StreamCaster LITE wireless data-link product

The StreamCaster LITE 5200, also named SL5200, is an OEM wireless MANET radio module from Silvus Technologies, built for unmanned systems that need a bi-directional line-of-sight data link in a low size, weight and power package. It carries command and control, sensor, video and telemetry data and can relay communications between nodes.

The radio uses the maker's MN-MIMO waveform and is described as natively compatible with the 4000-series StreamCaster radios, so ground, vehicle and airborne nodes of both series can share one mesh network. The maker states a scalability of more than 550 nodes. This is relevant for integrators who connect several UAVs, ground vehicles, sensors and personnel to one network rather than a set of separate point-to-point links.

Output power is up to 2 W, which the maker states is an effective 4 W with transmit eigen beamforming, and the data throughput is up to 100 Mbps. Frequency options are single band or dual band. A case study from the maker reports an air-to-ground link range of 85 km in real-world testing without external amplifiers or tracking antennas; link range in any installation depends on antennas, altitude and environment, so a link budget should be built for each platform.

The module integrates through Ethernet, USB and RS-232 interfaces. Security is provided by AES-256 encryption and, according to the maker, FIPS 140-3. The maker also offers its Spectrum Dominance suite, with low probability of intercept and detection, anti-jamming and advanced threat protection capabilities, which is a separate option for use in contested environments. Network management is by the StreamScape software embedded in every StreamCaster radio, which offers a topology page, a table view, a map overlay, network-wide administration and diagnostics such as a spectrum analyser and temperature and voltage monitoring, accessed from a computer, tablet or smartphone.

The maker positions the module as 60 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than comparable StreamCaster radios, giving Group 2 UAV class performance in a form factor designed for Group 1 platforms. Mass and dimension figures are given in the datasheet.

Typical applications are unmanned aircraft and ground vehicles, airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, military, law enforcement and public-safety communications, where a mesh of radios relays video and data between many platforms.