Abstract: Systems and methods for a lightweight north-finder. A method of using a north-finder includes a tube configured to fire munitions secured to a base in preparation of firing operations. A north-finder coupled to a tube in order to determine an azimuth and elevation. The north-finder is rotated ninety degrees about an axis parallel to the tube in order to confirm the determined azimuth and elevation. The determined azimuth and elevation is displayed to a user. A system of using a north-finder includes a tube configured to fire munitions secured to a base. A north-finder mount coupled to the tube having a north-finder is configured to determine an azimuth and elevation. The north-finder includes a ring laser gyro, an accelerometer, and an inertial measurement unit, wherein, when the north-finder is rotated ninety degrees about an axis parallel to the tube, azimuth and elevation values are confirmed.

Abstract: A resonator gyroscope comprises a reference laser generator to produce a reference light; a first slave light source to produce a first slave light locked to the reference light; a second slave light source to produce a second slave light locked to the reference light; a resonator coupled to said first and second light sources, the resonator having first and second counter-propagating directions and resonance tracking electronics coupled to the Sagnac resonator to generate a first beat frequency based on a first resonance frequency for the first counter-propagating direction, a second beat frequency based on a second resonance frequency for the second counter-propagating direction, and a third beat frequency based on a third resonance frequency for the second counter-propagating direction; wherein the rotational rate of the resonator gyroscope is a function of the first, second and third beat frequencies.

Abstract: Systems and methods for bounded minimal latency for network resources without synchronization are provided. In one embodiment, a method for managing data traffic between nodes in an asynchronous network comprises: receiving a data request message at a first port of network switch; storing information about the data request message in a memory at the network switch; forwarding the data request message to a producer node; receiving a data message at a second port of the network switch; determining whether the data message is responsive to the data request message; when the data message is responsive, forwarding the data message from the network switch; and when the data message is not responsive, blocking the data message from being forwarded from the network.

Abstract: A nanowire magnetic sensor includes an array of magneto-resistive (MR) nanosensors with each MR nanosensor including a set of MR nanowires that are all aligned in the same position for one direction. The substrate can be a flexible substrate bent into a circular configuration for compass applications. A plurality of individual nanosensors can be connected into resistive Wheatstone bridge configurations by metallization.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a directional movement of an object such as a wheeled vehicle. The system includes a magnet having a north pole and a south pole mounted to the object, a single magnetic sensor positioned such that the sensor can individually detect each magnetic pole as the object moves, the sensor configured to produce a first characteristic signal when a north pole is detected and a second characteristic signal when a south pole is detected, and a processing device in signal communication with the sensor, the processing device configured to determine a directional movement of the object based on a configuration of a signal doublet that includes the first and second characteristic signals. The methods include sensing the north and south poles as they pass the magnetic sensor and determining a direction based on an order in which the north and south poles are sensed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for minimizing vibration rectification error in magnetic circuit accelerometers. The systems include an accelerometer with an excitation ring that has a top piece with a lower portion inner diameter and a bottom piece having a diameter smaller than the lower portion inner diameter of the top piece. The accelerometer also includes a proof mass, a magnet mounted to the bottom piece of the excitation ring, a pole piece mounted to the magnet, and a coil attached to the proof mass that extends into a gap between the top piece of the excitation ring and the pole piece. The methods include placing a pole piece in a pole piece to lap surface fixture, placing an excitation ring top piece on an outer portion of the pole piece to lap surface fixture, and placing an excitation ring bottom piece in a lower portion of the excitation ring top piece.

Abstract: A communication network is provided. The network includes a least one switch and a plurality of ports. Each port is in communication with the at least one switch. At least one of the ports is configured to introduce a time delay after each transmission of a frame based at least in part on a maximum transmission rate of the at least one port and its allocated transmission rate.

Abstract: A power converter can include an output circuit having a high-side device and a low-side device which can be formed on a single die (a “PowerDie”). The power converter can further include a controller integrated circuit (IC) formed on a different die which can be electrically coupled to, and co-packaged with, the PowerDie. The PowerDie can be attached to a die pad of a leadframe, and the controller IC die can be attached to an active surface of the first die such that the first die is interposed between the controller IC die and the die pad.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a system for distributing cellular radio frequency signals, a hub unit is configured to digitize first and second analog radio frequency signals in order to generate first and second digital data, respectively, indicative of the first and second analog radio frequency signals. The first and second analog radio frequency signals are broadcast from first and second base stations, respectively, associated with first and second cellular service providers, respectively, using first and second air interfaces, respectively. The first and second digital data are transported to a radio access node from the hub unit using a shared transport medium. The radio access node is configured to reconstruct versions of the first and second analog radio frequency signals from the first and second digital data, respectively, using first and second digital-to-analog converters.

Abstract: A method of dealing with anomalies in an output signal is provided. The method includes monitoring transitions in the output signal. When transitions do not occur at expected times, detecting an anomalous signal. Determining the type of anomalous signal based at least in part on the time period of the anomalous signal and conditioning the output signal based on the type of anomalous signal detected.

Abstract: A method for maintaining measurement accuracy of a ring laser gyroscope is disclosed. The method involves periodically measuring a path length control voltage in the ring laser gyroscope over a prescribed temperature range. When a first path length controlled by the path length control voltage deviates at least one wavelength from a nominal path length, the method detects the change in the path length as a mode shift. For each mode shift, the method applies a path length correction to maintain the first path length at a target path length over the prescribed temperature range. The method can apply a correction to a measurement signal output of the ring laser gyroscope by adjusting a calibrated scale factor depending on an actual integer number of wavelengths achieved during a mode shift.

