Transient Shock Resistance of COTS Electronics

The rapid development of wireless technology is creating new opportunities and challenges for instrumentation users and suppliers. A significant portion of the cost for design, construction, and upgrade of Submarine Command, Control, Communications, andComputers (C4I) Systems relates to cabling and could be eliminated if wireless links replaced the cables. However, these benefits cannot be realized until the numerous technical challenges to implementing wireless links are overcome. Wirelesstransmission of data will also offer the potential to eliminate expensive cabling modifications, thus reducing installation and maintenance costs.The proposed Phase I program will first focus on determining which cables in the C4I system that can be replaced and the overall system impact. This includes compatibility and security issues, power requirements, system bandwidth capabilities and theproblems associated with RF transmissions. Luna researchers will perform trade studies to assess the feasibility and payback of replacing candidate cables with wireless links. Requirements for those wireless links will be documented and used to evaluatecommercial wireless technologies. Luna will draw conclusions about the feasibility of wireless links on submarines, and will offer creative ideas and a plan for adapting COTS products and/or developing new technologies and methods to meet the specialrequirements.The technologies and methods developed in this program can be applied to numerous military systems, potentially including Naval platforms, shielded data centers, underground command bunkers, and large space-borne equipment such as space stations. Lunaalso anticipates large non-defense related markets in industrial instrumentation systems coupled with wireless transmission capability. Luna's previous success in this area has resulted in a spin-off company dedicated to the production of wirelessinstrumentation systems for industrial rotating machine health monitoring utilizing COTS RF technology, and has over $1 million/year in revenue.