Abstract: A Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) objective and relay lens system has an F# of 3.33 and angular field of view of 15.28°. It is deployed, with a focal plane and scanning system, on airborne platforms for wide area motion imagery. It is corrected for monochromatic and chromatic aberrations over of 3.3 to 5.1 micrometers. Effective focal length is 20 inches, and the overall length is 40.70 inches. The lens has, from object to image, two groups of optical elements with a cold shield/aperture stop 6 inches from the image plane. Group 1 acts as an objective lens with a positive power and three elements, Group 2 acts as a relay lens has a positive power and four elements. The lens is made of Germanium and Silicon. It used in a scanning system in a pre-objective configuration where the fast scan mirror is located in front of the lens system.

Abstract: Various countermeasure dispensing systems (or CMDSs) and method of use are described herein. CMDS may include a dispenser assembly operably engaged with a platform where at least one electrical connection provides electrical communication between the dispenser assembly and a sequencer. CMDS may also include a magazine assembly operably engaged with the dispenser assembly, wherein the magazine assembly comprises a magazine configured to hold at least two countermeasure expendables. CMDS may also include a breechplate assembly operably engaged with the magazine assembly and adapted to dispense the at least two countermeasure expendables. CMDS may also include at least one magazine identification switch (MIS) operably engaged with the magazine assembly and the breechplate assembly. CMDS may also include that the at least one MIS is configured to enable the sequencer and the breechplate assembly to selectively dispense at least one countermeasure expendable from the at least two countermeasure expendables.

Abstract: A system and methods of an active protection system (or “APS”) for a platform. The APS has a threat cueing sensor provided at a first position on the platform where the threat cueing sensor detects a threat launched from a threat guidance system at a distance away from the platform. The APS also has a logic system operably connected to the threat cueing sensor where the logic system is adapted to determine an estimated location of the threat guidance system via a distance away from the platform. The APS also has a laser source operably connected to the logic system where the laser source emits a countermeasure beam directed at the estimated location of the threat guidance system to deter the threat away from the platform.

Abstract: A method for a system for security evaluation includes working one state at a time; identifying primitives of interest and systematically applying relevant attacks for the system; starting at chip level, working through states, and then expanding a system boundary and repeating; following a sequence of: chip>circuit card>subsystem>system>platform for a product solution under analysis; determining if a system definition has sufficient detail, or is too abstract; for a chip with a native secure boot protocol, determining if all players are represented; representing attacks as vectors made up of measurements of the following attributes: Dollars, days, Probability of success, Probability of destruction, technology node, and number of samples; and representing countermeasures as vectors made up of scaling factors for each of attack attributes.

Abstract: An asynchronous medium access control layer scheduler increases efficiency for directional mesh networks by removing extra overhead in the time slots. The efficiency is increased by dividing time slots into sub-slots to allow for a receiving node to be offset by at least one sub-slot from the transmitting node. This enables the scheduler to more efficiently schedule operations for the nodes so that nodes can be performing other functions rather than waiting to receive a transmission or waiting after transmitting a transmission. The sub-slots may be sized to approximate the transmission propagation time or time of flight delay.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for employing an embedded software defined radio (SDR) in a navigation system. A navigation system implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to acquire and track received GPS signals. The system also includes an SDR configured to process received communication signals. The communication signals include timing data. The SDR is further configured to calculate position and navigation data based on a combination of the processed communication signals and the tracked GPS signals provided by the GPS receiver. The system further includes a system timer configured to provide a common time base for use by the GPS receiver and the SDR. The navigation system is implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Abstract: The system and method for clock synchronization, or calibration, for use in high speed asynchronous serial interfaces. The system and method is automatic, on-line, and occurs in real-time. The process of synchronization may also be started by a user. The calibration scheme is a form of adaptive filtering using 8B10B encoding. Once idle traffic is 8B10B encoded it becomes a stream of K28.5 characters. These characters are used to tune a clock frequency. The process stops, and two devices are synchronized, when the number of idle K28.5 traffic samples are uniformly approximately identical for any of two successive sample intervals.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for dynamic performance enhancement of radio frequency (RF) based systems. A system implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes a waveform decoder configured to perform message decoding operations on a received RF signal waveform and to provide a decoding validation result for the message decoding operations. The system also includes a waveform attribute analyzer configured to analyze physical characteristics of the received RF signal waveform and to provide an attribute validation result for the physical characteristics. The system further includes a statistics analyzer configured to generate a statistic based on the decoding validation results and the attribute validation results and a thresholding system configured to generate anomaly detection based on a comparison of the generated statistic to a threshold value. In some embodiments, the RF signal waveform is an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder waveform or an IFF interrogator waveform.

Abstract: An antenna element suited for direction finding (DF) with omni-directional radiation patterns utilizing a pair of chevron slots fed using a ridged waveguide magic tee (magic-t) and connected microstrip probes. The provided antenna element provides improved performance, power handling, and improved bandwidth compared to current monocone and/or slot antenna elements. The antenna element may be further realized utilizing additive manufacturing processes in combination with standard metal and polymer production techniques.

Abstract: A thin film-retaining washer with custom geometry that may further provide for a simple press-on installation while maintaining retention of fasteners during assembly, shipping, handling, and/or use of associated systems. The present retaining hardware is easily manufactured from sheet or film materials with minimal post-processing and may be scaled and optimized for use with multiple size and style of fasteners. Further, the thickness profile of the thin film retaining hardware facilitates lobe spring deflection to further provide secure retention of the associated fasteners.

