Harris Corporation

David K Vail

Stephen S Wilson

Daniel P Blom

Frank J Tabor

Joshua P Bruckmeyer

William Boesch

David Diedling

W Ken Martindale

Thornton Hinshaw

W Kenneth Martindale

Jeffrey D Volz

Allen G Plum

Method for SEL mitigation involves determining one or more base sets of signature vector components for each of a plurality of signal loading conditions experienced by a protected device in an operating state, each set of base signature vector components together comprising a base signature vector. The method further involves monitoring signature vector components for the protected device to determine a detected signature vector which is comprised of a set of detected signature vector components. The detected signature vector is compared to a dynamically selected base signature vector which is associated with the device state and signal loading condition which are currently active to differentiate between the occurrence of standard current surges associated with normal operation of the protected device and a non-standard current surge.

Adaptive single event latchup (SEL) current surge mitigation

Method and system for Single Event Latchup (SEL) current surge mitigation involves monitoring data signals for a protected device and deriving from them a detected signature comprised of one or more detected signature vector components. The detected signature vector components are compared to previously stored signature vector components. Based on the comparing, the system selectively differentiates between the occurrence of standard power surges associated with normal operation of the protected device, and a non-standard current surge which requires cycling power of the protected device for continued proper functioning of the protected device.

Single event latchup (SEL) current surge mitigation

A communications system may include a plurality of communications buses, at least one bus device connected to the plurality of communications buses, and a plurality of bus controllers for sending a plurality of bus enable signals to the at least one bus device. The at least one bus device may include selection circuitry for selecting one of the communications buses based upon the plurality of bus enable signals while being tolerant of an error on at least one of the bus enable signals. First and second bus enable signals may have a same value and may be generated by a primary bus controller upon receiving power. A third bus enable signal may be generated by a redundant bus controller upon receiving power.

Fault-tolerant communications system and associated methods

The hybrid relay may include a plurality of input and output terminals, and a voltage supply terminal. The hybrid relay may also include an electromagnetic coil connected to the input terminals and a latching mechanism that may include first and second contacts movable between open and closed latched positions based upon the electromagnetic coil. The first contact may be connected to the voltage supply terminal so that the second contact provides a switched voltage supply. The hybrid relay may also include an output transistor having a control terminal and having conduction terminals connected to the output terminals of the hybrid relay. A transistor driver may be connected between the switched voltage supply and the control terminal of the output transistor.

Hybrid relay including solid-state output and having non-volatile state-retention and associated methods

A temperature sensor may include a capacitor, a circuit element coupled in series with the capacitor and having a resistance that varies with temperature, and a controller. The controller is for charging/discharging the capacitor through the circuit element, measuring a charging/discharging time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to a predetermined threshold, and determining a temperature based upon the charging/discharging time. More specifically, the circuit element may be a thermistor, for example. The temperature sensor may further include at least one calibration resistor coupled between the controller and the capacitor. As such, the controller may sequentially charge/discharge the capacitor through the circuit element and the at least one calibration resistor, measure respective charging/discharging times required to charge/discharge the capacitor to the predetermined threshold through the circuit element and the at least one calibration resistor, and determine the temperature based upon the charging/discharging times.

Temperature sensor and related methods

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate. The phased array antenna may also include a plurality of antenna element controllers for the phased array antenna elements and a central controller for providing beam steering commands and edge trigger synchronization signals for the antenna element controllers. Furthermore, each of the antenna element controllers may store a respective next beam steering command and implement the respective next beam steering command as a respective active beam steering command responsive to the edge trigger synchronization signal from the central controller. The edge trigger synchronization signal may be delivered substantially simultaneously to all of the antenna element controllers, and each antenna element controller may detect the edge trigger synchronization pulse only during a predetermined time window, for example.

Phased array antenna having reduced beam settling times and related methods

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby, and an element control module for at least one of the phased array antenna elements. The element control module may include an amplifier coupled to the at least one phased array antenna element and having a controllable bias, and a controllable device coupled to the amplifier and having at least one of a controllable phase, delay, and attenuation. The element control module may also include a control application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for controlling the controllable phase, delay, and/or attenuation of the controllable device and the controllable bias of the amplifier.

