LADETEC, Executed Projects

LADETEC has a long track record of running projects. Even though we developed our own project-execution methodology — the official CITMA (Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment) methodology not being suited to the kind of work we do (in another post, where I explained the main features of our project philosophy) — we, at LADETEC, over the years, carried out 6 mega research-development projects tied to national or territorial programs, rigorously following the methodologies set out first by the ACC (Cuban Academy of Sciences) and later by CITMA. So let's start with these, the ones we ran through the formal channels.

Projects developed through the ACC-CITMA system (6)

The 6 projects we carried out between 1983 and 2022 were: 1)AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR PRECIPITATION MONITORING BY RADAR (gave rise to the HERMES System and its practical implementation on the MRL-5 radars of Camagüey and MRL-5 of Casa Blanca. A radar calibration methodology was developed along with an adjustment of precipitation estimates against rain gauge data. The foundations were laid for calculating accumulated precipitation over given areas. It ran from 1988 to 1992 and also included the development of the RADEX System); 2)AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR RADAR DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING (gave rise to the ARGOS System, which enabled in situ processing of the radar's volumetric data and full control of radar operation, while still preserving the radar's original manual operation capability, with all its circuitry. Under this project the results AUTOMATIC OPERATOR for the MRL-5 radar and OPTIMIZED SIGNAL PROCESSOR were developed, as well as the CRAILL System for automatic calculation of localized rainfall by area; it ran from 1993 to 1995); 3)FULL AUTOMATION OF THE MRL-5 RADAR (this was a research/development project aimed at producing all the documentation for building a mock-up, Project Macchietta, of a fully automatic Cuban weather radar. Blueprints and interconnection diagrams were drawn up so the MRL-5 radar could operate with a considerable reduction in equipment, eliminating the operating consoles and a large amount of auxiliary circuitry. The theoretical design was completed for the interface boards controlling the transmitters, the receivers, the antenna drive, antenna-position readout, synchronization, analog video processing and digital video processing (8 interface boards were designed, along with the 4 boards with 4-quadrant thyristor bridges. A thyristor circuit and a digital circuit for driving the thyristor bridges were designed, and a Cuban patent was obtained for this circuit; two doctoral theses were defended, one on the antenna drive and the other on the optimized signal processor. Innovative wiring documentation was developed. The VESTA|Proccess and VESTA|Acquire applications were designed. The project ran from 1994 to 1997); 4)IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE DATA OBTAINED WITH THE MRL-5M RADAR (4 theoretical studies were carried out to improve the weather radar surveillance service in Cuba; each one culminated in a technical report, and 3 papers were published at the field's leading events. The 4 results were: "Influence of ground clutter and anomalous propagation on the quality of data obtained with the MRL-5M radar, and possible mitigation approaches", "Errors in MRL-5M radar data processing due to acquisition modes, and proposals for optimized methodologies suited to typical weather situations", "Calibration and technical servicing of weather radars. Technical and methodological aspects. Calibration methodology and radar technical-service methodology", "Influence of attenuation in the MRL-5M radar's 3 cm channel. Optimizing the use of this channel in the automated radar". The 4 results were put into practice through the execution of numerous short projects that gradually shaped the design of the Cuban Weather Radar. It ran in 2001-2002); 5)TOOL SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THE WEATHER RADAR SERVICE (through this project the theoretical groundwork was established for developing the VESTA|Mosaico, VESTA|Distribuidor, VESTA|Supervisor, VESTA|RealTime, VESTA|Web, VESTA|WebView applications, and modifications were made to VESTA|Proccess. It ran from 2004 to 2009); 6)DESIGN OF A DOPPLER AND POLARIMETRIC RADAR MOCK-UP FOR THE CUBAN WEATHER SERVICE (this was a research/development project aimed at producing all the documentation for building a mock-up of a Cuban Doppler weather radar. Modifications were designed for the MRL-5M radar's transmitters to work in Doppler mode, two new Doppler receivers were designed for the 3 cm and 10 cm wavelengths, the DRX-VESTA|Cíclope Doppler processor was designed, the assimilation of NEXRAD processing software was designed under the name VESTA|ORPG, the new VESTA|RCP radar control system was designed, and all the radar wiring was designed; all of this was implemented on the Camagüey radar under the name RD-200SX in 2012, a project with the code name Grossglockner. A methodology was developed for measuring microwave power dose in the radar's surroundings, along with a system for environmental management applicable to any radar in general. It ran from 2004 to 2012); 7)MANUFACTURE OF AN INDUSTRIAL PROTOTYPE DOPPLER RADAR FOR THE CUBAN WEATHER SERVICE (this was a research/development project aimed at producing all the documentation for manufacturing the industrial prototype of the Cuban Doppler Weather Radar. The new radar's transmitter was designed, with a solid-state modulator and output to a coaxial magnetron, conventional magnetron, or klystron. A new antenna-drive system was designed with a brushless synchronous motor-controller. A new Doppler receiver was designed. A new cabinet system was designed. A new power-supply system was designed for this radar with full protection against electrical discharges and power-supply fluctuations. All these modifications were fitted onto the RD-100S radar at Casa Blanca, a project with the code name Cristo, in 2020, and onto the RD-100S-K radar in Holguín, a project code-named Cruz, in 2022).

