Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A15-019

Description

To address the Army need for a very high dynamic range two-tone measurement instrument, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Automated Two-Tone Very High Dynamic Range RF (A2D) Instrument. The proposed A2D instrument consists of two basic subsystems: a very high dynamic range analog front end, and a broadband, flexible, automated digital backend. Because A2D builds on mature in-house technologies and an established measurement technique, high payoff is expected with minimal risk. Innovations in the system architecture enable A2D to resolve intermodulation products from test signals separated by as much as 100 MHz or as little as 1 Hz. As a result of its unique design, the A2D instrument offers broadband dynamic range of 120 dB or more in a compact form factor, which directly addresses the Army requirements for a flexible, automated, commercially available instrument. In Phase I, POC will conduct a proof-of-principle demonstration to show that this A2D approach meets the Army specifications for the RF instrument. Phase I will include modeling and benchtop measurements, to bring the technology readiness level (TRL) to 4. In Phase II, POC plans to develop and demonstrate a compact, packageable prototype measurement instrument to reach TRL 6.