The mission of the National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN) is to provide, through its members, robust test processes and validated measurement data necessary to develop, evaluate and deploy spectrum sharing technologies that can increase access to the spectrum by both federal agencies and non-federal spectrum users.The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) established the Center for Advanced Communications (CAC) in Boulder, Colorado, to address, among other challenges, the increasing need for spectrum sharing testing and evaluation capabilities to meet national needs. As part of CAC's mission to provide a single focal point for engaging both industry and other government agencies on advanced communication technologies, including testing, validation, and conformity assessment, NASCTN was formed under the umbrella of the CAC. NIST hosts the NASCTN capability at the Department of Commerce Boulder Laboratories in Boulder, Colorado. NASCTN is a membership organization under a charter agreement. Members• Make available, in accordance with their organization's rules policies and regulations, engineering capabilities and test facilities, with typical consideration for cost.• Coordinate their efforts to identify, develop and test spectrum sharing ideas, concepts and technology to support the goal of advancing more efficient and effective spectrum sharing.• Make available information related to spectrum sharing, considering requirements for the protection of intellectual property, national security, and other organizational controls, and, to the maximum extent possible, allow the publication of NASCTN test results.• Ensure all spectrum sharing efforts are identified to other interested members.Current charter members are:• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AcknowledgmentsThe development and execution of this test methodology and data parsing and analysis required input from multiple types of expertise. Integrating and leveraging a wide range of technical skills was critical to the overall success of the project. Team members, while responsible for specific areas in their domain of expertise, were called upon to contribute to other technical and programmatic areas as needed to ensure the overall project success.Within the technical team, Dr. Daniel G. Kuester led the RF testbed design, including the automation and calibration processes; Dr. Adam Wunderlich headed up the data analysis, investigation into measurand behaviors, and presentation of collected data; Dr. Duncan A. McGillivray led the integration of devices under test (DUTs), optimization of the test operations for efficiency, and establishment of the GPS test conditions with Carlos Ruiz of the Electronic Proving Grounds at Fort Huachuca1; John Ladbury led the RF uncertainty analysis and supported calibration of the RF signaling chain; a...

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Experiments were conducted to evaluate the viability of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology in the design of highperformance optical intersatellite communications links. The optical links were operated at 155, 622 and 2488 Megabits per second (Mbps) and at 1550 nm wavelength. Communications components were evaluated against performance parameters for on-off keyed (00K) systems. Transmitters, receivers, optical amplifiers, and filters, used to minimize the impact of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), were characterized individually and within system configurations. Bit error rate (BER) as a function of photons per bit was characterized for several system configurations. Extinction ratio analysis experiments were conducted to determine the limiting factors on the systems performance. Widely varying optical powers in space (for low earth orbit) imply a robust receiver dynamic range requirement. Dynamic range of COTS receivers was examined and resulted in sufficient performance. In addition, gamma radiation tests on fiber amplifiers were also evaluated in a system context.

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