Flexible, Scaleable, Reduced Size, Weight and Power

Advanced Receivers
The Radio Frequency and Mixed Signal Integration organization can functionally partition and analyze complex system requirements. The functional partitions can be developed into a broad range of technical approaches to achieve the low cost, small size and overall functionality required. The resulting circuits and assemblies are recognized worldwide for performance and reliability. Examples of our world-class designs include Multi-Mode, Multi-Band and Multi-Signal-Full-Duplex Digital Radios, High Dynamic Range, Wide Bandwidth RF-ADCs and RF-DACs, Ultra-Wide Bandwidth Data Signal Processing, and Large-Scale Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuits.

Broadband Power Amplifiers
The Transmitters, Microwave & Millimeter Wave Circuits section has a long legacy of design excellence in transmitter & Power Amplifier circuit technology applications from VHF to EHF frequencies. Transmitter section design firsts include the world’s first solid state DME, Altimeter, TACAN and airborne weather radars, the first qualified Link 16 PA, and the only kilowatt level Link 16 transmitter. This world class experience is being applied today with the integration of the latest state-of-the-art design processes, with future advanced power semiconductor technologies such as Wide Band gap to develop the next generation of advanced transmitters.

Mixed Signal Device Development
The Radio Frequency and Mixed Signal Integration section brings a legacy dating from the world’s first GPS receiver, MMIC, to today’s Analog/Mixed-Signal custom integrated circuit designs in a variety of processes, including Bipolar, CMOS, BiCMOS, MESFET, HBT, GaAs, SiGe, and PHEMTs. We bring over 200 years of RF design experience and numerous patents to our approach to design of Integrated Digital Receivers and Exciters, MMICs and ASICs for use in commercial and military products.

Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC)
In collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), RF/M's Frequency Control Section, teaming with Rockwell Scientific (RSC) and Agilent are developing ultra-miniaturized and ultra low power time and frequency reference for high-security communication and jam-resistant GPS receivers. These will be used on DoD platforms ranging from handhelds to unmanned air vehicles. The goal is a thirty times reduction in the power and twenty times the size of these systems. The Frequency Control Section is developing the control electronics, with RSC and Agilent developing the MEMs base physics package.

Precise/Agile Frequency Control
Rockwell Collins is an industry leader in the field of Frequency Control, with over 40 patents and over 300 years of design experience building high performance Frequency Synthesizers and Standards for commercial and military products. Examples of our world’s best designs include digitally compensated Frequency Standards, Modulated Fractional Division Phased Lock Loops and Direct Digital Synthesizers.

SATCOM Phased Array
This project will develop disruptive cost-effective multi-beam/multi-band electronically scanned antenna (ESA) technologies in support of discriminating top-level system development of DoD (Department of Defense) SATCOM systems. Cost reduction goals are 20x relative to contemporary advanced military ESA technologies and will enable the infiltration technologies into advanced systems that were previously unable to support ESA technology due to the excessive recurring costs.

SMART Antennae Systems
This core competency addresses next generation, cost-effective, electronically scanned antenna technologies.  The impact of the this initiative is to enable lower cost phased array technologies (20x relative to contemporary advanced military ESA technologies) for insertion into a broader systems base such as multi-band, independently steered multiple beam, polarization agile SATCOM, Comm-on-the Move, radar and other reconfigurable radio systems. Key technologies discriminators include tunable Electromagnetic Band Gap, MEMs and ferroelectric material-based phase shifter and true time delay.

System Level Thermal Management
The goal of this program is to establish a methodology for determining the optimum thermal management approaches that are most appropriate for a given environment/platform/system combination. Exponentially increasing processing requirements require thermal management solutions that have historically been regarded as too exotic for most applications. Innovative technologies and thermal management methodologies will be developed to exploit Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) thermal management technologies in place of Mil-Spec components.