Miniature WCDMA Payload

Communications systems are hindered by inherent system limitations and also by physical attributes. For WCDMA systems three prominent issues are capacity, high latitude performance (for systems based on geosynchronous satellites), and Line Of Sight (LOS) performance. The MUOS system, based on geosynchronous satellites, will be affected by all three issues. Commercial terrestrial systems are affected as well and could benefit from the development of a new solution to these problems. The miniature WCDMA payload addressed by this SBIR can be architected to address these issues for the MUOS system, for commercial systems, and for future WCDMA systems. The KinetX approach is based on the design of a common signal processing architecture that can be re-used for any WCDMA system. Modularity of design allows RF elements to be optimized for a given application while retaining the core signal processing subsystem. Future WCDMA systems can benefit as well, since only the RF elements need to be developed, along with software to configure the signal processing to the waveform parameters. Finally, with relatively straightforward re-packaging, this payload design can be hosted by a number of airborne platforms. The KinetX solution addresses military and commercial systems, and multiple host platforms.