, Calif., 5 Feb. 2007. Enerdyne Technologies Inc. has delivered its EnerLinksII advanced video and ISR sensor digital data link system for the DRS Technologies Neptune and Sentry HP unmanned air vehicles.

The EnerLinksII data link system addresses the need to transmit growing volumes of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance information from manned and unmanned tactical mobile vehicles and aircraft.

Information gathered can include video, audio, telemetry, and data from IP-based imaging systems. The system has been proven to provide line-of-sight range coverage to 93 miles (150 km) using a small, lightweight, manually steerable antenna.

The EnerLinksII system includes an airborne modem receiver (AMR) and ground modem receiver (GMR). The AMR integrates video compression, sensor multiplexing, modem, and RF transmission onboard the unmanned vehicle. A system first for EnerLinksII is OrderWire, which allows real-time IP control of AMR system configuration from the ground, including parameter settings for all I/O ports.

A Web-based GUI is used for OrderWire input. The GMR performs signal processing and decompression on the ground to provide output of all the video, audio, metadata, sensor data, and IP sent from the UAV.