Developments in electronics have significantly reduced the cost of radios, computing power, and data storage requirements. The computer advances are obvious to anyone who has used a computer for more than a few years. The development of software defined radio (SDR) technology, together with low cost/low power microcontrollers, allows new devices in the sonobuoy form factor to be developed rapidly and inexpensively. Thus, the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology for the telemetry section, together with proven air-drop sonobuoy components for the mechanical platform, allow us to propose the use of designing an ultra-compact sonobuoy upper.
Benefit: Our system is a radical departure from current production sonobuoy upper sections but still maintain the production efficiency and testability while gaining more flexibility for cable packs and lower unit (sensor) electronics. In fact an outcome of the redesign is likely improved producibility because components are modular.
Keywords: ,, Conformal Design, Fiber optics
