SB1341-15-RQ-0374_Attachment_3_Brand_Name_Justification_(Ref._15-01513).pdf

Brand Name Justification

Solicitation Number SB1341‐15‐RQ‐0374

This procurement request is for the procurement of National Instruments (NI) brand Radio Frequency

(RF) Instruments, Software‐Defined Radio (SDR) and associated software. This requirement is for specific brand name equipment.

The Wireless Networks Division (WND) in the Communication Technology Laboratory (CTL) of the U.S.

Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), conducts research and development to advance test and measurement technologies and standards design and development for wireless network technologies.

The research carried out in the division requires the deployment of radio frequency (RF) test and measurement equipment for the development and execution of test methods and metrics associated with the different projects in the division. These projects require the ability to run complex wireless experiments in parallel, measuring RF performance metrics in real time. As the division takes on increased research program requirements in spectrum sharing and fifth generation wireless technologies, it requires the more sophisticated measurement, analysis, and generation capabilities provided by this acquisition. NIST’s WND owns a field‐programmable gate array development tool that works solely with National Instruments products.

National Instruments Corporation (NI) is necessary and integral to the success of WND’s research efforts. NI manufactures equipment that is compatible with hardware and software already in use by the WND, the Government user of these items. NIST maintains an enterprise site license for National Instruments LabVIEW Full Development System software, which is used to design and execute tests with the required instrumentation. NIST researchers are currently trained to use LabVIEW in conjunction with NI instruments.

WND owns NI software‐defined radios (SDRs) that will be used in conjunction with the new items; Using a mix of existing NI and non‐NI equipment would result in related delays in delivering on programmatic commitments and may limit the effectiveness, nature and range of tests and measurements that could otherwise be performed.