Via Satellite archive photo

The Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability Consortium (DIFI) group is planning a second European PlugFest in Germany this September to bring together companies from around the world to test the interoperability of their digital ground systems.

DIFI-member companies will be able to test their systems for interoperability with the equipment of multiple vendors based on the advances incorporated into version 1.2.1. DIFI completed work on the updated standard version in March, which introduced mechanisms to enhance timing synchronization and buffer management by eliminating proprietary data flow dependencies. 

DIFI Chairman Stuart Daughtridge said that a record number of companies exhibited DIFI-compatible satcom products at SATELLITE 2025. “The momentum for the standard and the both commercial and government eagerness to see it evolve and adopted is really pushing DIFI members forward,” he said. 

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.

The PlugFest will take place in Holzkirchen, Germany, near Munich, at WORK Microwave from Sept. 8 to 11.