Broadband Antenna and Radio Frequency (RF) Distribution Technologies

In response to the needs of the US Navy and Marine Corps for low probability of intercept, anti-jam radio systems SENTEL has developed a transformational radio frequency distribution system for frequency hopping systems that avoids cosite EMI problems. The architecture is based on the use of linear comb filter banks to provide RF distribution for frequency hopping, single channel, and wideband waveforms across the 2 MHz to 2 GHz range. This technology has been jointly patented by the US government (SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego) and Sentel Corporation under the names Comb Limiter Combiner and Comb Linear Amplifier Combiner (CLIC / CLAC). Prototype CLIC / CLAC hardware was successfully demonstrated for the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS). The CLIC / CLAC architecture demonstrated to-date allows up to 16 SINCGARS radios to be connected to one transmit antenna and one receive antenna, thereby reducing the numbers of topside antenna required, which will in turn decrease radar cross-sections of the ships. SENTEL is currently completing an SBIR PHASE I effort to demonstrate the scalability of this architecture by designing CLIC and CLAC units for UHF (225 to 450 MHz) line of sight. Phase II efforts are directed at prototyping this capability for HAVE QUICK and EPLRS.