Minimally Invasive Instrumentation System
MIIS
HPM Field-Testing Application
August 2011
Dr. P. Parhami, SARA
pparhami@sara.com
January 2011
1
Purpose of Our Visit
• Introduction to a new class of instrumentation
system under development which can provide
verification of HPM effects and M&S in
operational environments
– Minimally invasive
– Massively parallel
– ~10X lower cost per parallel channel
June 2011
2
Introduction to SARA
• Diversified R&D company
– DETEC: TREM, GTIM, mmTarget Board
• EMP Products and Services
– Facility EMP hardening, test services
> MIL-STD-188-125
– Aircraft EMP hardening, test services
> MIL-STD-3023 draft
– Instrumentation system, data management
workstations
• HPM
– Advanced HPM antennas
June 2011
3
SARA is a Leading Innovator in HPM/HPRF Antennas
Flat Aperture Waveguide SidewallEmitting Antenna (FAWSEA)
• Unusually low-profile allows it to fit into
shallow-depth airborne platforms.
• HPM-tested 100% successful at KAFB.
• Superb high-power handling and gain.
• Designs adaptable to a very wide range
of aperture aspect ratios.
• US Patent # 7,528,786.
100+ MW class HPM
World’s 1st Fully-Steerable HPM Antenna
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Supports engagements with moving targets
High-gain, rapidly-steerable beam
Experimentally-validated.
In use by MAXPOWER
US Patent # 6,559,807.
GW-class HPM
Multi-kW HPRF,
CW or long pulse
GW-class HPM
Highly-Deployable, Field-Replaceable, Broadband HPRF Antenna for Close-range DEW.
Curved Aperture Waveguide SidewallEmitting Antenna (CAWSEA)
• Supports portal screening for human-borne IEDs.
• Circularly-polarized  couples to a wider variety of
This curved version of the FAWSEA enables even more
Points-of-Entry (PoEs) than linear-pol antennas.
conformal fits to many highly-compact airborne platforms.
• Minimizes exposure of U.S. forces to potentially
Novel feed system compensates for aperture phase error.
hostile bomb incidents.
Superb high-power handling (like FAWSEA) and gain.
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Stores compactly; easily-replaceable in the field.
Designs adaptable to a very wide range of aspect ratios.
Agenda
• A cost-effective instrumentation system is
needed for operational environments
– Able to measure >100 of parallel channels
– Uses minimally invasive sensors
• Introducing MIIS
– A new test paradigm
– Under development (DTRA sponsorship)
• MIIS-HPM concept
– Offering leap forward in capability in ~ 1 year
June 2011
5
Need Better Understanding of HPM
Coupling and Propagation
• Need to accurately estimate HPM energy at
target locations in operational environment
– Minimally invasive (minimal perturbation)
– Correlation to laboratory effects testing
– Validate M&S codes
• Candidate operational applications:
– IED defeat: Impact of lossy and inhomogeneous
ground on HPM beam pattern
– Counter Electronics: HPM coupling to complex
unhardened structures
– Car stopping: HPM coupling to vehicle cables
June 2011
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HPM Field Testing Shortcomings
• HPM antenna patterns are
estimated through M&S and
validated in anechoic chambers
• Field patterns vary greatly in
presence of inhomogeneous
ground, complex structures,
random clutter, …
• Limited number of sensors used
in today’s field testing leave
many questions unanswered:
– What was the actual HPM field
pattern?
– Where were the sensor probes in
relation to the pattern Max, Min?
– Where were the sensor probes in
relation to the rep-rate timing?
– How distorted were the measured
fields due to the sensor cables?
June 2011
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MIIS HPM Application Example
Near real-time monitoring of
HPM field pattern or coupling
Moving HPM
Platform
Sensor matrix form
a wireless network
Ethernet
Cable
Via balanced E&H
Stratton-Chu A.I.
From file: CAWSEA_groundspot_150ft_altitude.mph
Control
Computer
Digital
F.O.
