Optical RF-to-Digital Converters (RFDCs)
Polyphase Microwave Inc.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) has patented optical technology to convert analog RF/microwave signals into a millimeter-wave bit stream. RHIT has teamed with Polyphase Microwave, a small business able to integrate RHIT's technology into a state of the art RF-to-Digital Converter. The expected result will be an RFDC capable of digitizing >30 GHz of analog bandwidth which can be manufactured as a miniaturized chip-scale photonic device. Multiple program offices are looking at this technology because of the increase in receiver bandwidth and dynamic range performance.
Reduced Gold Advanced PackagingOmega Micro Technologies, Inc.
A proprietary LTCC plating process has been developed which deposits a thin gold layer on top of thick-film LTCC-based silver conductors, both on exterior substrate surfaces as well as within cavities. The process initially deposits a thin nickel barrier followed by a thicker gold flash suitable for soldering, wire-bonding, or brazing. The plating process effectively seals the silver thus minimizing or eliminating silver migration and yielding a highly reliable interface for external connections to the substrate. The process yields a highly reliable substrate package at a fraction of the cost of a similarly designed all-gold package.
Program offices would like to use this process to reduce cost in their surface radars. The plating process will yield lower cost, higher reliability substrate designs with equivalent degradation in overall performance.
Active Array Auto-calibration
Technology Service Corporation
The proposed auto-calibration technique exploits features of AESA radars and the inherent mutual coupling among all elements in the array to form complex-valued coefficients for each element. The calibration coefficients are applied to the individual T/R modules to re-align the amplitude and phase of the transmitted and received signals at each element.
The calibration technique will be generalized in an algorithm that can be adapted to multiple DoD and commercial AESA systems. Modeling and simulation tools will be developed to support optimization of the algorithm's parameters for a targeted system and analysis of antenna radiation patterns. Pending availability of an existing AESA system, a feasibility demonstration will also be performed.
Enhanced Built-In-Test (BIT) in RF Systems
Phase IV Systems
The Navy has several old, rotating radars which are expected to be in service until the 2020 to 2050 timeframe. These systems are experiencing failures, part availability issues as a result of obsolete parts, and increasing maintenance and manning costs.
TSC Phase IV Systems has system design experience from direct work with the CDSA and SPS-49. Working relationships already in place with the Navy are necessary to complete this effort.
The Navy is interested in adding Enhanced BIT capability to reduce maintenance costs and increase system availability. Enhanced BIT enables fault isolation down to a single LRU at nearly 100%. This combined with an integrated data environment will dramatically lower Total Ownership Costs for the Navy. This capability can be added in conjunction with the Transmitter and CDSA upgrades for the SPS-49 in FY2011 and is applicable to other legacy radar systems..
Tunable Microwave Filters
Purdue University
Purdue University has had recent research successes in the area of tunable microwave filters for co-site interference mitigation of shipboard communications systems. Indiana Microelectronics LLC (IM) , a newly formed small company, will work with Purdue University to develop a prototype filer for co-site interference mitigation, maturing these concepts to the point of commercialization through IM with oversight from the OEM community . The tunable filters produced by IM would reduce or eliminate interference issues in systems with wideband radar receivers; reduce size, weight, and cost of next generation EW systems by eliminating the need for multiple RF preselect filters; and maximize data rates in communication networks by eliminating strong interferers.
Nichole Lustre
RF Alliance Project Manager
(812) 558-7113
nichole.lustre@rfalliance.org
