SBIR/STTR Award attributes
“SharpScan'' from FTL Labs Corporation is an innovative, improved-angular-resolution radar that is modified to extract the Doppler shift of moving targets to create real-time Range-Doppler Maps (RDMs), and implement new FPGA-enabled beam-sharpening algorithms. It is a powerful new enabling technology for small marine magnetron-based radars used in modern submarine navigation systems, fitting in a 20” x 8” pressure-proof cylindrical "pod" mounted on a penetrating mast. In addition, SharpScan FPGA electronics and all associated analog-to-digital conversion fit in an even smaller, 20” x 3" space. This enables a compact system to meet International Electromagnetic Commission standards (IEC 62388) regulations requiring strict RADAR detection and resolution of small, distant, and closely spaced contacts. SharpScan uses new, COTS-based architectures, apertures, and processing approaches to improve RADAR performance, while observing current volume constraints. In particular, SharpScan uses Doppler beam-sharpening (DBS) algorithms, emerging Low-Noise Amplifiers (LNAs), coherent processing methods, and multi-static/netted sensor architectures to provide sensitivity advantages. Similarly, SharpScan enables the use of frequency and phase-modulated waveform approaches, that have previously been relegated to larger, coherent systems to improve processing gain and range resolution. The resulting system will be retrofittable to Navy platforms, will be implementable using government-furnished FPGAs and will employ open interface standards for maximum integration flexibility.
