MINIATURE, RADIATION HARD ACCELEROMETER FOR KINETIC ENERGY VEHICLE

KINETIC-KILL VEHICLES WILL NEED GUIDANCE, NAVIGATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF OPERATING AFTER LONG PERIODS OF TIME IN A HOSTILE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT. COMPONENTS RESISTANT TO BURNOUT CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO INTENSE LEVELS OF RADIATION MUST ALSO BE SMALL, LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOW-COST. SUITABLE LOW-COST INERTIAL SENSORS--ACCELEROMETERS AND GYROS--AND THE ELECTRONICS NEEDED TO INTERFACE THEM TO MICROPROCESSORS ARE NOT PRESENTLY AVAILABLE. SILICON DESIGNS IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A MINIATURE, LOW-COST, INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ACCELEROMETER COMPLETE WITH MICROPROCESSOR INTERFACING ELECTRONICS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE BASIC DESIGN OF THIS ACCELEROMETER CAN BE EXTENDED TO MEET THE RADIATION REQUIREMENTS FOR KINETIC-ENERGY VEHICLES, ACHIEVING A TOTAL DOSE HARDNESS OF 10 TO THE 6 POWER TO 10 TO THE 7 POWER RADS (SI). SOME PRELIMINARY WORK INDICATES THAT A GULLIUM ARSENIDE VERSION CPABLE OF 10 TO THE 8TH POWER RADS MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE. IN PHASE II WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AND TEST A MINIATURE, RADIATION-HARD, LOW-COST ACCELEROMETER THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR KINETIC-ENERGY WEAPONS.