Abstract: Embodiments of power efficient radio frequency mixers are provided. A generalized impedance matched low-voltage active mixer circuit technique, which utilizes a plurality of commutator cells and transformers, is disclosed. The active mixer techniques are reconfigurable between various operation configurations based, at least in part, on selectively activating at least one of a plurality of commutator cells. The low voltage active mixer function is coupled to an impedance matched amplifier which can be bypassed allowing changes in the gain of the mixer circuit suites while preserving impedance matching.

Abstract: A flexible TOF processing block having power measurement circuitry comprising separate modules that can be modified using parameterizable registers, without complete reconstruction, allows development to continue while the overall design is optimized.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for automated determination of a rocket configuration based on acceleration during rocket motor burn-out and temperature. The rocket configuration is associated with a class of warhead affixed to the rocket. A methodology implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes measuring the acceleration of the rocket over a period of time associated with the flight of the rocket. The method also includes calculating an acceleration difference between the measured acceleration associated with the start of rocket motor burn-out and the measured acceleration associated with the end of rocket motor burn-out. The method further includes measuring an internal temperature of the rocket and selecting a delta acceleration threshold based on the measured temperature. The method further includes comparing the calculated acceleration difference to the selected delta acceleration threshold, to estimate the rocket configuration.

Abstract: A radar warning receiver is disclosed. The radar warning receiver includes an antenna, a signal detection unit, a signal identification unit and an alarm. The antenna collects radio frequency (RF) signals. The signal detection unit is configured to generate a group of frequency and amplitude signals based on the collected RF signals. Specifically, the signal detection unit includes a pair of limiting amplifiers for converting the collected RF signals into corresponding pulsed output signals that track the actual frequency oscillations of the collected RF signals, and a pseudo-random noise generator for injecting noise into one of the limiting amplifiers. Based on the frequency and amplitude signals, the signal identification unit determines whether or not any of the collected RF signals includes a threat signal. The alarm is utilized to present a threat signal to a human operator.

Abstract: An exponentially tapered slot antenna assembly includes a plurality of antenna panels arranged together in a general box-like configuration. At each corner of the box-like configuration, a capacitive load panel is in operative electrical communication with orthogonal pairs of antenna panels. Each antenna panel defines an inner and outer surface and has an electromagnetic interference shielding material positioned thereon. The shielding material positioned may be positioned near a first or upper edge of each antenna panel of the assembly. It has been empirically determined that this configuration enables an operational bandwidth that is greater than 5:1 and a voltage standing wave ratio that is less than 3:1 over the 5:1 bandwidth.

Abstract: A high efficiency optical beam dump having at least two glass plates configured to define an optical path configured to reflect a beam incident the optical path from plate to plate, wherein the plates include anti-reflective coatings and high reflective coatings and wherein the high-efficiency optical beam dump is capable of very high levels of attenuation through repetitive absorption and reflection of an optical beam.

Abstract: A mixer device is disclosed, which is fabricated as a bipolar-complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) integrated circuit device, to provide improved linearity and dynamic range, at higher operating frequencies. A mixer device configured according to an embodiment includes a driver circuit comprising bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) to convert a local oscillator signal to a high slew-rate gate drive signal. The driver circuit is configured as a quasi-complementary driver employing NPN BJTs. The mixer device further includes a mixer circuit comprising CMOS field-effect transistors (FETs) configured to mix an input signal with the gate drive signal to generate an output signal through the application of the gate drive signal to the gate port of the CMOS FETs. The mixer device further includes a voltage biasing circuit to provide a biased body voltage to the FETs to allow overdriving to a negative voltage relative to the body voltage.

Abstract: Low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC)-coupled stripline resonator filters for use as bandpass filters are implemented with combline topology or with interdigital topology. The filter bandwidths range from about 0.3 GHz to less than 1 GHz with frequency operation of about 0.1 GHz to 100 GHz. The filters have vias between adjacent resonators with via spacing significantly smaller than the wavelength at the filter center frequency to generate electrical walls between adjacent resonators resulting in coupling reduction for narrowband filter implementation. A narrowband filter transformer loading structure launches the input and the output to the first and last resonators.

