Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A17-096

Description

To address the U.S. Armys need for a high-bandwidth, compact, wireless, millimeter-wave soldier-borne datalink, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a novel, low-cost Adaptive Millimeter WavE (AMWE) transceiver system capable of enabling data rates of over 2Gbps in a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) multipass environment. This short-range communication system, built on a unique integration of industry-leading millimeter wave (~60GHz) integrated circuits and application-specific adaptive beamforming algorithm dynamically controlling an ultra-wide-band antenna array provides uninterrupted, duplex, low-BER NLOS communication channels free of any mechanically steered or moving components. The innovative AMWE system with built-in software upgradable electrical interface to soldier-borne sensors and devices is a miniature system-in-package (SiP) ruggedized device with integrated micro wafer level chip scale circuits mounted on a ceramic powder-filled and woven microfiberglass-reinforced PTFE composite microwave substrate. In Phase I, POC will develop board-level transceiver prototype resembling/modeling the WiGig communication link between soldier-borne devices to demonstrate in-hardware feasibility. Simulation results and hardware testing will lead to a final paper design of the link to be developed in Phase II. We anticipate that at the end of Phase II, the SiP AMWE prototype will reach high TRLs and be ready for initial testing at the PEO soldier test facility.