MIIS node
integrated field
sensor
Wi-Fi Router
June 2011
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Existing HPM Measurement Systems
• DETEC-sponsored “HPM Sensor Suite” 30 parallel channels
(EG&G)
– Analog fiber optics lines bring back sensed signals to a shelter full of
digitizers
– Too expensive to expand beyond 30 parallel channels
– Too invasive for field applications
> coax connection (sensor to analog F.O. transmitters)
– Limited to the range of analog F.O. lines
– Time consuming to deploy
• DETEC-sponsored Field Strength Sensor Network (FSSN)
– 8 parallel wireless nodes, developed for long term operation
> Custom node hardware
– Not cost effective for 100+ channels
– Not designed for internal meaurements
June 2011
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Agenda
• A cost-effective instrumentation system is
needed for operational environments
– Able to measure >100 of parallel channels
– Use minimally invasive sensors
• Introducing MIIS
– A new test paradigm
– Under development (DTRA sponsorship)
• MIIS-HPM concept
– Offering leap forward in capability in ~ 1 year
June 2011
10
Traditional Instrumentation Architecture
Shield modification
Aperture
System Under Test
Excitation
Signal
Transmitter
Fiber Optics
Analog
Tansceiver
•••
Control Computer
Analog conducting line
Digital conducting line
Fiber Optics
Analog
Transceiver
Fiber Optics
Analog
Transceiver
Sensors
•••
Recording
Instrumentation
Fiber Optics
Analog
Transceiver
•••
Analog fiber optics line
Digital fiber optics line
Digital wireless link
June 2011
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MIIS Revolutionary Architecture
Aperture
System Under Test
Excitation
Signal
Transmitter
Digital
Optical
Link
Digital
Optical
Link
Wireless
Router
Interface
Node 1
Interface
Node 2
Sensors
Control Computer
•••
Analog conducting line
Digital conducting line
•••
Interface
Node n
Analog fiber optics line
Digital fiber optics line
Digital wireless link
June 2011
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Maximum Reusability for HPM
Applications
Applications
Applications
Applications
Control
Software
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DTRA MIIS
Backbone
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Calls to the Backbone control and
communication toolbox
Custom needs for each class of
applications
Reusable Rapidly
Deployable Digital Network
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Daisy chained digital F.O.
Wi-Fi links
Maximum use of COTS standards
and components
Common control and communication
toolbox for all applications
Sensor
Heads
Sensor
Heads
Sensor
Heads
Sensor
SensorHeads
Heads
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Application specific detection
hardware
Interfaces with Backbone interface
MIIS Backbone, EMP Control, and CWI sensor head
currently under development (sponsored by DTRA)
June 2011
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Agenda
• A cost-effective instrumentation system is
needed for operational environments
– Able to measure >100 of parallel channels
– Use minimally invasive sensors
• Introducing MIIS
– A new test paradigm
– Under development (DTRA sponsorship)
• MIIS-HPM concept
– Offering leap forward in capability in ~ 1 year
June 2011
14
HPM Field-Test Instrumentation System
• HPM field test requirements:
– Simultaneously measure field components at many
distributed locations
> ~100 or more locations, spread over ~100s meters
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June 2011
Reduce cost/channel by ~ 10X
Control computer placed >> 100 meters away
Measure true field versus perturbed field
Rapidly deployable sensor matrix
Survive HPM environment
GPS location and timing
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MIIS HPM Application Example
Near real-time monitoring of
HPM field pattern or coupling
Moving HPM
Platform
Sensor matrix form
a wireless network
Ethernet
Cable
Via balanced E&H
Stratton-Chu A.I.
From file: CAWSEA_groundspot_150ft_altitude.mph
Control
Computer
Digital
F.O.
MIIS node
integrated field
sensor
Wi-Fi Router
June 2011
16
HPM Sensor Interface Node Concept
SARA IR&D
• Sensor node control processor:
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Low Power Microprocessor
Multi-channel A/D
16+ GB or more static memory
Wireless and digital F.O. Comm
Interface with third party current probes
Size of a deck a cards!
• Sensor node with integrated 3-axis field
sensor:
– Narrowband HPM envelop
– Wideband HPM waveform
June 2011
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Summary/Feedback
• HPM Laboratory Effects data and M&S results need to
be validated in operational environments
– Radiating over lossy & inhomogeneous ground
– Coupling to complex structures
• MIIS an important piece of the puzzle!
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June 2011
Economical (10X savings/channel)
Massively parallel
Minimally invasive, minimally intrusive
Digital backbone and EMP application under development
HPM sensor prototypes under development (SARA IR&D)
> Uses the identical digital backbone
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