INTEGRATED PIN DIODE TRANSMIT/RECEIVE SWITCHING FOR ICBM COMMUNICATIONS

THIS PROJECT EXPLORES AN INNOVATIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF PIN DIODES FOR HIGH POWER TRANSMIT/RECEIVE SWITCHES IN SURVIVABLE ICBM COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS. THE PROPOSED CONCEPT INTEGRATES THE SWITCHES WITHIN THE HIGH POWER AMPLIFIER AND FACILITATES TRANSMIT/RECEIVE SWITCHING AT GREATLY REDUCED POWER LEVELS. PIN DIODE TRANSMIT/RECEIVE SWITCHES ARE COMMONLY USED IN VHF AND UHF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, HOWEVER, THE HIGH TRANSMIT POWER LEVELS AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS ENVIRONMENT HAVE PRECLUDED THEIR USE IN SURVIVABLE ICBM APPLICATIONS. AS A RESULT, CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS AND DEPLOYMENTS REQUIRE SEPARATE TRANSMIT AND RECEIVE ANTENNAS. THE PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION WILL CIRCUMVENT THESE PROBLEMS AND PERMIT RELIABLE HIGH POWER OPERATION WITH A SINGLE ANTENNA. THE PROPOSAL RESEARCH IS BASED UPON THE HIGH OUTPUT IMPEDANCE LEVELS EXHIBITED BY THE SICBM HIGH POWER AMPLIFIER DURING RECEIVE. THIS HIGH IMPEDANCE LEVEL WILL RESULT IN A SIMPLIFIED SWITCH DESIGN AND AN INCREASED TOLERANCE OF THE POST-ATTACK COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM TO ANY DEVICE DEGRADATIONS.