Ultra-Compact UWB Transient Receiver/Digitizer (R/D) (9705)

Q-DOT proposes to develop an Ultra-Compact (1-2 chip) UWB Transient Receiver/Digitizer to enable the practical military application of UWB for identifying targets behind walls or in foliage. To date, UWB target identification system (TIS) deployment has been severely impeded by the rack-mounted, laboratory equipment required for the receiver/digitizer function. Besides its large SWaP, the dynamic range (i.e., ENOB) commercial equipment is inadequate for UWB TIS. With almost four to eight times more dynamic range, the proposed Receiver/Digitizer will enable numerous types of UWB TIS equipment for a variety of ground-based and airborne operations, specifically including handheld and UAV-borne UWB TISs. The critical UWB R/D RFIC leverages the Government’s investment in Q-DOT’s high-speed, high-precision ADC currently in development. The RFIC will be realized in IBM’s 8HP SiGe BiCMOS process via DoD’s ITAR-compliant Trusted Foundry Agreement (TFA). During Phase I, the Receiver/Digitizer was configured to meet a wide range of mission requirements. Critical elements were conceptually designed to project their performance. The UWB R/D RFIC will be developed with Phase II SBIR funds under Phase IIA. Hittite Microwave Corporation will provide resources to package and test the RFIC as well as develop an Evaluation Board under Phase IIB. Both military and commercial products will be developed in Phase III.