Abstract: A Taint Modeling Function (TMF) finds abstract patterns and uses them to automate the malware detection process. TMF involves the process of statically analyzing a sequence of assembly language instructions and abstracting complex relationships among instruction inputs and outputs into a mathematical function containing a set of algebraic expressions. The set of expressions support fully automating semantic pattern detection in binary code. It deterministically generates outputs given inputs determining code block outputs, for given inputs, without executing the code. It detects code patterns automatically to spot bad coding patterns directly from the binary used to detect bugs statically in the entire application space.

Abstract: A laser beam dump is provided. The laser beam dump may include a housing that has a plurality of connected walls defining an atypical or asymmetrical polygonal prism. When viewed in longitudinal cross-section, the asymmetrical polygonal prism housing defines a general hexagon shape. A chamber is defined by the housing and a highly reflective cone is positioned therein. The inner surfaces of the housing are formed from a highly absorptive material with respect to electromagnetic energy in the form of a laser beam. When an laser beam enters the chamber of the beam dump, it contacts the highly reflective cone outer surface and it nearly fully reflected to the absorptive walls of the housing. This reduces the reflection scatter of light from the first contact with the cone.

Abstract: System and method for detecting objects in geospatial images, 3D point clouds and Digital Surface Models (DSMs). Deep Convolution Neural Networks (DCNNs) are trained using positive and negative training examples. Using a rotation pattern match of only positive examples reduces the number of negative examples required. In DCNNs softmax probability is variant of rotation angles. When rotation angle is coincident with object orientation, softmax probability has maximum value. During training, positive examples are rotated so that their orientation angles are zero. During detection, test images are rotated through different angles. At each angle, softmax probability is computed. A final object detection is based on maximum softmax probability as well as a pattern match between softmax probability patterns of all positive examples and the softmax probability pattern of a target object at different rotation angles.

Abstract: A focal-plane array includes: an array of thermal sensors arranged in at least 120 rows and at least 160 columns, the thermal sensors being divided among three or more subarrays; and bias circuitry to concurrently pulse bias the thermal sensors of one of the rows of each of the subarrays, and to sequentially bias the rows of each of the subarrays at a rate of at least 40,000 rows per second. A readout integrated circuit includes: a sensing area to physically and electrically connect to the array of thermal sensors and includes row circuitry to perform the concurrent pulse biasing and the sequential biasing, and column circuitry to concurrently measure analog signals from the pulse-biased thermal sensors; and conversion circuitry to convert the measured analog signals to corresponding digital signals. In some embodiments, the thermal sensors are operated without cooling. In some embodiments, the rows are interleaved between the subarrays.

Abstract: The system and method of real-time, two-way communication between a handler and a canine using RF frequencies. A multipurpose canine camera system with audio, visual, and thermal capabilities that transmits securely between a handler and a canine through hard structures and over long distances. The canine portion having one or more sensors. The sensors may include location, monitors for canine vital signs, heat signatures, chemical signature detection, and many others. The handler portion having a display configured to control the camera on the canine portion.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of geolocating a target includes: receiving, from a plurality of sources, a corresponding plurality of angle estimates of the target relative to the respective sources; generating a corresponding plurality of planar renditions of the received angle estimates; selecting a combination of two or more planar renditions whose intersection defines a polygon; in response to multiple such combinations, selecting one having a largest number of planar renditions; and determining a center of the polygon of the selected combination.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring radio frequency (RF) signals is disclosed. The apparatus includes an RF splitter, a set of track-and-hold circuits, a set of analog-to-digital circuits (ADC) and a frequency tracking module. The RF splitter splits a set of incoming RF signals into multiple RF signal paths. Each of the track-and-hold circuits, which is clocked at a different frequency than others, samples the incoming RF signals from a respective one of the RF signal paths. Each of the ADCs receives the sampled data from a respective one of the track-and-hold circuits. Each of the ADCs is also clocked at same frequency as a corresponding one of the track-and-hold circuits. The frequency tracking module determines a frequency of the incoming RF signals.

