N112-169 TITLE: Miniature WCDMA Payload

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), ACAT I

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports):  This topic is "ITAR Restricted."  The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data.  Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a miniature, ruggedized WCDMA payload to enable beyond line of sight communications links as an alternative or supplement to SATCOM.

DESCRIPTION: The loss of a single communications link should not lead to disaster for our war fighters. Diverse communications paths are required to ensure war fighters can communicate in a variety of austere scenarios. Technologies that enable links via multiple (ground, air, and/or space) communications layers are highly encouraged.

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) is the latest generation of cellular phone technology and is being adopted for commercial, government, and military mission critical systems. In cellular systems, many users communicate with the base station over the air interface. The base station is in a fixed location, usually on a tower, to provide better propagation of the signal.

A miniaturized, ruggedized WCDMA payload could be used on balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles to provide enhanced cellular coverage in a variety of scenarios, however no such payload exists today. An airborne WCDMA payload requires beyond state of the art research and development because the payload will face many challenges not encountered on ground based systems such as: vibration; large, rapid temperature changes; extreme power limitations; and significantly different coverage geometry. Another challenge is the fact that the "tower" the user is communicating with may be moving at a relatively high speed in relation to the user, presenting Doppler and other effects. Innovative research and development is required to determine if technology can be developed to meet the challenges described above to enable operation in an airborne environment.

When combined with an appropriate communications link to the radio base station, a WCDMA payload would enable alternate or supplementary cellular communications using existing phones or radios. Areas of temporary congestion, such as stadiums and parks could be augmented with additional coverage at low cost. The system could provide emergency communications in the event of natural disasters where ground based cell towers are damaged.

PHASE I: Develop a WCMDA payload design concept(s) with analytical or numerical calculations to establish performance possibilities. Translate design concepts into a product development roadmap establishing a technical and program pathway to an operational capability demonstration.

Tasks under this phase could include:
� Create an initial design of a prototype system
� Develop new WCDMA payload technology concepts
� Predict performance parameters for the payload design

PHASE II: Implement and demonstrate a prototype payload.

� Implement and demonstrate a prototype payload
� Evaluate measured performance characteristics versus expectations and make design adjustments as necessary.

PHASE III: This phase will focus on the integration of the payload with potential aerial platforms, and interfacing with the military cellular communications systems such as the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS).

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Areas of temporary congestion, such as stadiums and parks could be augmented with additional coverage at low cost. The system could provide emergency communications in the event of natural disasters where ground based cell towers are damaged.

REFERENCES:
1. "Multiband Frontend For A Medium Range Basestation", Wolfgang Koenig, Siegfried Walter, Ulrich Weiss, Dirk Wiegner. Proceeding of the SDR 03 Technical Conference and Product Exposition. 2003.

2. "The Sdr Approach In A Wideband Airborne Communication Node," Jean-Christophe Schiel, François Montaigne, Guy Philippe. Proceeding of the SDR 06 Technical Conference and Product Exposition.

KEYWORDS: WCDMA, RF, communications

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between April 26 and May 25, 2011, you may talk directly with the Topic Authors to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting May 26, 2011, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (11.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 11.2 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.