Christopher Dirk Weigand

Low cost Multifunction Phased Array Radar concept

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.

Advanced architecture for a low cost multifunction phased array radar

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.

Commercial manufacturing practices applied to phased array radars

Transmit/Receive Modules for Phased Array Radar are often identified as a key cost driver for the system. The cost structure of the module is driven by both the performance specifications and the choices made in design and manufacturing of the module. Seeking a path to dramtically lower the cost of T/R modules for phased array systems, commercial processes and practices have been adopted for the MMIC design, MMIC packaging and module construction. These new manufacturing approaches offer a path to cost reduction while maintaining a high level of performance.

An HMIC I/Q modulator/demodulator for RFID applications

HMIC is a microwave and mmW integrated circuit topology that can create three dimensional structures based upon an intimate marriage of silicon and glass at a wafer scale level which enable high performance, low loss, lower cost realizations of many of the classic hybrid MMICs. In addition, the unique nature of the bonding together of these two dissimilar materials into common substrate allows the monolithic insertion of active elements in combination with low loss, high Q, lumped element passive components to produce microwave circuits that can be realized no other way or at as low a cost. This paper will illustrate the results of the development of an integrated I/Q modulator/demodulator MMIC for RFID reader applications using HMIC technology as an integration medium. The resultant RF performance improvements and advantages of the modulator and the overall effect on RFID wireless systems operation will be presented.

Aperture PCB assemblies: Transition to production ready designs

MACOM designed the initial radar panels for the next generation surveillance radar with limited funds, with the philosophy that the initial design would be kept as simple as possible and that incremental improvements would be made as the program progressed, with the intent of having a tile assembly that is easy to manufacture by the first build of a larger radar (approximately 80 panels). The design is now being updated for an 80 panel order with the goal of optimizing the design electrically, for assembly and for test. This paper will discuss both the design, assembly, packaging, and test updates that are being made to have a board and board assembly that is easy to manufacture and test, with the goal of keeping cost as low as possible. These techniques will not only be used for the MPAR tiles, but also for tiles that are currently being developed for other programs.