We will determine the technical merit and feasibility of developing a low cost, high data throughput computer to provide reliable processing essential to fielding a compact Digital Array Scanned Interferometers (DASIs). This specialized computer will be based on a minimal instruction set microprocessor computer (MISC) with a small number of transistors (less than 20,000), highly integrated functionality to reduce parts count (goal of less than 90 parts), and very low power requirements (less than 2 Watts). The MISC will be especially suited for aircraft operation and field portable sensor systems. The MISC will operate at a minimum of 100 Mips, with improved operations to 400 Mips, so that data encoding at 200 Megabits/sec can be implemented.
Potential Commercial Applications:Without a high performance, low power, low weight computer, both remote basing and palm size field portable DASI instruments will be difficult to achieve with existing products. Viable commercial applications (and efficient research) will only be realized once high speed processing in low cost, low power, small sizes is achieved. Commercial applications include monitoring contaminants and bacteria found in food with small hand portable units; detecting and measuring contaminants in human blood with small hand portable units; detecting algal blooms which deplete our fish supplies form remotely piloted aircraft. To cite an example using the MISC with a DASI instrument, potentially hazardous spills on the highways can be interrogated using a hand-held DASI instrument to determine very quickly the nature and toxicity of the spill. The MISC eliminates the need for carrying an expensive, bulky high speed computer especially confiugred for processing DASI data.