Phased array antenna with controllable amplifier bias adjustment and related methods

A phased array antenna includes a plurality of phased array antenna modules and associated antenna elements. Further, at least one of the phased array antenna modules may also include a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the at least one phased array antenna module. More particularly, the temperature sensor may include a capacitor and a circuit element coupled in series with the capacitor having a resistance that varies with temperature. Additionally, the at least one phased array antenna module may further include a module controller for charging/discharging the capacitor through the circuit element, measuring a charging/discharging time required to charge/discharge the capacitor to a predetermined threshold, and determining the temperature of the at least one phased array antenna module based upon the charging/discharging time.

Phased array antenna including an antenna module temperature sensor and related methods

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, and a plurality of element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements. Each element controller may be switchable between inactive and active data receiving states. The phased array antenna may further include a plurality of subarray controllers and a plurality of data buses. Each data bus may connect a respective subarray controller to respective columns and rows of element controllers. Further, each subarray controller may cooperate with a respective data bus for sending data in parallel to a plurality of rows of element controllers and while sequentially switching a given column of element controllers from the inactive data receiving state to the active data receiving state

Phased array antenna providing enhanced element controller data communication and related methods

A system and method for remote regulation of a switching power converter operating relative to a second ground is disclosed where a control signal is produced by comparing the line voltage relative to a first ground with a reference voltage relative to the first ground to produce a first error signal relative to the first ground, translating the first error signal to a second error signal relative to a second ground, and applying the second error signal to the switching power converter to thereby regulate the switching power converter as a function of the line voltage.

System and method for remote regulation of a switching power converter

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried thereby and an element control device for at least one of the phased array antenna elements. The element control device may include an IC die including output circuitry, readback circuitry, and control circuitry connected to the output and readback circuitry. The element control device may further include an IC package surrounding the IC die, a plurality of output terminals connected to the output circuitry and extending outwardly from the IC package, and a plurality of readback input terminals connected to the readback circuitry and extending outwardly from the IC package. Further, respective external readback connections may extend between the plurality of output terminals and the plurality of readback input terminals. The control circuitry may cause the output circuitry to output signals on the plurality of output terminals to be read back for fault detection.

Phased array antenna including element control device providing fault detection and related methods

A phased array antenna system may include a substrate and a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, a plurality of antenna element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements, and at least one higher level controller connected to the plurality of antenna element controllers. The at least one higher level controller and/or lower level antenna element controllers in some embodiments may perform a processing operation on a first portion of a received multi-bit command message before receiving all bits of the multi-bit command message.

Phased array antenna system utilizing highly efficient pipelined processing and related methods

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and at least one phased array antenna element carried thereby, at least one element controller for controlling the at least one phased array antenna element based upon desired compensation data, and a central controller for supplying to the at least one element controller a current value of a quick control parameter and a block of current compensation data. The block of current compensation data may be based upon a current value of a slow control parameter and a range of possible values for the quick control parameter. Further, the quick control parameter may vary more quickly than the slow control parameter. Additionally, the at least one element controller may determine the desired compensation data based upon the supplied block of current compensation data and the current value of the quick control parameter.

Phased array antenna having efficient compensation data distribution and related methods

A phased array antenna may include a substrate, a plurality of phased array antenna elements carried by the substrate, and a central controller for providing beam steering commands and beam shaping commands. Furthermore, the phased array antenna may also include a plurality of element controllers connected to the phased array antenna elements and the central controller. Each element controller may store at least one position related value based upon physical positioning of the associated phased array antenna element on the substrate, and determine a beam shaping offset based upon the stored at least one position related value and a received beam shaping command from the central controller. Each element controller may also determine at least one phased array antenna element control value based upon a received beam steering command and the beam shaping offset.

Phased array antenna providing rapid beam shaping and related methods

A phased array antenna may include a substrate and a plurality of controllable phased array antenna elements carried thereby, a central controller for generating a mode selection signal and beam control signals, and at least one multi-mode element controller connected to at least one of the controllable phased array antenna elements and the central controller. The at least one multi-mode element controller may be operable in a desired operating mode from among a plurality of operating modes based upon the mode selection signal from the central controller. Furthermore, the at least one multi-mode element controller may also generate output signals for the at least one controllable phased array antenna element based upon the beam control signals from the central controller.

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Melbourne, FL, United States of America

David K Vail