SBIR-STTR Award

Present and future ESM receiving systems must be capable of providing fine-frequency-resolution synthesized tuning, switched-bandwidth and/or center frequency predetection if and/or postdetection baseband filtering and transversal equalization and programmable time delay in the transmission paths of all signals of Interest in order to intercept signals of unknown characteristics in a disadvantaged carrier to noise environment. Noting the ability of Acoustic Charge Transport (ACT) monolithic GaAs-based device to serve as either a tapped variable analog delay line, analog memory, variable bandwidth and/or center frequency BPF or programmable transversal equalizer, a six month SBIR study is proposed to investigate in detail the application of present and projected act devices to such ESM receiver analog if signal processing functions as predetection bandpass filtering, correlation detection, postdetection baseband filtering, etc. As such, the proposed program will culmination the design of an advanced ESM receiver which utilizes act devices to provide an optimum combination of the foregoing signal processing functions. Anticipated benefits/potential commercial applications - the advanced act-based ESM receiver design generated during the proposed Phase I study will form the basis for a Phase II follow-on development of a feasibility model ESM receiver if signal processor incorporating an optimum "mix" of act technology. The successful demonstration of the latter, in turn, can lead to the manufacture and deployment of act-based ESM receiver products by the US Navy, as well as army, air force and other government agencies.Key words: acoustic, charge, transport, delay line, programmable filter, receiver, signal processing.

Present and future sigint receiving systems must be capable of providing rapidly tunable frequency conversion, switched-bandwidth and/or center frequency pre-detection if and/or post detection baseband filtering and transversal qualitization, interference excision and programmable time delay in the transmission paths of all signals of interest in order to intercept and characterize signals of unknown parameters in a disadvantaged carrier to noise environment. Noting the ability of acoustic charge transport (act) monolithic gaas-based device to serve as either a tapped variable analog delay line, analog memory, variable bandwidth and/or center frequency bpf or programmable transversal equalizer, a recently completed six month SBIR Phase I study applied the characteristics of present and projected act devices to the generation of an advanced sigint receiver design with the above capabilities. Accordingly, using the foregoing design study as a starting point, a 12 month phase ii follow-on program is proposed to develop, implement and thoroughly evaluate, in a suitable end to end sigint test bed, a brassboard feasibility model act-based receiver if processor. The latter will include, as a baseline, a vhf adaptive channelizer/tracking filter, dds-based dehopping downconverter and rapidly scanned hf if narrow bpf. Proposed add-ons to the above baseline include act-based interference excisor and delay-multipy feature detector. Anticipated benefits/potential commercial applications: the advanced act-based sigint receiver if processor feasibility model developed during the proposed phase ii brassboard implementation program will form the basis for a phase iii follow-on productization effort culminating in a fully packaged sigint receiver if processor preproduction prototype, ready for retrofit and field testing in a "host" sigint receiving system. Successful demonstration of the latter will lead to the manufacture and deployment of these if processor products in sigint receiving systems fielded by the u.s. army, navy, air force and other government agencies.