Calling earth with S3C.
Communications Partner of Emirates Lunar Mission
The S3C advantage
Developing communications products for highly regulated environments is an expensive undertaking. Being fast-to-market, while maintaining reliability throughout the product’s life cycle, is essential to the commercial success of a Software Defined Radio (SDR) product.
For over two decades, we have serviced our target sectors with advanced SDR solutions and bespoke hardware. All our products are developed in-house by a team of specialists from the maritime, aerospace and signals intelligence industries, giving you the benefit of comprehensive industry insights and effective communication.
Our SDR Framework
Our in-house developed SDR framework is a lightweight, low-overhead development environment, ideally suited for low-powered embedded systems. Being highly customisable, it excels at solutions for purpose-built hardware. Our development is platform-agnostic on a PC environment and uses final production code that drastically shortens the development cycle.
Extensive library of optimised DSP blocks
Quickly add new waveforms and protocols
Real-time data visualisation & capture in end-product
Time accelerated application and protocol simulation
Quality & Certification
Our experience in product certification for the maritime and aerospace brings new products to market faster, without compromising reliability.
Products
VDES1000
Our VDES1000 module is a bespoke, fully compliant, VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) product. It uses modern, state-of-the-art, technology that allows a very tight integration of components, making it a high-performance SDR solution with a small footprint and low power budget.
The VDES1000 module is a ground-up design that yields excellent customisation options for manufacturers’ specific form-fit requirements. The VDES1000 module fully meets the ship station (mobile) market requirement.
The VDES1000 module delivers industry-leading performance in a small form factor; includes an integrated GPS, high power amplifier and a robust, fully isolated, power supply unit. This enables a fast-to-market and cost-effective adaptation to execute specification changes through software updates.
We developed the VDES1000 in partnership with CML Microcircuits.
Satellite SDR
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is critically important to any coastal nation. This includes the South African government, which is targeting a growing oceans economy as one of the key sectors to fast track its National Development Plan through Operation Phakisa. In order to gain more control over its maritime data and security, the government is supporting the development of a maritime satellite constellation.
ZACUBE-2 is a 3U CubeSat developed by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and launched end of 2018, carrying a powerful SDR based AIS receiver developed by S3C. SDR functionality in space has the added benefit of extending the lifetime and functionality of an expensive investment through in-flight software upgrades and reconfiguration.
AngelFish is a complete stand-alone product, but also a platform that can accommodate various maritime monitoring use cases. Available variants include non-solar, low-power operation compatible with the latest AMRD specifications. Enclosures can be modified for white labelling.
The software can be configured for client-specific needs, building on the AngelFish’s ability to track vast numbers of vessels. AngelFish’s rugged enclosures are IP68 waterproof and the internal battery offers more than ten days of operation without sunlight. Units are field configurable and come with a mounting bracket, simplifying deployment and installation.
AngelFish evolved from extensive field trials in the remote, coastal areas of Madagascar and West Africa. Insights gained from years of field testing enabled us to design the AngelFish to face real challenges that are only experienced at sea and in the hands of fishermen.
AngelFish was developed in partnership with Spire Maritime with support from the UKSA.
TowPro DataTraQ
Superyachts are moving to larger-sized tenders to provide more comfort and versatility for guests. For reasons of design and gross tonnage, they do not want to store these in garages or on deck but prefer to tow them when not in use.
However, towing a tender is not without risk and losing one is an operational loss that severely impacts the operations of the yacht. Trends in tender losses forced leading insurers to increase tow restrictions and deductibles for superyachts and their captains.
TSM-Systems’ TowPro solution alerts the captain in real time to potential issues on the tender by streaming safety data directly to the bridge, effectively providing the captain with “a pair of eyes in the boat”. It is no wonder that TowPro is endorsed by both insurers and yacht management companies.
We developed the TowPro’s DataTraQ modules, which provide data connectivity between tender and yacht as well as satellite tracking in case a tender needs to be recovered.
