HYPRES’ Industry-First, Wideband All-Digital Receiver Earns Acceptance/Verification Approval from Department of Defense

In depth and in advance, reported in Superconductor Week Issue 1921

Elmsford, NY, March 6:  HYPRES, Inc., a leading developer of superconductor microelectronics (SME) technology, received acceptance/verification approval for its wideband, All-Digital Receiver by the U.S. Department of Defense. The successful completion of this series of performance-based tests by the DoD clears the way for HYPRES to deliver to the U.S. Navy the industry’s first, JTRS All-Digital Receiver.

HYPRES developed the JTRS All-Digital Receiver (ADR) through an $8 million Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III contract with the Office of Naval Research. This first version of the ADR proof-of-concept prototype was designed to directly digitize High Frequency and Very High Frequency (HF/VHF) signals and process multiple Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) signals simultaneously from a single, wideband digital sample processed at extremely high speed. Other versions of the ADR are being developed to process higher frequency JTRS, SATCOM, and SIGINT signals.  HYPRES SME technology is combining 20+GHz analog-to-digital sampling and digital signal processing running at the same 20+GHz clock speed—an industry first.  Funding for the ADR project was provided by OSD from the FY 02 Challenge Program funds, which sponsors promising technology insertion opportunities.

Acceptance/verification is a standard but crucial step in the DoD contract process. It allows the Navy to thoroughly examine contract conformance and validate technology performance one last time before a product/technology is delivered, in this case to the SPAWAR lab, for more extensive evaluation.

Scientists and engineers from the Office of Naval Research, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), and the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center (CERDEC) took part in the acceptance/validation process, conducting a week-long series of tests involving signal processing capabilities and performance comparisons which included standard Army radios. Results will be included in a formal final report of the ADR SBIR Phase III project to be completed the end of May.

Specific tests/measurements evaluated and passed included:

·         compatibility evaluations with standard Army SINCGARS radios and waveforms;

·         testing of selected HF/VHF signals; and,

·         Signal-to-Noise and Spurious Free Dynamic Range measurements. 

HYPRES is developing different versions of the All-Digital Receiver proof-of-concept prototype for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force.  The acceptance/verification process for those receivers is scheduled for later this year.

The All-Digital Receiver is a key enabler to the development of HYPRES’ All-Digital Transceiver product line—which will combine reception and transmission functions in a single, compact, rugged system.  The All-Digital Transceiver is targeted for JTRS, SATCOM, Signals Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and commercial wireless communications applications. HYPRES is working closely with the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Missile Defense Agency in this effort. The HYPRES all-digital radio systems are the ultimate enabler of true Software Defined Radios.