HYBRID OPTICAL/ELECTRONIC SIGNAL PROCESSOR FOR FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS

ARMY FSC REQUIREMENT HAVE BEEN EXTENDED BEYOND CAPABILITIES OF ALL-ELECTRONIC PROCESSOR DUE TO STRESSING MULTIPLE-TARGET AND FIREWHILE-ON-THE-MOVE SCENARIOS. DYNETICS PROPOSES THAT A HYBRID OPTICAL/ELECTRONICS FCS SIGNAL PROCESSOR CAN MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS THROUGH THE EFFICIENT COMBINATION OF HIGH-THROUGHPUT OPTICAL PROCESSING CONCEPTS WITH EXISTING DIGITAL ELECTRONIC PROCESSORS. THE ANALYSES AND SPECIFICATION OF POTENTIAL HYBRID OPTICAL/ELECTRONIC PROCESSORS FOR APPLICATION IN AN IR OPTICAL RADAR (LIDAR) WILL BE THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF A PHASE I EFFORT. DYNETICS' ELECTRONIC SIGNAL PROCESSING EXPERIENCE WILL FIRST BE UTILIZED TO PARTITION A SELECTED LIDAR FCS SIGNAL PROCESSOR INTO FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS. THE OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING ALGORITHMS, ARCHITECTURES, AND DEVICES THAT MAY OFFER POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS TO PRESENT ELECTRONIC DEFICIENCIES WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND ADAPTED TO ONE OR MORE OF THE PROCESSOR FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS. THE HYBRID OPTICAL/ELECTRONIC CONCEPTS THAT RESULT WILL BE FULLY EVALUATED IN TERMS OF SUCH BENEFITS AS SPEED/THROUGHPUT, ACCURARY, MEMORY REQUIREMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL IMMUNITY, AND SIZE. DYNETICS BELIEVES THAT THE RESULTANT OPTIMIZED, HYBRID OPTICAL/ ELECTRONIC PROCESSOR WILL OFFER ENHANCED LIDAR FCS PERFORMANCE AND BE APPROPRIATE FOR A PHASE II BREADBOARD DEVELOPMENT EFFORT.