Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: SB161-006

Description

Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to mature, in Phase II, the new Spectrally Cognitive Communication System with Predictability of Extended Link Range (SCYPE). POC demonstrated the feasibility of SCYPE by developing a system concept that can provide beyond line-of-sight communications for link ranges from 50-5000 km. A SCYPE radio and packaging design, including novel antenna designs, was developed to demonstrate viability of operating on a wide range of maritime platforms, including small unmanned underwater vehicles. Technology risk reducing experiments and component-level prototyping demonstrated the feasibility of novel features of the SCYPE radio design. A prototype SCYPE software tool was developed with capability to predict availability, persistence, and speed of point-to-point maritime RF link range and tradeoff studies conducted with this tool showed that datarates >100 kbps can be achieved with SCYPE. The Phase II base period will focus on development of a size, weight, and power-optimized SCYPE prototype, development of a SCYPE waveform that integrates radio parameters and environmental monitoring with a real-time predictive link model. The Phase II Option period will focus on maritime platform integration and test and evaluation of SCYPE system performance with a small network to show multinode connectivity and long-term coverage and data rate predictability.