Rome Laboratory/PKPX, 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441-4514

A -- SPECIAL NOTICE: ROME LABORATORY'S FY 97 SBIR TOPICS SOL SBIR TOPIC 6 POC Joetta A. Bernhard, Contracting Officer, A/C 315-330-2308; Margot Ashcroft, SBIR Program Manager, 315-330-1793. PART 2 OF 6. ROME LABORATORY'S FY 97 SBIR TOPIC. ROME LABORATORY IS PLEASED TO MAKE AVAILABLE THE FOLLOWING SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM TOPICS, AS FOLLOWS: SBIR TOPIC (6) TITLE: Active Intelligent Information Environments. TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT: Dr. Raymond A. Liuzzi, RL/C3, (315) 330-3528. OBJECTIVE: Investigate and develop a common core of capabilities for designing, developing and integrating large-scale active information systems. The goal is to produce an active information system environment consisting of multiple intelligent agents and databases capable of coordinating, cooperating and negotiating to provide just-in-time information and services. DESCRIPTION: As the 21st Century approaches, we are just entering the knowledge age in which we must develop new knowledge from data and information. Integrated access and cooperation among functionally independent intelligent systems and information bases is becoming increasingly critical to support planning and optimization efforts for a number of applications. Quite often, complexity is overwhelming due to several interrelated factors - timely access, vast amounts of data, diverse data types, ability to share large amounts of information, difficulty in defining the goals and constraints of the problem, dynamic and stochastic environments, and independently developed and geographically-distributed subsystems. DARPA and Rome Laboratory are exploring ways to evolve growth and usable potential of large-scale information systems. However, research is needed to bring active information systems development and integration into the next century. Basic research in areas such as knowledge discovery and active knowledge base technology will help provide more value from data as well as help the knowledge to be managed more efficiently so that information can be automatically filtered, manipulated and summarized. Research areas of interest include, collaborative computing techniques, representation languages and standards, negotiation and reasoning protocols, planning, resource allocation techniques, intelligent active data/knowledge bases, problem solving, machine learning and human-computer interaction. In addition, techniques are needed to monitor and update large amounts of data/information, maintain configuration management, and permit change notification and consistency control in information systems. Mechanisms to be investigated include (1) information rich hypeprogram web technology, (2) use of objects for real-time information integration, (3) seamless information access and collaboration, and (4) evolvable data/knowledge base primitives for scalable information aggregation/processing. Technical challenges include use of video, fax, graphics, images, voice, and textual data for domain engineering and architecting. DUAL USE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL: Rapid accessibility to integrated systems and information increases choices for consumers in both civilian and defense applications. This technology could have a major impact on applications that require integrated decision making and timely and accurate information such as planning/scheduling systems, autonomous vehicles, aircraft operation, hospital life support systems, decision support systems and personal military command and control.- Phase I will investigate development of techniques for designing, developing and integrating large-scale active information systems using massive multi-source data rich repositories. SBIR TOPIC (7) TITLE: Smart Networking Radio Technology. TECHNICAL POINTS OF CONTACT: Stephen C. Tyler, RL/C3, 315-330-3618, John J. Patti, RL/C3, 315-330-3615, Siamak S. Tabrizi, RL/C3, 315-330-4823. OBJECTIVE: To develop and demonstrate advanced radio technology which supports intelligent, seamless, and robust information networks. This advanced radio technology includes both 'link' level, i.e., point-to-point, and network level (wireless) concepts. DESCRIPTION: The US has a global communications requirement to enable rapid application of air combat power via assured connectivity with timely, reliable, responsive, yet affordable, dissemination of information from HQ's down to the lowest, mobile, tactical force elements. The Air Force needs innovative research to enhance our ability to transfer large amounts of data, quickly, accurately, and securely. This data includes voice, image, and computer data. Researchers must identify promising wireless technologies which will provide substantial immunity to hostile action (electronic warfare), maintain connectivity in the face of battle damage (link outages), meet requirements for high performance in capacity and timeliness, be user-friendly, and enable transparent connection and interoperation with other services and friendly forces. Specific task areas for innovative research include methods and techniques that: a) Enhance Quality of Service (QoS), Speed of Service (SoS), streamline interfaces to wide area information assets and advance radio architectures, and increase modularity, programmability, security (including Low Probability Intercept/Detection and Anti-Jam techniques), interoperability and compatibility throughout various military and civil services and across the frequency spectrum. b) Enable radios to sense and dynamically adapt to the signal environment and demands for services. The radios should optimize performance through signal detection, waveform recognition, parameter estimation, passive surveillance, interference excision, resource management, and mobility management. Expert system-based radio and network control should be an avenue for consideration. c) Enable radio operators, via flexible, user-friendly man-machine interfaces (MMIs), to quickly and efficiently manipulate functions within integrated communications assets, with minimal errors and training. d) Provide efficient means to model innovative communications technologies as custom software module(s) for commercial-off-the-shelf link and network simulation environments. Also, identify the optimum configuration of future wireless tactical communication networks and their interfaces into commercial networks (e.g., Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), SONET, etc.). For example, using computer models, demonstrate the effects of the channel on innovative image and speech compression techniques, or demonstrate innovative techniques for processing data over dynamic wireless radio networks, such as may be encountered in a stressed (loss of links, high noise/interference, difficult terrain, etc.) military or commercial environment. e) Define the framework for integrated control and management architectures containing detailed protocol options. Establish seamless internetworking radios and a framework to specify user access interfaces and subnetwork coupling options for the integration of commercial/tactical networks.