Ultra High-Speed, High-Resolution Advanced Filter Bank Analog and Digital Converter with Linearity Compensation

This SBIR Phase II proposal develops two independent but complementary technologies that, when combined, provide up to an 8-fold increase in speed of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion with high-resolution, wide dynamic range performance.The Advanced Filter Bank (AFB) technology provides the architecture to combine state-of-the-art converters to dramatically increase the speed. The Linearity Error Compensation (LinComp) technology provides dramatic improvements in dynamic range, whichenables very accurate conversion at high IF or RF frequencies. By eliminating stages of RF downconversion or upconversion, these technologies greatly accelerate the progress toward direct digitization or synthesis of wideband data directly at the antennaelement. The breakthrough in converter performance afforded by the AFB and LinComp technologies will be demonstrated by developing fully-functioning prototypes combining these technologies.An open architecture prototype system will be developed provide a versatile platform to rapidly develop, test, and integrate the very latest converters using these technologies; target specifications include: 1) 12-bit ADC with 1.6 GHz sample rate (withdirect sampling up to 800 MHz IF or RF); 2) 14-bit ADC with 800 MHz sample rate (with direct sampling up to 400 MHz IF/RF); 3) 16-bit ADC with 400 MHz sample rate (with direct sampling up to 200 MHz IF/RF); and 4) 14-bit DAC with 2 GHz sample rate (withdirect digital synthesis up to 1 GHz IF/RF)In addition, a very compact prototype AFB ADC system will be developed for demonstration in the Navy Theater Wide (NTW) digital beam former (DBF) array or other system to test the AFB and LinComp technologies in an operationally relevant environment; thissystem will be designed to provide beyond state-of-the-art, extremely high speed and high resolution analog-to-digital conversion in a very compact package.Very importantly, the AFB and LinComp technologies have been specifically designed to avoid obsolescence because they can both be easily upgraded as new individual converters become available. This Phase II project is based upon two successful SBIR PhaseI projects demonstrating the technical efficacy of these technologies in working lab breadboards. Numerous commercial and government entities have pledged a total of $490,000 of financial support for matching funds for this project; these entities willalso provide technical support to help develop the technologies and a strong customer base for the commercialization in Phase III.The AFB and LinComp technologies overcome the critical analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion bottleneck whichlimits performance of state-of-the-art radio frequency transceiver systems. Significant applications include enhancement of advanced radar systems, wideband universal RF transceivers, wideband Electronic Warfare transceivers, multi-beam adaptive digitalbeamforming array transceivers, linearization of full RF receive or transmit chains, smart radios for wireless communications (cellular and satellite), wide bandwidth modems, high performance special test equipment, software radios, and anti-Jam GPSReceivers. The AFB and LinComp technologies greatly accelerate the progress toward direct digitization or synthesis of wideband data directly at the antenna element.