Calytrix Comm Net Radio (CNR)

Calytrix Comm Net Radio (CNR) is a family of radio simulation products, some of which are pure software products while others are a mix of software and hardware. Training groups everywhere use radio communications in their training environments because simulated radio comms are often a better choice for training than using expensive, real hardware radios that broadcast over the air.

Calytrix's family of CNR products includes simulated radios, comms recording and replay, interfaces between simulated and real radios, bridges between different network protocols, monitoring and remote control of simulated radios, and specialized user interfaces.

Calytrix's Comm Net Radio (CNR) family includes 6 distinct products:

CNR-Sim is an affordable, easy to use, software only, multi-channel radio simulator for Windows and Linux. CNR-Sim digitizes its user's voice into DIS protocol radio packets that are sent across a standard computer network to other CNR-Sims (and compatible DIS radios) where the packets are converted back to audio (voice). CNR-Sim's simple push-to-talk interface lets users rapidly switch among different communication channels. Individual users can be organized into Teams.

CNR-Sim Base has an expanded feature set, including:

• Voice Operated Keying (VOX)
• the ability to listen to different Channels in the Left Ear and Right Ear
• user configurable Channels, and
• user-configurable Teams.

CNR-Sim Pro is the most powerful CNR-Sim configuration, having all the features of CNR-Sim Base plus these advanced features:

• an API interface that lets external applications control CNR-Sim Pro radios, and
• user-configurable signal degradation (e.g. simulated transmission noise or radio jamming)

CNR-Sim's basic features

• Multi-Platform, and Software Only: No need to buy expensive hardware. Use any Windows or Linux computer with any compatible headset with microphone.
• Unlimited Number of Channels: Define and use as many simulated radio channels (frequencies) as you like. {Note: CNR-Sim Free has only 2 fixed channels.}
• Unlimited Number of Teams: Define and use as many teams as you like. Each Team can be assigned a unique Team Color for ease of use.
• User Configurable Hot Keys: Users may assign any keyboard entry sequence to any radio Channel. Pressing that key (or key sequence) at runtime mimics a radio's Push To Talk (PTT) feature, even when CNR-Sim is minimized and not in focus.
• Usable with Hardware Push To Talk (PTT) Devices: Users can easily interface Push To Talk hardware products, such as the XKeys foot pedal.
• Shared Configurations: Configure teams and channel settings once, then share that configuration with other CNR-Sim users.
• Configurable Audio & Networking: User controls for speech sampling rates & playback fidelity, Multicast/Broadcast, Full-Duplex and Half-Duplex communications, and audio data compression for efficient use of network bandwidth.
• DIS Compliant: Configurable settings for DIS radio PDUs. CNR-Sim can communicate with other DIS radios. CNR-Sim does not block third-party DIS applications from running on the same computer.

CNR-Sim API
A Software Development Kit (SDK) for C++ and Java is available for CNR-Sim that enables programmers to develop applications to interact with and control CNR-Sim Pro radios.

CNR-Log is Calytrix’s software that records, replays and exports voice communications of DIS-based radios, making CNR-Log especially useful for After Action Reviews (AARs).  For example, VBS2 uses CNR-Log to replay recorded simulated radio traffic during VBS2’s AAR function. CNR-Log maintains time-stamped records of all compatible voice comms on the network.  An API is provided, so third-parties can develop applications that interact with and/or control CNR-Log.

CNR-Log’s features include:

• Recording: Captures and time-stamps all audio transmissions from all networked CNR-Sims and other DIS compliant radios.
• Playback: Replays recorded voice communications. Users can Pause during replays, and Seek to any audio event for specific analysis. Recordings can be replayed at any time through the audio speakers of the computer where CNR-Log is running, and recordings can also be replayed over the DIS network to remote listeners.
• Unlimited Audio Sessions: Record any number of audio sessions, with no limit on session duration or number of recorded communications except for computer disk storage space.  CNR-Log has been used many times to record all the simulated radio traffic of large and intensive training exercises lasting many days.
• Radio IDs and Related Info: Displays timestamps, radio IDs, radio frequencies and audio signal duration of all recorded comms. Using CNR-Log’s GUI, users can browse all radios on the network to inspect status.
• Audio Export: Exports individual or multiple radio transmissions to single or multiple .WAV files “on the fly”, even while recording.
• Realtime or Compressed Replay: Recorded comms can be played in realtime (including silent gaps) or silences can be eliminated to speed up reviews.
• Configurable Network Controls:  Configure CNR-Log to operate only through certain network interfaces (NICs) and only through user-definable networking ports.
  