- PHASE I: Identify techniques, explore algorithms, design interfaces, analyze and define designs for task areas a-e above. Provide comparison and simulation support for design decisions and detail trade-offs. Supply test and analysis data. Justify both military and commercial potential for Phase 2. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL MARKET: The commercial sector is urgently in need of secure, reliable communications which are free of benign interference and noise. Advanced communications techniques such as spread spectrum, interference excision, waveform recognition, etc., perform as well to counter noise, interference, spectral congestion, and other civil communications difficulties. Innovations in multi-band antennas and couplers, wideband transceivers, and MMI techniques are also transferable to the commercial user. Conversely, commercial communications means will be exploited extensively for military use. Programmable and flexible interfaces between military radio equipment and commercial networks will enlarge dual-use potential. SBIR TOPIC (8) TITLE: CAD Conversion Tools for VHDL-MS Library Generation. TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT: Steven L. Drager, RL/ER-G, 3115-330-2735. OBJECTIVE: Develop an automated tool environment converting existing Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE)-based models into an IEEE VHSIC Hardware Description Language-Mixed Signal (VHDL-MS) compliant model. DESCRIPTION: There is an increasing need for electronic design automation (EDA) tools to support the mixed-signal (digital/analog) design engineer. The mixed-signal language extensions to VHDL known as VHDL-MS (IEEE P1076.1) provide the basis of a solution. For VHDL-MS to be immediately useful, however, there must be a mechanism available for utilization of the vast number of existing libraries of simulation models implemented for SPICE and other mixed-signal and analog simulators. The ability to provide for the reuse of existing analog and mixed-signal models within VHDL-MS will allow the analog and mixed-signal design engineer to benefit from the top down and multi-level abstraction design approaches available through the use of VHDL-MS. The technical challenge is to design tooling which will take the existing analog simulation models and convert them into VHDL-MS compliant source code. The availability of such a tool would allow users to quickly realize the benefits of reduced system design time, technology and vendor independence, and system life cycle support in their design process.- PHASE I: This phase will consist of the development and documentation of the scope of the generators and the approach which will be taken in their development. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL MARKET: The ability to provide for reuse of existing simulation models with VHDL-MS will allow design engineers to benefit from the advantages of VHDL-MS, such as multi-level abstraction, without starting their designs from scratch. This technology will dramatically reduce the initial design cost for both commercial and military applications. As further capabilities are added to the VHDL-MS tools, a mature mixed-signal modeling and simulation environment will be developed, thus filling the void in existing proprietary approaches to design, diagnostics and test of analog and mixed-signal electronic systems. Tools developed for this area will provide a decrease in the development time as well as reduce overall system costs including those of initial system design, life-cycle support and reprocurement for both commercial and military applications. This technology will have a major impact on applications for automobiles, communications, medical and aerospace systems. SBIR TOPIC (9) TITLE: Electromagnetic Environment Sensing/Recording System. TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT: Dr. Craig R. James, RL/ER-G, 315-330-2841. OBJECTIVE: Develop a system to monitor, record, and time correlate electromagnetic fields. DESCRIPTION: Electromagnetic (EM) fields are suspected of causing system upset and failure on Air Force platforms. An understanding of the fields at the time of system upset can improve system reliability, reparability, and ultimately availability and maintainability. This is especially true for C4I systems being developed which employ large phased array radars for airborne surveillance systems. An understanding of the EM environment will be obtained with the development of an electromagnetic environment sensing/recording system. The environmental sensing system is a sensitive, wide bandwidth EM energy sensor system that will detect, record, and time correlate the real-time occurrences and wavelengths of high EM fields on military platforms with a minimum of measured field perturbation. Sensor power and data are passed between the remote sensor and the centrally located signal processing unit in such a way as to minimize the interaction between these signals and the environment. The signal processing unit performs the frequency discrimination and data recording functions. The functioning system will provide a powerful troubleshooting tool correlating EM environmental data with other upset/failure reports and data to significantly reduce costly Retest OK (RTOK) often encountered when equipment is brought into Air Force or contractor facilities for first or second level repair action. The EM environment sensing system will be designed to be utilized as both a stand alone system, or as a ''smart'' sensor for a Time Stress Measurement Device (TSMD) system, depending upon monitoring requirements. The EM sensor system capability can also be applied to areas such as commercial aircraft, fly-by-wire systems, automotive digital engine/transmission controls, air bags/antilock brakes, digital displays/entertainment systems, nuclear power plant monitoring/control room status displays, alarms, and reactor control signals, and anywhere where wireless communication systems are utilized. All of these areas are known to have problems with EM fields of various levels.- PHASE I: Phase I involves the conceptual development of the system. Particular interest is in the signal processing electronics, and the interface of the sensor to the signal processing electronics. Realizing a prototype of the frequency discriminating system would be of great benefit. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL MARKET: Commercial markets would be the airline manufacturers, especially with the fly-by-wire systems being developed such as used in the Boeing 777, hospital life support and monitoring equipment manufacturers,and wireless communication network manufacturers. (0229)

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