Abstract: A lens assembly for a weapon sight includes a first lens having an optical axis and a focal plane array (FPA) coaxial with the optical axis of the first lens. A first parameter of the first lens is selected that minimizes an error in image shift when the weapon sight lens assembly is adjusted for focus. The first parameter of the first lens can be at least one of a lateral position, axial displacement, thickness, effective focal length, material, effective focal length, radius of curvature, conic constants, and higher order aspheric coefficients of the first lens. A sensor can detect a position of the lens and a processor can compare the measured position to an ideal position and use a lookup table to display a corrected reticle position or corrected scene. An actuator may move the lens to the ideal position from the measured position.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for a delay compensated analog beam forming network. A transceiver implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes an array of circuit elements. Each of the circuit elements includes an analog frequency converter to up-convert an analog signal to radio frequency (RF) for transmission and to down-convert an RF signal to an analog signal for reception. The circuit element also includes an analog beam weighting circuit configured to apply a beam weight to both of the analog signals to form a beam for transmission and reception. The circuit element further includes an analog delay element configured to impart a time delay to the analog signals. The time delay is based on the position of the circuit element in the array and is selected to compensate for propagation delay of the analog signals along the electrical path that couples the circuit elements of the array, reducing beam squint.

Abstract: A sequencer for use with a countermeasure defense system includes an input signal indicative of firing an expendable, a circuit card that receives the input signal indicative of firing the expendable and an output analog signal from the circuit card that fires the expendable. The parameters of the output analog signal correspond to parameters of a digital waveform.

Abstract: A hermetically sealed electronics module includes a core IC installed on a substrate. A collar surrounds the core IC and is sealed to the substrate and to a lid, forming a sealed chamber. A heat spreader bonded to an internal surface of the lid extends downward into proximal thermal contact with the core IC. A thin layer of TIM can be applied between the heat spreader and core IC. The heat spreader does not overlap any tall components that extend above the core IC, and can extend over regions adjacent to the core IC. Tall components can be limited to a periphery of the chamber, and/or the heat spreader can include openings that surround central tall components. The heat spreader can be soldered or welded to the lid over an entire upper surface of the heat spreader. X-ray and/or CSAM scanning can detect heat spreader bonding flaws.

Abstract: Techniques to dynamically adjust the corner frequency of a high-pass filter in response to a time-domain amplitude value of an output signal, thereby preserving accuracy while promptly recovering the signal's baseline value. A system can be configured to filter frequency-domain values of an input signal based on a filtering characteristic. The filtering characteristic can be set dynamically in response to a time-domain value of an amplitude of an output signal. The filtering characteristic can comprise a corner frequency, and the system can include a high-pass filter configured to filter out frequency components at frequencies lower than the corner frequency. The system is configured to dynamically change the corner frequency from a first value to a second value, in response to the time-domain value of the amplitude crossing a threshold value. The system may dynamically change the corner frequency within a time interval after the crossing.

Abstract: The system and method for cooling a laser using a split liquid cooled heat exchanger. The temperature of coolant entering the system is applied to a portion of the system most in need of lower temperatures and a second heat exchanger uses the outflow from the first heat exchanger to cool a remaining portion of the system that has a tolerance for higher temperatures. The laser cooling system is compact, e.g., less than 45 cubic inches and can handle thermal loads of about 800 W.

Abstract: Techniques and architectures are disclosed for a system capable of creating large changes in buoyancy that can be incorporated into underwater vehicles, embodiments of the system utilizing edge-welded, metal bellows disposed within a pressure vessel to balance a pressure differential across the bellows while using the bellows to displace fluid and thereby alter the buoyancy of a vehicle on which the system is disposed.

Abstract: The disclosed method enables efficient registration and correction of random vertical and horizontal offsets of a plurality of images of a feature to enable combination thereof with maximum noise suppression. The method includes obtaining image cross correlations and estimating correlation peaks. If a correlation peak cannot be uniquely determined for a given correlation, all candidates are retained. An improved robust weighted regression is applied thereto to obtain estimates of the image shifts. Dimensional symmetry is exploited to remove redundancy from the weighted normal equation, and computational requirements are further reduced by analytically determining the coefficients matrix and the inhomogeneous matrix, thereby circumventing conventional computations. Solution of the resulting consistent, full rank, linear system requires only matrix inversion. For N images, the present method thereby increases computation speed and reduces storage by approximately N2.

Abstract: A switch assembly and a method of effecting a battery to initiate. The switch assembly includes a support that is adapted to operably engage with a battery. The switch assembly also include a slide operably engaged with the support and moveable in a first direction relative to the support between a primed position and a released position. The switch assembly also includes a cover operably engaged with the support and enclosing the slide. The switch assembly also includes a firing pin mechanism operably engaged with the support, the slide, and the cover and moveable in a second direction relative to the slide and the support. In the switch assembly, the second direction of the firing pin mechanism is different than the first direction of the slide.

Abstract: A digital imaging system is provided with direct view of an object, having: an optical element configured to allow visible light to pass therethrough to a user's eye and to redirect light of non-visible wavelengths away from the user's eye; a display disposed between the user's eye and the object; a digital camera mounted outside a field of view of the user's eye and configured to obtaining imaging data from the light of non-visible wavelength; a redirection optic disposed so as to redirect the light of non-visible wavelength to the digital camera; and an image processor configured to process the imaging data from the digital camera and output the data to the display such that an image generated from the imaging data from the digital camera overlays an image produced by the impingement of visible light on the user's eye following the visible light's passing through the optical element.