PICO Phase II--A Prototype Small, Intermediate-Term Precision Time and Frequency Sources for NAVSSI and Link-16 Terminals

"In Phase I, Syntonics demonstrated that it is feasible to providegood frequency control and intermediate-term timekeeping using anensemble of quartz oscillators and an adaptive Kalman filtercontroller.Phase II will develop, test and demonstrate a PICO (PreciseIntermediate-Term Computer-controlled Oscillator) prototype. ThePICO control electronics will monitor an oscillator ensemble andan external time reference, when available, and produce an outputthat is "better" -- i.e., more stable -- than any of thecontributing oscillators or the external time reference. Theprototype will comprise five electronic modules. The two keymodules that comprise the control electronics -- the TimeMeasurement Unit and the Central Processor Unit -- will bedeveloped and tested during the basic effort, with other modulefunctions emulated by laboratory equipment. The three additionalmodules that complete the prototype will be developed and testedduring the option period.BENEFITS: The innovative PICO concept provides: Continued precise timing during GPS outages; A robust architecture, enabling long mean time between failure (MTBF) and low cost of ownership for an eventual product; The potential to ensemble other clocks(such as available atomic clocks) with a PICO unit; The ability to use any external time reference, for example GPS or the JTIDS NTR or ETR.Commercial applications have been identified with both military and civilian customers. SPAWAR has alrea