BMDS System Protection from Special Threat Environments

The objective of this SBIR project is to develop the technologies needed to allow innovative, high performance avionics systems, subsystems, and components that will enhance the capability of successfully achieving early intercept missile defense in current and future interceptors in all hostile environments. The proposed solution to this problem is to provide subsystem-level detection of the special environment and circumvention of potential damage to commercial integrated circuits by the integration of multiple nuclear event detector chips (NEDs) into the system. When a special environment is detected, the NED interrupts power to critical parts of the interceptor avionics system. After the nuclear event concludes, the system will have survived the event and the NED allows the power to be restored to the protected integrated circuits and the system can again function normally. Present BMDS systems need new nuclear event detector circuits that have different characteristics from the current parts. This program will develop new NEDs that will be fabricated with a modern small geometry process which is presently a trusted mainstream technology. In addition to this, the new parts will have lower power and be capable of handling larger power supply currents at higher speeds.