Abstract: A radiation-hardened electronic system is disclosed. The radiation-hardened electronic system includes a reconfigurable analog circuit block, a digital configuration logic circuit block, and a radiation-hardened isolation latch circuit connecting between the reconfigurable analog circuit block and the digital configuration logic circuit block. The reconfigurable analog circuit block includes multiple analog inputs and outputs. The digital configuration logic circuit block includes multiple digital inputs and outputs for controlling various functionalities of the reconfigurable analog circuit block via a set of configuration data. The radiation-hardened isolation latch circuit prevents the configuration data from entering the reconfigurable analog circuit block when the configuration data has been corrupted by a SEU.

Abstract: A Compact and Athermal VNIR/SWIR Spectrometer utilizes a slit, a Mangin lens, a pupil lens adjacent to the diffraction grating, corrector lenses, a beam splitter, field lenses and SWIR and VNIR FPAs. In examples, two corrector lenses are used. Some examples do not utilize field lenses and beam splitter, some examples utilize only the SWIR radiation spectrum. By balancing the powers of the optical elements and Abbe numbers of glasses as well as usage of aspheric surfaces combinations, a monochromatic and polychromatic aberrational correction is achieved; by balancing optical elements refractive indices change with temperature an athermalization is achieved. The overall length of the spectrometer does not exceed 4 inches, and in some examples it is 2.5 inches. A wide field of view and a low F number are obtained with an operating wavelength range from approximately 400 to 2350 nm. The spectrometer is particularly suited to airborne applications.

Abstract: A seeker includes a detection array having at least 2500 sensing pixels arranged in rows by row request lines and in columns by column request lines. At least one pixel includes an electromagnetic radiation sensor to trigger the pixel in response to sensing a triggering quantity of electromagnetic radiation, a row request circuit to send a row request after the pixel triggers, and a column request circuit to send a column request after the pixel triggers. The seeker further includes a row receiver to receive the row requests, a column receiver to receive the column requests, and a sequencer to receive, for each triggering pixel, the row of the row request and the column of the column request, and to generate an event including the received row and column of the pixel. The seeker also includes a time stamper to generate a time stamp for the generated event.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for implementing a portable spectrum analyzer. An example system, according to an embodiment, includes a signal analyzer including an RF receiver to receive RF signals from an antenna, an analog-to-digital converter to generate a sampled signal based on the received RF signals, and a signal analysis co-processor to perform cognitive scanning analysis of the sampled signal. The cognitive scanning analysis includes detection, identification, and characterization of digital/analog signal(s) embedded in the sampled signal. The system may further include a communications interface circuit to provide communication between the signal analyzer and an associated mobile host platform (e.g., smartphone). The communication includes transmitting results of the cognitive scanning analysis to the mobile host and receiving parameters from the mobile host to control the operation of the cognitive scanning analysis.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for a multiwavelength laser source and a method of driving the multiwavelength laser source. The multiwavelength laser source includes: a plurality of seed lasers to generate a corresponding plurality of seed beams having a corresponding plurality of distinct seed wavelengths; a laser combiner to receive and combine the seed beams into a single first beam; an optical amplifier to amplify the first beam; and a single fixed nonlinear converter to convert and output the amplified first beam as a multiwavelength second beam including the seed wavelengths and one or more new wavelengths distinct from and generated from the seed wavelengths. In some embodiments, the nonlinear converter is an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) or an optical parametric generator (OPG). In some other embodiments, the nonlinear converter is a sum frequency generator (SFG), a difference frequency generator (DFG), or an optical parametric amplifier (OPA).