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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Selects Northrop Grumman [Travel & Leisure Close - Up](Travel & Leisure Close - Up Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Northrop Grumman Corp. has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop and demonstrate wideband digital antenna technology for next generation radio frequency sensors using active electronically scanned arrays. In a release, the Company noted the DARPA Microsystems Technology Office awarded Northrop Grumman an $11.9 million contract for phase one of the Arrays on Commercial Timescales program. "Our wideband digital common module design is a breakthrough in AESA capability, enabled by the application of commercial system-on- chip technology with integrated high speed data converters that enable direct RF sampling," said William Phillips, director of Advanced Technology, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems sector. "The reusable common module provides the key building block that will make digital AESA technology affordable for a wide variety of applications." Key subcontractors on the Northrop Grumman ACT team are Semtech and Systems and Technology Research. "Our disruptive ultrahigh speed analog-to-digital and digital-to- analog converter technology will help revolutionize phased array technology," said Craig Hornbuckle, Semtech's chief systems architect. "With an input bandwidth extending through K-band, these data converters enable increased flexibility and functionality, reduced power, and enhanced performance over traditional architectures, supporting next-generation radar, electronic warfare and satellite communications applications." "Our unique nonlinear digital signal processing algorithms are able to extend the dynamic range of analog and mixed-signal systems by several orders of magnitude, at a fraction of their cost," said Gil Raz, senior technical staff at Systems and Technology Research. Semtech Corp. is a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. Systems and Technology Research develops C4ISR, data analytics, and operations analysis capabilities. Northrop Grumman is a security company. ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |