PcB - High Frequency Electronics

IN THE NEWS
Raytheon Company was awarded a $636 million
development and sustainment contract to provide
the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle to The Boeing
Company, which is the prime contractor for the Groundbased
Midcourse Defense program. Raytheon booked
the award during its second
quarter. EKV represents the
centerpiece for the Missile
Defense Agency’s GMD as the
intercept component of the
Ground Based Interceptor,
also known as GBI, which is
designed to engage high-speed
ballistic missile warheads in
space. The EKV is designed to
destroy incoming ballistic missile
threats by colliding with
them, a concept often described
as “hit to kill.” EKV has an
advanced multi-color sensor that is used to detect and
discriminate incoming warheads from other objects. It
also has its own propulsion, communications link, discrimination
algorithms, guidance and control system
and computers to support target selection and intercept.
The DoD announced that DRS Soneticom, Inc.,
Melbourne, Fla., is being awarded a $10,784,185 costplus-fixed-fee
contract to develop an operational prototype,
man-portable signals intelligence (SIGINT)
receiver to support the Joint Threat Warning System
Ground SIGINT kit program. The Tactical SIGINT Tool,
as envisioned, will be a small form factor, easily mission
configured, secure handheld/body-worn networked
device that provides real-time SIGINT and precision
geolocation while incorporating a dedicated communications
capability for command and control functions and
cooperative geolocation.
QinetiQ North America, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is
being awarded a $9,902,317 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity
contract for design and
integration of manned and unmanned craft systems
for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock,
Combatant Craft Division. The contract is for engineering
and technical management support on all programs
and projects related to the design and integration of
systems for manned and unmanned craft. Work will
primarily be performed in the Virginia Beach, Va., and
is expected to be completed by July 2015. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock, Philadelphia,
Pa., is the contracting activity.
Pole/Zero Corporation and Delcross Technologies
announced a partnership to offer customers a “turnkey”
source for solutions to the challenges of antenna placement
optimization and RF cosite interference
mitigation in shipboard, airborne and vehicular applications.
Delcross Technologies is a recognized industry
leader in simulating installed antenna patterns and
antenna-to-antenna coupling characteristics on complex
military platforms. In conjunction with Pole/Zero’s
state of the art RF cosite interference analysis software
and mitigation equipment, the Pole/Zero and Delcross
Technologies team will afford developers of new or modified
radio communications platforms first-time success
in fielding these systems.
Spectracom announced it has been awarded a contract
to supply the US Air Force Metrology Calibration
Program (AFMETCAL) with precision timing and
frequency test equipment over the next five years.
Spectracom Frequency Calibrator/Analyzers will be
used across several AFMETCAL projects to test and
calibrate any device or system that relies on a precisely
timed signal. Typical applications include radar, radio
and communications, guidance systems, and avionics.
The new Frequency Calibrator/Analyzers will replace
previous generation units as well as be used in variety
of new deployments. They will be installed in metrology
laboratories, portable calibration systems, and flightline
testing equipment. In addition to analyzing and
calibrating signal frequencies, the built-in atomic clock
will be used as an ultra-stable frequency and timing
reference standard.
Analog Devices named four strategic advocates to
the Analog Devices University Program. Strategic
Advocates serve as distinguished advisors who provide
insight and guidance to the company’s ongoing mission
to promote and support hands-on, active learning
at engineering universities throughout the world.
As strategic advocates, the following four educators
will provide the Analog Devices University Program
advice and support to develop online and downloadable
software and teaching materials, online support,
textbooks, reference designs and lab projects to enrich
students’ education about analog circuits and their
application to core engineering and physical science
curricula: Robert Bowman, professor of electrical and
microelectronic engineering at the Kate Gleason College
of Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology;
Kenneth Connor, professor, Department of Electrical,
Computer, and Systems Engineering, education director
of the Smart Lighting Engineering Research
Center and director of the Mobile Studio Project at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Kathleen Meehan,
associate professor, Bradley Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech; and John
Robertson, professor, Department of Engineering,
12 High Frequency Electronics