Predecessor Projects (3)

There was a group of projects carried out before the official founding of LADETEC that constituted the crucible where the methods and working styles that led to the founding of this group were forged. They were: 1)BOMO (Digital Processor and Integrator of the Video Signal of the MRL-5 radar); 2)HERMES (the HERMES System, for the real-time acquisition, processing and display of radar data, using a personal computer) and 3)RADEX (a hybrid system for the real-time acquisition, preprocessing and display of radar data by means of a PC, complemented with deferred, batch processing of three-dimensional radar data on a mainframe computer). All of them related to the automation of the processing of data from the MRL-5 radar of Camagüey and carried out in collaboration with DATINSAC-ESI-Camagüey.

First Technological Innovation Projects (3)

Following the official founding of LADETEC in 1990, numerous technological innovation projects were developed. The first ones were: 1)MICROFAX (a computerized system for the acquisition and display of facsimile data transmitted by radio, implemented at the Coastal Ecosystems Center in Cayo Coco and at the Camagüey Meteorological Center in 1992); 2)AUTOMATIC OPERATOR (hardware and software to achieve the automatic performance of radar observations from a computer, 1992); 3)OPTIMIZED SIGNAL PROCESSOR (the world's first signal processor that used a combination of hardware and software to process the signal of a weather radar, 1993).

Radar automation projects (9)

1)ARGOS (system for the acquisition and processing of MRL-5 weather radar data with fully computerized control of this radar, while also allowing its conventional manual control, implemented at the Camagüey radar in 1993); 2)MACCHIETTA (design, assembly and commissioning of an MRL-5M radar with computer-only control, automatic operation, and a major simplification of the circuitry of a conventional MRL-5 radar, installed on Loma de la Mula by Cuban personnel without the manufacturer's involvement); 3-6)ELBRUS (design, assembly and commissioning of an MRL-5M radar with computer-only control and a major simplification of the circuitry of an MRL-5 radar, using industrial boards instead of the proprietary-design boards of the Macchietta project, with automatic and remote operation. First installed at the Pico San Juan radar in 2000 and reproduced at the Casa Blanca radar in 2001, Camagüey in 2005, and Pilón in 2006); 7-9)FUJI (design, assembly and commissioning of an RC-32BM radar with computer-only control and a major simplification of the circuitry of an RC-32B radar, using industrial boards, with automatic and remote operation. First installed at the Punta del Este radar and later reproduced at the La Bajada radar in 2005 and Gran Piedra in 2006).

Design of software tools for Cuban radars (7)

1)MOSAĬCUM (development of software for the simultaneous, composite display of Cuba's 8 weather radars, named VESTA|Mosaico); 2)ISOS (development of software for the automatic distribution of primary data and the generation of standardized products and images, within which the VESTA|Proccess application generates and handles its own automatic dissemination; the software was named VESTA|Distribuidor); 3)REAL TIME (development of a real-time display that lets you watch, live, the signal the radar is picking up, in the manner of the old PPI and RHI scopes on non-automated radars); 4)AUTOPILOT (tool to automatically update the products generated by VESTA|Proccess every time the radar completes a new observation); 5)SUPERVISOR (development of software to monitor radar observations and their distribution to users, named VESTA|Supervisor, which keeps a full set of statistics); 6)OSTENTUS (development of software for the web display of radar products as radar imagery; it went through three versions, VESTA|Web, VESTA|WebView and VESTA|WebView2); 7)PAREIDOLIA (development of methods and software tools for characterizing the weather objects seen by the radar and, from them, identifying weather phenomena. Research was done into methods for generating warnings and alerts for hazardous phenomena through annotated imagery and infographics).

Projects related to the Cuban Weather Radar (4)

LADETEC's coming of age and maturity was sealed by fulfilling the charge given by the Commander in Chief to design and build a prototype of the Cuban Weather Radar; several projects and subprojects were devoted to this: 1)GROSSGLOCKNER (design, assembly and commissioning of a mock-up of the Cuban Doppler Weather Radar, called RD-200SX, dual-wavelength/dual-polarization, with automatic and remote control from the Internet, using very little of the equipment of the MRL-5M radar (Soviet-made weather radar) it was built on. Manufactured and installed at the Camagüey radar in 2012, and reproduced at the Casa Blanca radar in a single-wavelength/polarity version, under the name RD-100S in 2020, and later reproduced at the Holguín radar, in a klystron version, under the name RD-100S-K in 2022); 2)PARADISE (introduction of the VESTA|RDA-M application to replace the original control system of the METEOR-1500S radar, which broke down and kept the radar out of service from 2011 to 2017. Introducing this application meant losing the link with the radar's original Doppler processor, ASPEN-DRX, so the radar lost its Doppler capability, but regained it in 2022, when it was converted into the RD-100S-K radar under the Cuban Weather Radar model); 3)FRANKLIN (development and implementation of a lightning protection system for the Cuban weather radars, allowing them to keep working through a thunderstorm directly over the radar without interrupting operation. First implemented in 2010 at the Camagüey radar and later successfully reproduced at the other 7 radars (Casa Blanca, La Bajada, Punta del Este, Pico San Juan, Pilón, Gran Piedra and Holguín — this result was incorporated as part of the Cuban Weather Radar design).

