SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of this proposal is to develop design and performance information needed for the construction of a "brass board" radom board and signal processor operating in the I.R. radiation region -(long wave length as well as of 2 to 6 microns). Radom signal proceeding techniques possess the potential for creating a quantum jump in capabilities for locating and identifying I.R. emitting targets or threats hidden in clutter (background). For example, radom signal processing applied to the I.R. region provides the capability to separate a weak target's or a threat's I.R. signal from the stronger I.R. cutter (background) even when the frequence spectrums of the clutter (background) and target (threat) signals overlap. Random signal processing techniques are well founded in theory.

This proposed Phase II constructs an infrared random signal processor "brass board" using the results of a Phase I feasibility study (Navy Contract N-00019-88-C-0314). Two subphases are proposed. One subphase for constructing the factoring (analog to digital)capability. The other subphase constructs the joint adaptive filter and combines both subsystem into the final randoms signal processor. The proposal contains two different infrared random procerssing "brass boards." This duel proposal arose from the uncertainty of the customer's needs. One system uses a Michelson like interferometer (intermediate infrared band) and the other is all reflective (optical to submillmeter). Although two systems are proposed only one system will be constructed