The GTCS Software is a suite of Application Developer Interfaces designed to facilitate third-party applications developers in the integration and use of Raytheon’s Tactical Communications Interface Module (TCIM) line of hardware. Raytheon has recently produced the next generation TCIM hardware in its TacLink line of products.

The GTCS software provides reliable message delivery over TCIMs, Tactical Radios, Local Area Networks (LANs), and Wide Area Networks (WANs). The TCIM is a programmable two-channel communication device that supports multiple protocols and communication interfaces. The GTCS software supports two types of TCIMs: Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)-TCIM and Serial Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (PCMCIA) (SP)-TCIM. The SCSI-TCIM attaches to the host computer via a SCSI adapter and the SP-TCIM attaches to the host computer via a PCMCIA interface. The TCIM hardware and protocol software provide capabilities that allow communication over commercial communications devices as well as tactical military communication devices.

The GTCS Tactical Communications Manager (TCOMM) software segment provides support for the military’s Variable Generic Message Header (VGMH) message format per MIL-STD-2045-47001B. The GTCS implementation of the VGMH format as well as internal message formats that the application software must use to communicate with GTCS are documented in the TCOMM IDD. VGMH support is provided for LAN as well as TCIM connections. TCIM connections can be used through the System Internet Protocol (IP) stack or the TCISS software segment depending on the protocol being utilized. The TCISS software segment also provides for legacy message format support. The TCIM software segment supports twenty-six commercial and military protocols over the three available TCIM configurations —SCSI, Serial PCMCIA, and Ethernet.

Additionally, the NetAdm segment is a JAVA-based GUI segment that allows operators to edit and save named configuration files for setting up specific TCIM links. The MPN segment interfaces the TCOMM module with the Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) Packet Network.

GTCS Software Segments

TCOMM
The GTCS Software’s TCOMM segment interfaces application software to both the IP and Non-IP functionality of GTCS. It provides an implementation of the MIL-STD-20045-47001 JVMH application-level message standard including segmentation and re-assembly functionality. The TCOMM API supports a header-based (completed) or bit-stream-based (proposed) interface.

TCISS
The GTCS Software’s also supports a TCISS segment that interfaces an application with the TCIM driver through a non-IP interface. TCISS provides functionality to manage multiple channels and supports many of the legacy TCIM fire support protocols. A software application can interface with the TCISS driver directly or through the TCOMM module. Using TCISS through TCOMM can make use of TCOMM’s MIL-STD-20045-47001 functionality or by pass it.

188-220 Segment
The GTCS Software’s 188-220 segment consists of an application level driver that talks directly from the operating system’s TCP/IP layer (Using UDP) to the TCIM driver. This segment supports an "N-layer bypass" function whereby applications can write TCIM messages and send them directly to the hardware thus by passing the TCP/IP layer. The MIL-STD-188-220 implementation in GTCS supports both the "A" and "B" versions of the 188-220 protocol as implemented by Raytheon as a TCIM protocol.

TCIM
The GTCS Software’s TCIM segment contains the low-level driver software that communicates directly with the TCIM hardware. The TCIM hardware has multiple interfaces through which a host can communicate. The GTCS TCIM Segment supports the SCSI interface, the Serial PCMCIA interface, and the Ethernet Interface for communication through the SCSI TCIM I & II, PCMCIA SP-TCIM, and the Ethernet TCIM 2-E devices respectively

NetAdm
The GTCS Software’s NetAdm segment is a protocol configuration Graphical User Interface (GUI) written in the JAVA software language. It utilizes the JAVA native code interface to interact with the other C/C++ software segments. Using NetAdm a user can configure a system to enable multiple TCIM communications channels, save named configuration files and later reload them to facilitate system setup and testing.

MPN
The GTCS Software’s MPN segment, running the X.25 protocol, interfaces with the Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) Packet Network, an ARMY network that covers an area occupied by unit subscribers via grids made up of four to six centralized Node centers. The system provides both voice and data communications on an automatic basis supporting both mobile and wire subscribers with the means to exchange communications, data, and intelligence information in a dynamic tactical environment.