SBIR-STTR Award

Innovative, High Performance, and Radiation Hardened Interceptor Software Defined Radio
Award last edited on: 3/13/2012

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : MDA
Total Award Amount
$974,943
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
MDA08-037
Principal Investigator
Bryan Hughes

Company Information

Amtec Corporation

654 Discovery Drive Suite A
Huntsville, AL 35816
   (256) 772-7200
   info@amtec-corp.com
   www.amtec-corp.com
Location: Multiple
Congr. District: 05
County: Madison

Phase I

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase I year
2009
Phase I Amount
$99,944
Avionics systems currently utilized in BMDS interceptors are considered too expensive, bulky, and heavy, utilizing old technology that does not meet the performance requirements for future interceptor technologies, such as the Kinetic Energy Interceptors (KEI), Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV), and the recently proposed Agile Kill Vehicle (AKV). The government is particularly interested in technologies and concepts that maximize agility, single shot probability of kill, and employment envelope, while minimizing size and life costs. Amtec and its large business partner Rockwell Collins propose to address the requirements of the topic solicitation as well as current and future interceptor communication link subsystems. The proposed solution to this topic will have relevance across BMDS by providing high performance, small size, commonality, and cost savings required for reliable communications between BMDS elements. While the current efforts focuses on near term goals that are lower risk, this proposed effort allows Amtec and Rockwell Collins to probe higher risk technologies and integration levels that would meet performance and size and mass requirements provided by the solicitation topic as well as be compatible with legacy communication links within BMDS.

Keywords:
Software Defined Radio, Re-Configurability, Field Programmable Gate Array (Fpga), Haens, Survivable, Radiation Hardened, Commonality

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase II year
2010
Phase II Amount
$874,999
Software defined radios (SDRs) provide a means to achieve enhanced capability, integrated into a cost-effective and growth-oriented architecture fully backward compatible with legacy BMDS elements. As demonstrated through the results of the Phase I SBIR program, implementing a SDR architecture is not without challenge due to the potential computing performance and radiation hardness limitations of technology available today. SDR-based modems have many advantages over the current ASIC-based interceptor modems, which are not easily or economically field upgradable as new and varying threats/requirements arise. SDR architecture in a next generation interceptor modem will provide the flexibility to respond to technological surprises, changes in mission requirements or threat conditions through software reconfiguration. Further, application of the SDR architecture and associated technology selections will minimize SWAP as compared to existing legacy systems enhancing overall system performance.

Keywords:
Software Defined Radio, Miniaturization, Survivability, Haens, Fading Channel, End To End Communications