Talk to Us

digital ground station

Reliable, resilient digital ground station operations

Software-defined SATCOM processing at the terrestrial edge. Virtual modems run in an on-premise cloud, commanded through the Digital Earth Terminal Interface (D-ETI).

Schedule a Demo View All Products

THE PROBLEM

Analog ground infrastructure can’t keep pace with modern SATCOM

01

Analog ground stations can’t scale or adopt new waveforms without hardware changes.

02

Proprietary, fixed infrastructure creates visibility gaps and vendor lock-in.

03

Ground-based processing adds latency to time-critical missions.

THE SOLUTION

A software-defined ground station with observable, resilient operations

01

Virtual SATCOM modems and cloud processing replace analog ground infrastructure.

02

A 100 Gbps DIFI/VITA 49.2 digital backbone distributes data in real time.

03

Integrated health monitoring and interference mitigation make operations observable.

04

Open APIs and COTS hardware eliminate vendor lock-in and reduce O&M costs.

How It Works

Cloud-native SATCOM processing even at the terrestrial edge

Digital Ground Station delivers virtual modems, integrated monitoring, and high-speed processing through an on-premise cloud architecture.

01

On-premise DSP-native cloud architecture

Processing happens locally on optimized CPU/GPU/FPGA hardware, so decisions don’t wait on a round trip to the cloud. On-premise architecture keeps latency low for time-critical operations.

Key Capabilities

  • On-premise DSP-native cloud architecture
  • CPU/GPU/FPGA high-speed processing
  • Low-latency local operation
02

Parallel virtual SATCOM modems

Virtual modems run in parallel, so operators can utilize links dynamically and host alternative waveforms and CONOPs without swapping hardware.

Key Capabilities

  • Parallel virtual modems
  • Dynamic link utilization
  • Alternative waveform and CONOP hosting
03

100 Gbps DIFI/VITA 49.2 backbone

A fully digital 100 Gbps backbone distributes DIFI VITA 49.2 compliant pre-D data across the ground station in real time.

Key Capabilities

  • 100 Gbps fully digital backbone
  • DIFI VITA 49.2 compliant
  • Real-time data distribution
04

Integrated system and link health monitoring

Built-in monitoring shows system and link state and raises automated alerts, with interference mitigation and DSP applications running alongside.

Key Capabilities

  • Integrated system and link health monitoring
  • Interference mitigation algorithms
  • DSP application integration
05

Nanosecond time tags and Alternative Waveform Manager

Nanosecond-precision time tags support accurate geolocation for time-critical missions, while the Alternative Waveform Manager (AWM) enables flexible, waveform-agnostic Infil/Exfil for high-priority missions.

Key Capabilities

  • Nanosecond precision time tags
  • Alternative Waveform Manager (AWM)
  • Infil/Exfil for high-priority missions
06

Open APIs and COTS baseline

Open APIs let operators integrate new technologies, algorithms, and CONOPs without a redesign, and a commercial off-the-shelf hardware baseline keeps O&M costs down.

Key Capabilities

  • Open APIs for rapid integration
  • COTS hardware baseline
  • Reduced O&M costs

D-ETI Interface

The Digital Earth Terminal Interface commands your ground station

D-ETI (Digital Earth Terminal Interface) is the intuitive graphic interface for command and control of Digital Ground Station assets. It gives operators one observable view of virtual modems, link health, and waveform deployment across the ground station.

01

Command and control through an intuitive GUI

D-ETI’s graphic user interface puts command and control of Digital Ground Station assets in one place, so operators run SATCOM functions without specialized training.

Key Capabilities

  • Intuitive GUI for C2 of DGS assets
  • Single, unified operations view
  • No specialized training required
02

Observable operations

D-ETI surfaces system and link health, automated anomaly alerts, and integrated metrics and logs — turning a traditionally opaque ground station into an observable one.

Key Capabilities

  • System and link health visibility
  • Automated anomaly alerting
  • Integrated metrics and log collection
03

Waveform and timing control

From D-ETI, operators deploy and monitor parallel virtual modems, manage alternative waveforms through AWM, and apply nanosecond-precision timing for geolocation.

Key Capabilities

  • Deploy and monitor parallel virtual modems
  • Manage alternative waveforms via AWM
  • Nanosecond-precision timing for geolocation

01

VITA 49.2 DIFI

02

Open API for easy integration

03

Integrated metrics and log collection

04

Cloud-based Kubernetes architecture

05

Automated anomaly altering

06

COTS, Proprietary and GFE interference mitigation

FAQ

Common questions about digital ground stations

What is a Digital Ground Station and how does it differ from analog ground infrastructure?
What is D-ETI and how does it relate to the Digital Ground Station?
How do virtual SATCOM modems work and why do they matter?
What is DIFI/VITA 49.2 and why does it matter for SATCOM?
What is the Alternative Waveform Manager (AWM)?
Why is nanosecond-precision timing important for SATCOM?
How does the Digital Ground Station reduce operations and maintenance costs?
How does the Digital Ground Station integrate with existing SATCOM systems?
How does on-premise architecture improve reliability and latency?
What operators use the Digital Ground Station?

