What is MORA | Modular Open RF Architecture?

Modular Open RF Architecture (MORA) is an open architecture developed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to address the challenges of rapidly evolving and increasingly complex radio frequency (RF) systems. In the context of technology and engineering, an open architecture refers to a system design that is based on open standards, interfaces, and protocols. This means that the specifications and interfaces of the system are publicly available, allowing different components or modules to be developed independently and then integrated into the larger system.

Open architecture encourages interoperability and modularity, allowing components from different vendors to be easily mixed and matched within a system. This promotes competition and innovation, as it enables a wider range of vendors to develop components that can be integrated into the system. It also allows users to easily replace or upgrade individual components without having to redesign the entire system.

MORA is designed to be an open, modular, and scalable architecture that can be easily adapted to meet the needs of a wide range of RF systems. It is based on the principles of open systems architecture, which means that it is designed to be flexible, interoperable, and upgradeable. This allows system integrators to mix and match modules from different vendors, which can help to reduce costs, increase innovation, and accelerate the development of new RF systems. MORA’s core objective is to logically decompose radio frequency (RF) systems for efficiency, flexibility, reusability, and scalability while enabling management, health monitoring, and sharing of raw and/or processed data. It also offers new capabilities, including reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP) and improving interoperability functions within the platform.

At its core, MORA is a framework that defines the interfaces between the various modules that make up an RF system. These modules can include everything from antennas and transceivers to signal processors and power amplifiers. By defining standard interfaces between these modules, MORA enables interoperability and simplifies the process of integrating and upgrading RF systems.

Foundation of MORA

The Army’s Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (VICTORY) architecture defined an Ethernet-based network architecture for integrating electronic systems within military ground vehicles, as well as interface specifications for sharing sensor and data products, managing configuration, modes, and health of the infrastructure and applications, transporting data with quality of service, and implementing necessary information assurance controls to protect the system and its data. VICTORY supports the non-time critical messaging and management of RF systems, which includes setup, tasking, and monitoring of RF processing chains, and transport of lower-volume processed data messages. However, extensions to VICTORY were required to support the transport of large-volume signal data streams and to standardize the access and low latency control of the RF chain.

MORA extends the scope of VICTORY by adding a low latency transport mechanism, data streaming interfaces, new message types, management operations, and functional concepts that are specific to RF applications. MORA decomposes RF components into logical groupings of interfaces enabling management, health monitoring, and dissemination of raw and/or processed data across two physical buses. It uses the VICTORY Data Bus (VDB) for access control, transport for publish/subscribe data streams, and device-level web services for management.

Additionally, it recommends leveraging VICTORY’s Position, Navigation, and Time (PNT) services. To achieve its goal, MORA also utilizes a specific implementation of standards from the VMEbus International Trade Association (VITA) for control and dissemination of data and context on the MORA Low Latency Bus (ML2B). VITA 49.0 established standards for receive-only data and context while VITA 49.2 added transmit functionality and control messaging. MORA leverages a subset of VITA 49.2 in a locked-down manner to support true interoperability. The MORA development group within the C5ISR Center worked closely with the VITA 49 Working Group to provide input and implement necessary changes in the 49.2 revision of the specification. MORA’s dual bus architecture supports the varied latency and throughput constraints as well as provides a natural boundary for potentially sensitive data.

Benefits of MORA

Modularity: MORA is designed to be modular, which means that it allows different components to be developed independently and then integrated into a larger system as needed. This can help to reduce development time and costs, as well as make it easier to upgrade or replace individual components without having to redesign the entire system.

Openness: MORA is an open architecture, which means that the specifications and interfaces are publicly available. This encourages collaboration and innovation among vendors and system integrators and allows for greater competition and flexibility in the marketplace.

Scalability: MORA is designed to be scalable, which means that it can be used in a wide range of RF systems, from small, single-function devices to large, complex systems with multiple functions and capabilities. This scalability is achieved through the use of standard interfaces and modular components, which can be combined in different ways to meet the specific needs of each system.

Interoperability: MORA is designed to be interoperable, which means that it enables different modules from different vendors to be mixed and matched within a system. This can help to reduce costs, increase innovation, and accelerate the development of new RF systems.

Flexibility: MORA is designed to be flexible, which means that it can be easily adapted to meet the needs of different RF systems. This allows system integrators to select the components that are best suited to their specific requirements and to upgrade or replace components as needed.

Applications of MORA

MORA can be used in a wide range of applications in the telecommunications industry, particularly in the design and development of radio frequency (RF) systems. Here are some examples of the applications of MORA:

• Military Communications: MORA was originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for military communications systems. MORA can be used in military radios, electronic warfare systems, and other RF systems used by the military.
• Aerospace and Defense: MORA can be used in aerospace and defense applications such as satellite communication systems, radar systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
• Public Safety Communications: MORA can be used in public safety communications systems, such as police and fire department radios, emergency communication systems, and disaster response communication systems.
• Industrial Communications: MORA can be used in industrial communication systems, such as wireless sensor networks, process control systems, and automation systems.
• Wireless Communications: MORA can be used in wireless communication systems, such as cellular networks, Wi-Fi networks, and Bluetooth networks.

MORA’s modularity, openness, and scalability make it a powerful tool for system integrators and vendors who want to reduce costs, increase innovation, and accelerate the development of new RF systems. MORA can be applied to a wide range of RF systems, from small, single-function devices to large, complex systems with multiple functions and capabilities. As the telecommunications industry continues to evolve, MORA is likely to become an increasingly important architecture for the development of advanced RF systems.

Click here to learn about SOSA, another open standard.