SBIR-STTR Award

The modem is the conductor that must orchestrate the complex signal processing functions of the entire protected terminal. As such, it is the key driver to implementation complexity, size and power of the overall terminal. Escape will study modem-enabled power-saving techniques at the terminal, modem board, and modem chip levels, propose a conceptual design, evaluate SWAP savings, and define key requirements for Phase II implementation.

Benefit:
The power-saving techniques of this SBIR topic can be used in future PTW and AEHF manpack terminals to bring protected communications to the forward-operating warfighter.

The primary objective of this Phase II proposal is to reduce the size, weight, and power (SWAP) needed to implement ground terminal electronics for protected waveforms such as AEHF and PTW. Specifically, this Phase II effort will reduce the SWAP of the baseband signal processing and demonstrate AEHF terminal functionality on the reduced-SWAP platform. The development effort includes the design and production of an AEHF modem hardware platform prototype with programmable digital processing facilities necessary to support implementation of the modem and related baseband signal processing, demonstrating low size, weight and power consistent with applicability to a protected manpack SATCOM terminal.