Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable medium to perform operations to classifying airfield debris. The operations include generating a series of frequency-modulated chirps having respective frequencies across a frequency range and directed toward a location of an object in an airfield. The operations can include receiving a series of reflections corresponding to a plurality of frequency-modulated chirps in the series of frequency-modulated chirps and generating a two-dimensional frequency-swept spectral signature representing properties of the plurality of received reflections across a frequency range. The operations can include providing the two-dimensional frequency-swept spectral signature as input to a machine learning classifier that is trained to predict characteristics of objects from frequency-swept spectral signatures and receiving an output representing a predicted classification of the object as airfield debris or not airfield debris.

Abstract: Microwave radar systems using compact form factor devices are described. Examples of such devices include a “folded” beamformer. The beamformer includes: a linear array of microwave antennas; a principal plane including: a Rotman lens; a first set of coplanar microwave waveguides; and a second set of coplanar microwave waveguides; and a series of one or more first planes parallel to the principal, each first plane including the first set of waveguides. Each plane of the beamformer includes one or more sets of miter bends, each set of miter bends configured to redirect waveguides of the first or second set. The beamformer can be configured for use in a radar system, either as a receiver (RX) beamformer, a transmitter (TX) beamformer, or as a combined transceiver (TRX) beamformer. The radar system can also include a second beamformer for receiving and transmitting using two separate beamformers.

Abstract: A front end of a radar system is provided with a first front end apparatus and a second front end apparatus. A first transmit planar component and a first receive planar component in the first front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A second transmit planar component and a second receive planar component in the second front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A linear array of antennas is located along a second end of each planar component. Polarization of a first set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the first transmit planar component and polarization of a second set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the second transmit planar component are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: A system and rack includes an antenna subsystem having a preexisting processing pipeline that receives radio frequency returns and an upgraded signal processing pipeline that performs detection processing for the antenna subsystem. The upgraded signal processing pipeline couples to the preexisting processing pipeline. The upgraded signal processing pipeline includes sampling converters to sample the radio frequency returns of the antenna subsystem, field-programmable gate array devices to generate detection data of the radio frequency returns at full-bandwidth and full-range of the antenna subsystem, graphics processing units to apply algorithms to the detection data of the radio frequency returns, and a signal processor configured to perform operations on the sampled radio frequency returns. The operations can include sampling returns, down-converting sampled detections, filtering detections, digitizing radio frequency returns, and applying algorithms to generate output data.

Abstract: A radar system includes a transmit front end device including a transmit planar component, and a receive front end device including a receive planar component. Each of the transmit planar component and the receive planar component includes a first end, a second end, a cavity space and a linear array of antennas. The cavity space is bounded by beam ports along a first side of the cavity space and by array ports along a second side of the cavity space. The cavity space is in operative communication with the beam ports and with the array ports to form a Rotman lens. A linear array of antennas is located along the second end of the planar component. The transmit planar component and receive planar component are arranged such that the linear array of antennas of the transmit planar component and the linear array of antennas are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: An acoustic cleaving system are described for initiating and controlling crack propagation. In an embodiment, the system includes an acoustic generator that includes a piezoelectric device; a high-voltage power supply; and an acoustic cleaving circuit. The acoustic cleaving circuit includes a push-pull circuit coupled to the piezoelectric device and coupled to the high-voltage power supply, and a capacitor bank that includes one or more capacitors coupled in parallel to the push-pull circuit. In one embodiment, the push-pull circuit is for receiving at least one input signal and for producing an amplified output signal to drive the piezoelectric device.

Abstract: An acoustic system is described that includes a piezoelectric device; an alternating current (AC) power supply for supplying an AC voltage; an AC-to-direct current (DC) converter coupled to the AC power supply for converting the AC voltage supplied by the AC power supply into DC voltage; a function generator for producing an input signal at a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric device; and an amplifier coupled to the AC-to-DC converter, the function generator, and the piezoelectric device, where the amplifier is for producing an output signal by amplifying the input signal according to the DC voltage and driving the piezoelectric device using the output signal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for demonstrating radar upgrade capabilities. One of the systems includes a radar upgrade demonstrator configured to connect to a preexisting radar antenna and having a high-resolution, long-range, SERDES pulse compression architecture.

Abstract: An acoustic cleaving system are described for initiating and controlling crack propagation. In an embodiment, the system includes an acoustic generator that includes a piezoelectric device; a high-voltage power supply; and an acoustic cleaving circuit. The acoustic cleaving circuit includes a push-pull circuit coupled to the piezoelectric device and coupled to the high-voltage power supply, and a capacitor bank that includes one or more capacitors coupled in parallel to the push-pull circuit. In one embodiment, the push-pull circuit is for receiving at least one input signal and for producing an amplified output signal to drive the piezoelectric device.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a multi-purpose radar. The multi-purpose radar system includes one or more subarrays of electronically steered transmit/receive elements, a digital signal processing subsystem that includes a plurality of digital processing elements and a memory subsystem that includes one or more memories, an analog-to-digital subsystem configured to receive the analog output of the one or more subarrays and to store a digital representation of the analog output into the memory subsystem, and a control subsystem configured to direct the digital signal processing subsystem to perform a plurality of different processing algorithms on the data stored in the memory subsystem.

