Trw Limited

Donald A Porter

Mark E Noneman

Donald L Lochhead

Barton G Shaler

Milton F Damerow

A line replaceable module (LRM) configured with a plurality of mini-modules, each of which have relatively higher contact densities than currently available LRMs with the same form factor, for example, a Standard Electrical Module-Size E (SEM-E) form factor. The mini-modules are significantly less expensive than an entire module allowing such mini-modules to be disposable, eliminating relatively costly fault diagnostics and repair. Each mini-module includes a printed circuit board which includes a rigid primary portion, a rigid secondary portion and flexible portion interconnecting the primary and secondary portions. The rigid secondary portion may be configured to provide dual-sided interconnection to a backplane data bus. Use of the dual-sided rigid secondary portion provides for generous spacing for contact densities much higher than known contact densities for LRMs with the same form factor. The rigid primary portion carries the components forming the LRM. The use of the flexible portion provides compensation for tolerance variations as well as vibrational and thermal stress relative to connector systems used on known SEM-E LRMs.

Sub-modular configurable avionics

In an RF receiver a system is provided to digitally determine when a pulse has stabilized and when a pulse has restabilized after becoming unstable. The restabilized levels can be detected whether they are above or below the initial stabilization level. The system uses the stable information to determine if a pulse-on-pulse signal is being received or if a trailing edge pulse is being received. The system can provide separate information about each pulse in a pulse-on-pulse situation and can provide separate information concerning the leading pulse and trailing pulse when the trailing pulse occurs in the shadow of the leading pulse.

Advanced parameter encoder with pulse-on-pulse detection and pulse

A channelized receiver having multiple sectors wherein each antenna of said receiver system is electronically connectable to any combination of sectors to improve the flexibility of said receiver. The bandwidth of each sector is electronically selectable adding further flexibility to the receiver mission. The signal characteristics of time of arrival, pulse amplitude and time of departure are processed digitally in real time and false pulses are eliminated through arbitration in real time. Remaining pulse calculations such as angle of arrival, frequency, pulse width and pulse repetition interval and environment filtering are not calculated in real time.

Parameter encoder architecture

In a channelized receiver there is dual pulse present detection in which an RF signal is converted to a digital word and there are dual digital thresholds, each digital threshold having a programmable standard for determining when a pulse is present after said pulse has exceeded the particular threshold value and for determining which pulse will be reported based on which pulse arrived first. The invention also involves arbitration between adjacent channels in a channelized receiver to determine which signals are real and which signals represent spill-over energy from signals in adjacent channels and also including arbitration between spatial sectors to determine which signals are real and which signal represents spill-over energy from adjacent sectors.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Donald A Porter