Navy to develop wideband data links between submarine sonar arrays and onboard signal processors
Posted by John Keller
NEWPORT, R.I., 11 April 2010.Submarine sonar experts at the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport in Newport, R.I., are asking industry to use open-systems commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology to craft wideband data transport links between hull-mounted sonar arrays and signal-processing computers.
NUWC researchers released a broad agency announcement (BAA 100339) Friday for the Adaptable Submarine Sonar Telemetry program, which seeks to use COTS hardware and open-systems software to make the sonar telemetry system applicable to a wide variety of domestic and foreign-made sonar and signal processing systems.
NUWC experts are asking industry to develop a state-of-the-art adaptable telemetry approach, which connects the acoustic sonar array sensors with inboard analog and digital signal processors, that is:
-- able to accommodate high-frequency (HF) and medium-frequency (MF) submarine sonar hull arrays with very large numbers of channels;
-- requires a minimum of application- and sensor-specific tailoring to maintain performance; and
-- uses open-systems commercial standards to ease multi-vendor and foreign-source integration.
Industry suggestions should emphasize open-systems commercial standards because this adaptable telemetry will be integrated with several different domestic and foreign-made acoustic sonar arrays and inboard processors.
Proposals should address:
-- application and interfaces to several different sonar systems;
-- use of open-systems commercial standards such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet, with no proprietary designs;
-- how to keep submarine hull penetrations to a minimum for cabling and connectors;
-- equipment size and weight sufficient place components behind the acoustic array;
-- power consumption of less than 0.3 Watts per channel;
-- adherence to MIL-STD-167-1 for vibration, MILS-901B for explosive shock, thermal shock, and other environmental guidelines; and
-- affordability.
White papers are due no later than 23 April 2010 -- just 12 days away -- and proposals are due no later than 22 June 2010.
For contracting questions or concerns -- and to send white papers and proposals -- contact the NUWC's Brett Griffin by phone at 401-832-2150, or by e-mail at [email protected], or by post at Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Code 11912, Brett Griffin, Commercial Acquisition, Simon Pietri Drive, BLDG 11, Newport, RI 02841.
More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DON/NAVSEA/N66604/N6660410R0339/listing.html.
Follow me on TwitterJoin the PennWell Aerospace and Defense Media Group on Linkedin at http://bit.ly/9MXl9
Become a fan of Military & Aerospace Electronics on Facebook at http://bit.ly/1VGM0Q
Post your aerospace and defense-related material to the #milaero community on Twitter. Use the #milaero hashtag.
Join your industry colleagues in the Command Post community online at http://community.milaero.com
