The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has acquired the Fast Labs research and development organization from BAE Systems with a €13 million contract for the Massive Cross Correlation (MAX) program. BAE Systems will develop technologies that will enable the use of advanced signal processing and computation in much more compact formats than previously possible.
Signal processing is at the heart of important military technologies such as sensor, imaging and communication systems. Correlators are an indispensable tool for comparing, contrasting and ultimately processing signals. Current digital correlators are large, power-hungry systems that are the size of a briefcase. BAE Systems’ approach to developing analog correlators is to maintain or even improve performance while reducing the system to the size of a field hockey puck.
“Smaller and more efficient systems improve size, weight, power and cost, enabling full-spectrum signal processing on systems operating in restricted airspace,” said Bryan Choi, director of technology development at Fast Labs of BAE Systems. “This breakthrough analog correlator technology can lead to improved decision making, enable the deployment of mission-critical technology on smaller devices, and even create a new category of systems at the end of the day.”
As part of the contract, BAE Systems intends to develop a significantly more powerful analog correlator with a high dynamic range and large bandwidth. The correlator will enable new possibilities such as image classification and formation with synthetic aperture radar, automatic target recognition, passive coherent localization and interference-free communication in smaller systems.
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