Spectrum Monitoring Payload for ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

ASI will leverage its recent work in small form factor HF, VHF and UHF RF direction finding to accelerate and risk reduce Navys Spectrum Monitoring payload. In this Phase I SBIR, ASI will deliver analysis and system descriptions for the antenna subsystem and its calibration, the RF and digital processing subsystems and ScanEagle integration. For the antenna subsystem, ASI will leverage its RF propagation and antenna design know-how to complete: an analysis of suitable antennas, including computer simulation results from 100MHz to 18 GHz of the antennas positioned on a CAD model of ScanEagle; antenna selection for the Phase II development based on that analysis; and, a detailed calibration strategy to deliver accurate spectrum measurements over 360 degrees of azimuthal angle from the antenna subsystem. For the RF and digital processing electronics subsystems, ASI will complete a survey of new, commercially available, small form factor spectrum analyzers and front ends. These will be compared with ASIs recent developments using COTS processors and ADC cards with custom RF front ends. Component selection and system description based on the survey and analysis will be delivered. ASI will develop a product definition that ensures integration with meteorological functions, LIDAR payloads and ScanEagle.