Full radar installation projects (4)

LADETEC has carried out the full installation of 4 radars: 1)LA MULA (installation of the MRL-5M radar, a Cuban design built on the base of an old MRL-5 radar, on Loma de la Mula (La Mula Hill) in Camagüey in 1997, code name Macchietta); 2)EL PARAÍSO (installation of a METEOR-1500S radar manufactured by SELEX-Gematronik, on Loma del Paraíso (El Paraíso Hill) in Holguín in 2005, code name: Cuvera–Bolívar); 3)LAS NUBES (installation of a METEOR-735C radar manufactured by SELEX on Las Nubes hill, in Nicaragua, in 2014, code name: Mogotón); 4)LA ISLA HERMOSA (installation of an SSWR-S100D radar manufactured by Toshiba, and brokered by GECI Española for Chi Gu, in Taiwan Province, China, in 2022, code name Yushan).

Projects in Camagüey's industries (4)

Starting in 2023, LADETEC transformed into a private enterprise (a non-agricultural cooperative) and into a Local Development Project, and it carries out small repair and modernization projects in Camagüey's industries. Among them: 1)VINEGAR-BLOWER (restoration and improvement of the bottle-blowing machine at the Camagüey Vinegar Factory; 2)DAIRY-AUTOCLAVE (restoration and improvement of the autoclave sterilization equipment at the Camagüey Powdered Milk Factory); 3)DAIRY-DISTILLER (restoration and improvement of the water distillation equipment at the Camagüey Powdered Milk Factory); 4)RADIOCUBA-REMOTE MONITORING (system for the remote, web-based control of RadioCuba's radio and TV transmitters in Villa Rosita, Camagüey) 5)AQUA (installation of protections for pumping motors and development of a remote control system for the Pontezuela Dam of the Water Resources agency) 6)OVO (development and manufacture of an automatic climate-control system for the poultry houses of the Poultry Company).

New development projects for radars (5)

Our strongest expertise lies in the field of weather radars, so once outside the Instituto de Meteorologia (Cuban Institute of Meteorology), LADETEC threw itself hard into updating our developments on new bases and principles, in line with the most advanced examples in the world, across 5 main areas: 1)LAMULA-DRX/DSP (design and manufacture of a Digital Receiver and Digital Signal Processor for Doppler and Polarimetric weather radars, hardware + software); 2)LAMULA-RCP (design and manufacture of a weather radar controller, hardware + software); 3)LAMULA-ORPG (software for Doppler and Polarimetric acquisition and processing of radar data through the NEXRAD-ORPG software suite, used by the US NWS); 4)LAMULA-WEBVIEWER (software for web visualization of ORPG products). These 4 developments are ready to be deployed on any radar (including the 8 Cuban ones) once contracted; 5)LAMULA-AWIPS (software for analyzing meteorological information from multiple sensors and models (see the post about the new developments).

Assimilation projects (6)

Over the years, LADETEC has assimilated two important systems, and in turn has contributed to the assimilation of a couple of our systems by other countries. Each one of them was a project. They were: 1)UBUNTU (development of a technological solution to use DC-DC converters to drive the antenna motors of an original MRL-5 radar instead of this radar's original electromechanical converters, amplidynes. It was transferred to South Africa to be implemented on two MRL-5 radars in that country); 2)CUVERA-BOLÍVAR (implementation of the VESTA|Proccess, VESTA|Distribuidor and VESTA|Mosaico applications for processing and displaying data from the Holguín METEOR-1500S Doppler radar in 2005, later introduced on the 5 METEOR 1500 S radars of Venezuela's weather service. Development of a geoportal for VENEHMET using the Cuban software suite VESTA|Proccess, VESTA|Distribuidor, VESTA|Mosaico, VESTA|ORPG and VESTA|WebView); 3)HOPE (assimilation of the Doppler processor of Great Britain's weather service called Cyclops-D, adapted and manufactured in Cuba under the name DRX-VESTA|Cíclope, which forms the basis of the 3 Doppler radars deployed in Cuba: Camagüey, Casa Blanca and Holguín); 4)WHITNEY (assimilation of the NEXRAD software suite of the U.S. weather service called ORPG (Open Radar Product Generator), implemented on the 8 Cuban radars in 2009 under the name VESTA|ORPG and also on the 5 radars of Venezuela's weather service); 5)TITÁN (assimilation of NCAR's TITAN application for use on Cuban radars. Later introduced in Nicaragua) 6)AWIPS (assimilation of the AWIPS software suite (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System) used at NOAA's NWS)

To stay true to Marx's words, which have been our motto, LADETEC offers 4 services: 1) radar services, 2) hardware services, 3) software services and 4) consulting and training services.