Via Satellite archive photo

The Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability Consortium (DIFI) completed work on version 1.2.1 of its interoperability standard, DIFI announced on March 6. 

The new standard builds on version 1.2.0, which introduced mechanisms to enhance timing synchronization and buffer management by eliminating proprietary data flow dependencies. Version 1.2.1 includes improvements in synchronization and flow control, addressing issues identified during the PlugFest Europe event in 2024. 

DIFI was founded in 2021 to advance interoperability in satellite and ground system networks. The group now has more than 60 members. The first update, DIFI 1.1 Standard, was released in August 2022.

DIFI board member and working group chair Simon Swift of ETL Technologies said that the documentation for version 1.2.1 has also been restructured for clarity and expanded with a table of deviations from VITA49.2, on which the original DIFI standard is based.

“The development of version 1.2.1 was the most challenging task our working group has undertaken. Much hard work by the group resolved the issues in a wonderful collaborative process,” Swift said. “Our working groups will continue to perfect and enhance the standard so that our members’ customers will have confidence when they purchase a DIFI-compatible product.”

DIFI members plan to show their products and technologies, including digitizers, modems, test equipment, signal monitoring systems, and virtual ground systems at SATELLITE 2025 this week.