Abstract: An apparatus for gain control in a communication system is disclosed. The apparatus includes means for receiving at least one aggregate communications signal, the at least one aggregate communications signal comprising a summation of distributed communications signals, means for detecting at least a sample of a signal level of the at least one aggregate communications signal, and means for attenuating the signal level of the at least one aggregate communications signal based on the signal level sample.

Abstract: Systems and methods for network clock synchronization are provided. In one embodiment, a method for clock synchronization in a braided ring network comprises: providing a schedule for a braided ring network comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein at least two nodes comprise a self-checking pair of a first node and a second node, the first node performing a method comprising: determining when a first rendezvous message is received from the second node; when the second rendezvous message is received, calculating a time difference between the send instance of the first rendezvous message and a local time; when the time difference is not greater than a reference bound, calculating a sending point for transmitting a synchronization message, wherein the sending point is calculated based on the time difference; and selectively sending the synchronization message to the braided ring network when the sending point is reached based on the time difference.

Abstract: Systems and methods for Doppler beam sharpening in a radar altimeter are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a return signal at a radar altimeter receiver and applying a first gate to the return signal to select at least a first component of the return signal. Spectral analysis is performed on the first component of the return signal to generate a plurality of frequency bins, wherein each frequency bin is centered around a different frequency across a Doppler shift frequency spectrum for the first component of the return signal. The method further comprises tracking the first component of the return signal, selecting a first frequency bin of the plurality of frequency bins based on the Doppler shift frequency of the first component of the return signal, and outputting a portion of the first component of the return signal falling within the first frequency bin for further processing.

Abstract: A vehicle trajectory visualization system capable of displaying real-time (or recorded) vehicle orientation, position, velocity, and waypoint data using a 3D rendering system. The aforementioned data is transmitted from the vehicle to a base station that processes and manipulates the data prior to 3D rendering and insertion into a database. Due to the storing of the vehicle trajectory data, playback of past trajectories is possible, enabling enhanced visual After-Action Review. This system provides instant visual inspection of any virtual or real vehicle's planned trajectory and waypoints versus actual traveled trajectory.

Abstract: A multipoint-to-point, orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communication system is provided. The system includes a plurality of remote units and a host unit that includes a demodulator. Each of the remote units transmits an upstream OFDM signal using a multiple access scheme to the host unit demodulator using at least one of a plurality of orthogonal tones within an OFDM waveform. The host unit receives the upstream OFDM signals from a plurality of the remote units, the tones of the upstream signals being substantially orthogonal when received at the host unit. Portions of upstream OFDM signals from at least two of the remote units arrive at the host unit at the same time. The host unit demodulator demodulates the portions of the upstream OFDM signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods for bidirectional communication are provided. In one embodiment, a multipoint-to-point, orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communication system comprises: a plurality of remote units, a host unit; wherein the host sends an adjustment signal to a remote instructing the remote to adjust the timing of transmissions from the remote to improve orthogonality of the OFDM waveform received at the host, wherein the host sends an adjustment signal to a remote instructing the remote to adjust the frequency of transmissions from the remote to improve orthogonality of the OFDM waveform received at the host, wherein payload data is transmitted between a remote and the host over a first orthogonal tone within the OFDM communication system during a first time interval, and wherein control data is transmitted between a remote and the host over the first orthogonal tone within the OFDM communication system during a second time interval.

Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit arrangement limits the DC voltage applied to a tip and ring amplifiers of a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC), each of which has a first polarity input coupled to a first current flow path to which a DC input (battery) voltage is coupled. A first current source supplies a first current derived via a low pass filter path from that flowing through the first current flow path to a second polarity input node of the tip amplifier, while a second current source supplies a similarly low pass filter path-derived second current to a second polarity input node of the ring amplifier. A voltage regulator is coupled with the first current flow path and is operative to regulate the voltage at the first polarity inputs of the tip and ring amplifiers to a regulated voltage value Vreg, so that the magnitudes of the first and second currents are based upon the regulated voltage value Vreg.

Abstract: A DC-to-DC converter includes one or more power switches, a pulse width modulation circuit for generating control pulses for the power switches, and an output inductor connected to the power switches. A thermally compensated current sensor is connected to an intrinsic current sensing element exhibiting a temperature-based parameter non-linearity. The thermally compensated current sensor has a temperature coefficient that substantially matches a temperature coefficient of an intrinsic power converter element used to measure current flow, thus linearizing the current measurement. Also, a current feedback loop circuit cooperates with the pulse width modulation circuit to control the power switches responsive to the thermally compensated current sensor.

Abstract: Systems and methods for testing a signal generated by a Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) in a radar altimeter. In an embodiment of the method, a voltage signal derived by comparing a fixed reference frequency to a ramped frequency signal generated by the DDS based on a clock-based reference signal is generated. The generated voltage signal is integrated over a predefined range of clock signals. The integration is sampled at a previously defined clock tick. The sample is compared to a desired value and an indication that the radar altimeter is malfunctioning is provided if the comparison exceeds a predefined threshold value. The radar altimeter system is deactivated if an indication that the radar altimeter is malfunctioning has been provided.