  

CNR-Touch lets its user instantiate and control multiple CNR-Sim Pro radios with rapid “one-touch” operations.  CNR-Touch is so named because it’s most often used with a touchscreen, but it can be operated by the computer’s mouse, if desired. In many situations where CNR-Sim provides the radio comms part of a larger training system, users want a single controller for multiple radios. CNR-Touch meets that need.  As examples, soldiers on patrol often have access to more than one radio, and convoy vehicles, ships, and aircraft contain many radios.

CNR-Touch’s basic features:

• Controls up to 5 CNR-Sim Pro radios (on the same computer where CNR-Touch runs)
• Each CNR-Sim Pro radio supports an unlimited number of comm Channels
• Instant volume changes, per Channel, to Low, Medium, and High volume settings
• Instant “one-touch” adjustment of Overall Volume Level
• One-touch routing of Channels to the Left Ear and Right Ear
• PTT, VOX, and MUTE controls
  
  

CNR-Live is a specialized interface device that connects real PTT radios into a computer network of simulated radios like CNR-Sim.

CNR-Live connects to the computer network using standard Ethernet.  No additional hardware is required.  CNR-Live’s software, running inside the CNR-Live box, manages all the issues of bidirectional voice comms between the real radios and the computer network of simulated radios.

If a PTT handset or headset is connected (as shown above), CNR-Live will respond to the action of the PTT switch.  Alternatively, CNR-Live can be configured for VOX operation with an external handset/headset.

Through an easy to use GUI, CNR-Live users independently map each real radio to any of the simulated radio channels.  For example, external radio #1 could be mapped to simulated channel “Bravo Brigade” while external radio #2 could be mapped to a different simulated channel “Charlie Company”.  In that example, all communications on channel “Bravo Brigade” would be heard by all simulated radios (e.g. CNR-Sim radios) tuned to receive channel “Bravo Brigade” and also heard by everyone outside who are listening on real radios tuned to the frequency of the real radio that’s been mapped through CNR-Live to the simulated channel “Bravo Brigade”. 

If CNR-Log were running on the network, all comms, whether from simulated or real radios, would be logged for later playback.

CNR-Live’s features include:

• Standard Ethernet network interface
• Connections for two external radios.  The CNR-Live box is fitted with U-183 connectors that mate to cables with standard mil-radio U-229 end-connectors.  Calytrix packages two radio interconnect cables with each CNR-Live.
• Connection to an external PTT-style handset/headset.  The CNR-Live box has a U-183 panel mount connector that mates to the handset’s U-229 connector.  Calytrix packages one handset extension cable with each CNR-Live.
• Approximate dimensions:  7 inches wide, 11 inches deep, 3 inches high
• Rack mountable  ... requires rack mount hardware separately purchased from Calytrix
• 85 - 264 volts AC, 47 - 63 Hertz
  
  

CNR-Monitor is a software utility with two primary functions:

- display the active state of communications across the network, and
- permit remote control of CNR-Sim Pro radios on the network. 

During runtime, CNR-Monitor listens to the network’s DIS radio traffic and reports “what’s out there.”  For each active DIS radio on the network, CNR-Monitor shows the radio’s ID, simulated location (Lat/Long), transmitting frequency, and similar information.  Because CNR-Monitor listens to the traffic from all DIS radios on the network, CNR-Monitor shows the presence of all CNR-Sim radios (all Free, Base, and Pro CNR-Sims) plus other DIS-compatible radios.

CNR-Monitor can remotely control CNR-Sim Pro radios. {Remember,  only the Pro configuration of CNR-Sim responds to external commands through its API.} 

• turning a CNR-Sim Pro radio On and Off
• changing the channel on a CNR-Sim Pro radio
• adjusting the volume of a CNR-Sim Pro radio
• adjusting the received signal qualities (e.g. noise) of a CNR-Sim Pro radio
  
  

CNR-Bridge is a comms gateway between DIS networks and HLA networks.  CNR-Bridge bidirectionally translates the network’s radio comm traffic between DIS and different forms of HLA.

Calytrix’s CNR products natively run DIS, but sometimes there’s a need to exchange comms data over HLA networks or with systems that don’t “speak” DIS. 

CNR-Bridge is based upon the extremely flexible DIS/HLA foundation of Calytrix’s LVC Game software.  As a result, CNR-Bridge can be used in diverse DIS/HLA environments.  More specifically, CNR-Bridge supports multiple DIS protocols, multiple HLA protocols and HLA FOMs.  For more details about supported DIS and HLA variants, refer to the DIS/HLA details of Calytrix’s LVC Game.

CNR-Bridge is useful in situations like these:

• Exchanging CNR comms with external systems without DIS capability
• Translating the comms traffic of external HLA networks for logging by CNR-Log
• Translating the comms traffic of external HLA devices to interface with real radios via CNR-Live
• Translating CNR networks’ DIS traffic to HLA for transmission over a network that’s been approved and certified only for HLA operation

For more info and brochures please contact us.