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Measuring Depth Profiles of Scattering in the Ocean

Award Information
Agency: Department of Commerce
Branch: N/A
Contract: DG133R-03-CN-0064
Agency Tracking Number: 2002-03
Amount: $221,395.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 8.2.2
Solicitation Number: NOAA-2002-1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2002
Award Year: 2003
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
6920 Bowman Lane, NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Robert Sternowski
 Project Director
 (319) 431-0314
 rhsterno@mchsi.com
Business Contact
 Robert Sternowski
Title: President
Phone: (319) 431-0314
Email: rhsterno@mchsi.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

LIDAR (laser radar) is used for oceanographic research, and emits a short light pulse whose return echoes are digitized and analyzed to determine the composition and location of underwater objects. This requires a digitizer with high sampling speed, wide bandwidth commensurate with the pulse width, and high dynamic range. What is needed in reality is a 14 bit, 1 Gsample/second (Gs/s) analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which does not yet exist due to shortcomings of the integrated circuit state-of-the-art. Currently the program is using a 100 MHz logarithmic amplifier and a COTS 8 bit, 1 Gs/s ADC PC plug-in board. Phase 1 proposed, and analytically and experimentally validated, the feasibility of employing a novel array of 12 bit COTS ADCs to achieve the desired dynamic range and bandwidth at a sampling speed of 1 Gs/s. The proposed Phase 2 effort will produce three (3) full proof-of-concept prototype PCI-64 digitizer cards for delivery and NOAA evaluation by implementing and refining the multi-ADC architecture validated in Phase 1.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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