A Digital Ground Station replaces fixed analog hardware with virtual SATCOM modems and cloud-based signal processing, so waveforms and capabilities change through software instead of hardware procurement. Analog ground stations require physical changes for new waveforms and can’t scale processing dynamically. Auria’s Digital Ground Station runs virtual modems on an on-premise DSP-native cloud architecture with a 100 Gbps DIFI VITA 49.2 backbone, open APIs, and integrated health monitoring — reducing O&M costs, eliminating vendor lock-in, and scaling compute to mission demand.

D-ETI (Digital Earth Terminal Interface) is the command-and-control interface for the Digital Ground Station. It gives operators one intuitive GUI to command ground-station assets, monitor system and link health, deploy parallel virtual modems, and manage alternative waveforms through AWM. Put simply, the Digital Ground Station is the software-defined SATCOM system, and D-ETI is how operators see and control it — an observable, single-pane interface where legacy ground stations left operators with blind spots.

Virtual SATCOM modems implement modem functions in software on commercial compute hardware instead of dedicated modem boxes. Fixed hardware modems cap capacity and require physical replacement for upgrades or new waveforms. The Digital Ground Station runs parallel virtual modems that scale with demand, host multiple waveforms on shared infrastructure, and update through software — enabling dynamic link utilization and flexible capacity without idle hardware or vendor dependencies.

DIFI is an open IEEE standard, based on the VITA 49.2 specification, for streaming digitized RF/IF samples and metadata over IP networks. The Digital Ground Station distributes DIFI VITA 49.2 compliant data across a fully digital 100 Gbps backbone, so systems from different vendors interoperate. Standardized data prevents vendor lock-in — operators share and process signals across systems where proprietary formats create incompatibility.

The Alternative Waveform Manager (AWM) enables flexible, waveform-agnostic deployment of Infil/Exfil waveforms for high-priority missions. AWM abstracts waveform complexity so operators deploy alternative waveforms without hardware changes. Paired with the Digital Ground Station’s parallel virtual modems, AWM lets crews switch or add waveforms and CONOPs on demand, where legacy systems require a hardware redesign for each new waveform.

Nanosecond-precision time tags let the Digital Ground Station support accurate geolocation and time-critical mission execution. Processing latency and coarse timing prevent the positioning precision sensitive operations require. Nanosecond time tags give operators the accuracy needed for geolocation and time-critical missions where traditional systems fall short.

The Digital Ground Station uses a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware baseline instead of proprietary components, which reduces operations and maintenance costs. COTS parts are available from multiple suppliers, so operators avoid sole-source vendor support and expensive custom replacements. Combined with software-defined upgrades, the COTS approach cuts O&M spend while keeping the system current.

The Digital Ground Station uses open APIs to integrate new technologies, algorithms, and CONOPs with existing SATCOM infrastructure, and VITA 49.2 DIFI for interoperability with existing satellite control systems and networks. Open architecture lets operators modernize incrementally — adding digital processing alongside existing systems — rather than replacing everything at once, which reduces deployment risk and cost.

The Digital Ground Station’s on-premise DSP-native cloud architecture keeps processing local on CPU/GPU/FPGA hardware, eliminating the network latency that cloud-only deployments introduce. Local processing enables real-time decisions and consistent performance for time-critical operations, while integrated health monitoring and automated alerting keep operations observable and reliable.

The Digital Ground Station supports the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and commercial SATCOM operators modernizing ground infrastructure. Beacon digital ground technology was selected for the DoD MUOS ground station providing primary UHF global backhaul; SOCOM and tier-one units host custom waveforms on Beacon platforms; and SpaceX uses Beacon modems for the Star Shield government constellation Link 182 waveform. Commercial operators use it to run multiple constellations (LEO, MEO, GEO) through one software-defined platform.

Ready to modernize your ground station?

Put SATCOM processing in software instead of fixed hardware, so your operators can add waveforms, scale capacity, and run it all from D-ETI.

Schedule a Demo View All Products

C3 software from orbit to the tactical edge. Built by operators, deployed across the most demanding national-security missions.

Talk to Us

Auria | Copyright 2026 | All rights reserved

Mission-ready integration