Portfolio of work : Ultra-wideband transceiver / Digital RF Memory for Electronic Countermeasures
Based on requirements provided by a major US military prime contractor, the BBSP team designed and built an ultra-wideband digital transceiver in 3U VPX form factor. The card was intended for airborne deployment as part of an RF memory based radar countermeasures system. Rather than simply jamming the hostile radar, the system intercepts radar chirps and records them in the deep on board memory. The recorded waveforms can be digitally modulated in the FPGA to produce false target characteristics. These modified waveforms are then re-transmitted, confusing the hostile radar receiver. This design presented many challenges, including high speed signal integrity, very tight component placement, and a zero airflow environment which required conduction cooling of over 55 Watts in a 3U VPX slot. Our engineers performed extensive research and experiment with thermal gap pad materials, and heat sink geometry to achieve reliable operation with cold wall temperatures up to 75 degrees Celsius.