LIGHT-WEIGHT PRINTER

COMPUTERS HAVE PROLIFERATED THROUGHOUT THE ARMY AT A RAPID PACE AND ARE NOW COMMON DOWN TO THE BATTLEFIELD LEVEL. THE GROWTH OF POWERFUL, TEMPEST-HARDENED, PORTABLE COMPUTERS THAT HAS MADE THIS PROLIFERATION POSSIBLE BRINGS WITH IT THE NEED FOR EQUALLY PORTABLE, TEMPEST-HARDENED PRINTERS. THERE HAS BEEN GREAT PROGRESS IN PRODUCING SMALLER, FULL FEATURED, LIGHT-WEIGHT PRINTERS FOR THE COMMERCIAL MARKETPLACE. HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE EFFORT EXPENDED IN MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MILITARY IN THIS AREA. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED AND THE FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCING A MILITARIZED, TEMPEST-HARDENED, LIGHT-WEIGHT PRINTER WHICH FULFILLS THE SPECIFICATIONS LISTED IN THE SBIR SPECIFICATION A86-58. TWO APPROACHES ARE DISCUSSED: 1) MODIFYING AN EXISTING COMMERCIAL PRINTER, AND 2) DESIGNING A NEW PRINTER. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED EFFORT IS TO COMPLETE A PHASE I WORK PLAN, WHICH WHEN EXECUTED IN PHASE II, WILL PRODUCE THE DESIRED PRINTER. THE FINAL RESULT OF PHASE I WILL BE A DETAILED ENGINEERING PLAN FOR MODIFYING AN EXISTING PRINTER, OR A SET OF DETAILED PLANS FOR A PROPOSED NEW PROTOTYPE PRINTER DESIGNED ON THE BASIS OF THE PREVIOUS STEPS.