GPS Translator for Small Missiles

For monitoring trajectory and attitude of small missiles and projectiles, the positioning signal accessible from the GPS satellites may be used effectively anywhere on earth. While low-cost compact receivers using "GPS engines" are available, their use on-board highly maneuverable missiles is limited by the up-date rate, processing power, and the local oscillator stability over the operating environmental conditions. To overcome these limitations, Hittite proposes a transponder-based approach which uses high capacity data processing capability located on a remote platform or on the ground. This proposal describes Hittite's approach to implement the GPS translator system for missile tracking. Trade-off studies of system architecture, transponder, processor and communication links will be performed. Both single transponder/INS and multiple transponder architectures will be investigated. Design approaches of the transponder portion of the translator, based on the effective utilization of MMIC technology, for aplications on missile platforms will be investigated. The optimum system configuration will emerge as a combination of on-board miniaturized transponder(s) and remotely located digital signal processor. The proposed program is based on Hittite's experience in the GPS Registration Fuze program, for which Hittite developed a set of MMIC chips for a double-conversion frequency translator.