Reference Template Generation for Cross-Correlation Based Receivers

Welkin Sciences proposes to develop the Template Identification Processing System (TIPS), a very-high-speed digital signal processor implemented on the company's DataFlowDSP(TM) hardware platform, an interconnected network of FPGAs and embedded general-purpose CPU blades. The TIPS works in tandem with a cryogenic RSFQ-based sub-system to form a complete signal identification and discovery capability. The RSFQ components digitize a wideband RF input signal and the room-temperature TIPS analyzes the digitized signal stream to generate signal signature templates for previously unknown signals. The proposed TIPS design is intended to serve three purposes: 1) a development platform for real-time template generation algorithms; 2) a fielded first-article template generating processing unit that can be built and delivered within the budget and schedule limitations of an SBIR Phase II program; and 3) a development platform for the algorithms that match (or correlate) the received signal with the list of signal signature templates (ideally such algorithms would migrate to the RFSQ sub-system). The proposed TIPS design employs a truly open architecture philosophy based on COTS hardware components in the industry standard ATCA form factor. Software development tools used for this project are entirely open source (Linux/GNU), and the firmware is developed using the familiar MATLAB platform, the same toolset used to develop and refine the DSP algorithms in the conceptual design phase prior to implementation.