Abstract: Microwave radar systems using compact form factor devices are described. Examples of such devices include a “folded” beamformer. The beamformer includes: a linear array of microwave antennas; a principal plane including: a Rotman lens; a first set of coplanar microwave waveguides; and a second set of coplanar microwave waveguides; and a series of one or more first planes parallel to the principal, each first plane including the first set of waveguides. Each plane of the beamformer includes one or more sets of miter bends, each set of miter bends configured to redirect waveguides of the first or second set. The beamformer can be configured for use in a radar system, either as a receiver (RX) beamformer, a transmitter (TX) beamformer, or as a combined transceiver (TRX) beamformer. The radar system can also include a second beamformer for receiving and transmitting using two separate beamformers.

Abstract: A front end of a radar system is provided with a first front end apparatus and a second front end apparatus. A first transmit planar component and a first receive planar component in the first front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A second transmit planar component and a second receive planar component in the second front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A linear array of antennas is located along a second end of each planar component. Polarization of a first set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the first transmit planar component and polarization of a second set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the second transmit planar component are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: A system and rack includes an antenna subsystem having a preexisting processing pipeline that receives radio frequency returns and an upgraded signal processing pipeline that performs detection processing for the antenna subsystem. The upgraded signal processing pipeline couples to the preexisting processing pipeline. The upgraded signal processing pipeline includes sampling converters to sample the radio frequency returns of the antenna subsystem, field-programmable gate array devices to generate detection data of the radio frequency returns at full-bandwidth and full-range of the antenna subsystem, graphics processing units to apply algorithms to the detection data of the radio frequency returns, and a signal processor configured to perform operations on the sampled radio frequency returns. The operations can include sampling returns, down-converting sampled detections, filtering detections, digitizing radio frequency returns, and applying algorithms to generate output data.

Abstract: A front end of a radar system is provided with a first front end apparatus and a second front end apparatus. A first transmit planar component and a first receive planar component in the first front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A second transmit planar component and a second receive planar component in the second front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A linear array of antennas is located along a second end of each planar component. Polarization of a first set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the first transmit planar component and polarization of a second set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the second transmit planar component are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: A radar system includes a transmit front end device including a transmit planar component, and a receive front end device including a receive planar component. Each of the transmit planar component and the receive planar component includes a first end, a second end, a cavity space and a linear array of antennas. The cavity space is bounded by beam ports along a first side of the cavity space and by array ports along a second side of the cavity space. The cavity space is in operative communication with the beam ports and with the array ports to form a Rotman lens. A linear array of antennas is located along the second end of the planar component. The transmit planar component and receive planar component are arranged such that the linear array of antennas of the transmit planar component and the linear array of antennas are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: A radar system includes a transmit front end device including a transmit planar component, and a receive front end device including a receive planar component. Each of the transmit planar component and the receive planar component includes a first end, a second end, a cavity space and a linear array of antennas. The cavity space is bounded by beam ports along a first side of the cavity space and by array ports along a second side of the cavity space. The cavity space is in operative communication with the beam ports and with the array ports to form a Rotman lens. A linear array of antennas is located along the second end of the planar component. The transmit planar component and receive planar component are arranged such that the linear array of antennas of the transmit planar component and the linear array of antennas are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: A base station for a communication network comprising at least one transmit planar component and at least one receive planar component is provided. Each of the planar components includes a first end, a second end located opposite the first end, a cavity space and an M number of antennas. The cavity space is bounded by a B number of beam ports along a first side of the cavity space and by an M number of array ports along a second side of the cavity space. The cavity space is in operative communication with the beam ports and with the array ports to form a Rotman lens. The M number of antennas are arranged in an array and are located along the second end of the planar component. Each of the antennas is in operative communication with a corresponding one of the array ports.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide improvements to analyze data collected by a radar system. One of the systems includes a phased array module configured to transmit a sequence of pulses to an environment according to a pre-determined pattern. A data analysis system constructs an image based on returned signals from a single point received by the phased array module, and determines one or more characteristics of a target object in the environment based on the image constructed from the returned signals from the single point.

Abstract: A front end of a radar system is provided with a first front end apparatus and a second front end apparatus. A first transmit planar component and a first receive planar component in the first front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A second transmit planar component and a second receive planar component in the second front end apparatus are arranged to be perpendicular to one another. A linear array of antennas is located along a second end of each planar component. Polarization of a first set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the first transmit planar component and polarization of a second set of waves transmitted from the linear array of antennas of the second transmit planar component are perpendicular to one another.

Abstract: A radar system includes a transmit front end device including a transmit planar component, and a receive front end device including a receive planar component. Each of the transmit planar component and the receive planar component includes a first end, a second end, a cavity space and a linear array of antennas. The cavity space is bounded by beam ports along a first side of the cavity space and by array ports along a second side of the cavity space. The cavity space is in operative communication with the beam ports and with the array ports to form a Rotman lens. A linear array of antennas is located along the second end of the planar component. The transmit planar component and receive planar component are arranged such that the linear array of antennas of the transmit planar component and the linear array of antennas are perpendicular to one another.