All-Digital LOS Processor for EM Pulse Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing line-of-sight (LOS) processor architectures for semi-active or active pulsed electromagnetic targeting systems face challenges in size, weight, power constraints, and are inefficient in detecting EM pulses amidst natural clutter and active jamming, leading to potential mission failures due to errors in detection or LOS processing.
Innovation Solution
An all-digital LOS processor architecture that converts analog signals to digital, allowing for improved pulse detection and LOS calculation performance through configurable channel activation, matched filtering, adaptive thresholding, and notch filtering, enhancing sensitivity and accuracy over a wide field-of-view while reducing susceptibility to false alarms and jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an all-digital LOS processor architecture is implemented, then pulse detection performance and LOS calculation accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for multiple A/D converters, digital summers, and digital signal processing components
Solution Approach 1:
The detector is divided into multiple individual channels, each with its own A/D converter and digital pulse detector. This segmentation allows independent processing of signals from different spatial zones, improving overall detection performance while distributing the computational load across multiple simpler parallel units rather than requiring one complex centralized processor
Solution Approach 2:
Digital summers combine signals from multiple individual channels to create sum channels, merging processing results to improve signal-to-noise ratio and detection accuracy. The coordinated operation of multiple A/D converters, digital pulse detectors, and summers creates a unified digital processing system that achieves superior performance compared to analog architectures
2Measurement precision
If multiple A/D converters and digital processing channels are used, then detection accuracy over a wide field-of-view is improved, but size and weight of the processor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces analog electronic circuits with digital signal processing. By converting analog signals to digital early in the processing chain and performing all subsequent operations (amplification, filtering, detection, summation) in the digital domain, the system eliminates heavy analog circuitry while maintaining detection accuracy across the wide field-of-view
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state of signal processing from analog to digital domain. This parameter change enables more efficient processing with reduced hardware requirements, as digital signal processing can achieve higher precision with smaller, lighter components compared to traditional analog architectures
3Use of energy by moving object
If digital signal processing is used instead of analog processing, then power consumption is reduced, but detection sensitivity may be affected by quantization errors from A/D conversion
Solution Approach 1:
A/D conversion is performed early in the signal processing chain, before amplification and other processing operations. This preliminary digitization prevents subsequent analog processing from introducing additional noise, and allows all subsequent operations to be performed digitally with high precision, maintaining detection sensitivity while reducing power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes analog amplification and filtering circuits with digital signal processing operations. Digital processing requires significantly less power than analog circuits while maintaining or improving detection sensitivity through algorithms that can effectively filter noise and enhance weak signals without the power-hungry analog components
4Area of stationary object
If secondary sum channels are added to fill gaps between individual channels and primary sum channel, then field-of-view coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The field-of-view is segmented into multiple spatial zones corresponding to individual channels and their combinations. Secondary sum channels are created by combining specific subsets of individual channels, providing dedicated processing for intermediate spatial regions. This segmentation approach systematically covers the entire field-of-view without requiring a single complex processing unit
Solution Approach 2:
The digital summer and digital pulse detector components serve multiple functions: they process individual channels, create primary sum channels, create secondary sum channels, and perform pulse detection across all channels. This multi-functionality allows comprehensive field-of-view coverage while avoiding the need for separate dedicated hardware for each function, thereby reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An all-digital line-of-sight (LOS) process architecture addresses the size, weight, power and performance constraints of a receiver for use in semi-active or active pulsed electromagnetic (EM) targeting systems. The all-digital architecture provides a platform for enhanced techniques for sensitive pulse detection over a wide field-of-view, adaptive pulse detection, LOS processing and counter measures.