Abstract

ATDI releases new white paper presenting an innovative AddOn interface that allows the integration of ATDI RF tools with other software applications.

ICS Telecom and its government extension HTZ warfare exchange information back and forth with other software application. The oldest mechanism implemented was the addition of external propagation models.

Presently, more than 20 external propagation models have been developed and used with the platform, some of them are part of the default installation package.

Other developments for specific requirements of the interfaces which include file exchange, database sharing, network (IP) interactions, interface with other modules like DLLs or standalone applications.

Today, ATDI opened its interface further to allow users and third party developers to create their own ‘Apps’, called AddOns, and leverage the power of the RF Platforms to meet their own specific requirements.

Usually, DLLs are designed to host independent capabilities called by the main process. AddOns extend this behavior by being able to request the main process to run a number of required interface functions, like a Software Development Kit (SDK).

Typical AddOn capabilities

Customized and batch printing are typical candidates for AddOns. Although ICS Telecom offers an impressive set of printing capabilities, it is sometimes necessary to mimic existing forms and reports, or customize an output in order to gain efficiency.

The AddOn can request and obtain the site and station information, even the terrain profiles between locations and calculated link parameters and print the information as needed.

Exports to third party applications can be implemented as AddOns. ICS Telecom ‘Export to Google Earth’ capability is an AddOn that requests ICS Telecom to prepare the coverage output for export, the locations and the callsign of the active stations. The information is then packaged as a classic KML dataset and the application opened automatically.

Calculators for link budgets, environmental noise, antenna efficiency, unit conversions are easy to add to the standard interface. Again, external propagation models have been available for a long time and the programming interface well described in the current software documentation:

Longley-Rice Model as external model

Conclusion

An average of one new AddOn per month is created currently. The interface allows quick development of capabilities or prototypes that can be incorporated in the release, supplied as additional modules, or dedicated to specific user needs. The SDK sits on a very solid C/C++ foundation that allows ATDI to create and export more interface functions as required.