ELINT and Digital Signal Processing

Seminar Overview

You will learn how to capture ELINT signals digitally and extract parameters; how to use DSP to obtain instantaneous AM, phase and frequency components; practical DSP methods; and how to recognize and avoid mistakes. You will discover the effects of noise, quantization, interference, and bandwidth.

Seminar Outline

Day 1 - EW / ELINT Concepts, Receiver Architectures, Detection and Direction-Finding

ELINT / ESM Introduction

• The Signal Environment
• Antenna and Receiver Parameters
  • Sensitivity, Dynamic Range, TOI, Noise Figure, Inst. BW
• Detection Fundamentals - Pd, Pfa, SNR, Effective BW
• Receiver Architectures
  • Crystal Video
  • IFM
  • Channelized
  • Superheterodyne (Narrowband / Wideband)
  • Compressive (Microscan)
  • Acousto-Optic (Bragg Cell)
• Receiver Advantages / Disadvantages
• Architectures for Direction Finding
• DF and Location Techniques
  • Amp. Comparison/TDOA/Interferometer
• Trends - Wideband, Multi-Function, Digital

Day 2 - Digital Receivers and Processing

• Introduction - Digital Processing and Receivers
• Basic DSP Operations, Sampling Theory, Quantization and
  • Nyquist (Low-pass, Band-pass) and Aliasing, Fourier, Z-Transform
• Hilbert Transforms and the Analytic Signal
• Quadrature Demodulation
  • Direct Digital Down-conversion (One-Quarter IF Sampling fs/4 and m*fs/4)
• Digital Receiver "Components"
  • Signal Conditioning (Pre-ADC) or Anti-Aliasing Filter
  • Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC) - Dynamic Range, Effective Bits (ENOB)
  • Delays, Demodulators (instantaneous amp, phase), CORDICs, Differentiators,
  • Interpolators, Decimators, Equalizers
  • Multi-Rate Filters and DSP
  • Filters (IIR and FIR), Detection & Meas. Blocks
  • Clocks, Timing, Synchronization, Formatters & Embedded Processors
• Digital Receiver Advantages and Technology Trends
• Digital Receiver Architecture Examples

Day 3 - Parameter Measurements and Error Sources

• Measurement Error Definitions, Metrics, Averaging
• Statistics and Confidence Levels for System Assessment
• Error Sources & Statistical Distributions of Interest to System Designers
• Parameter Errors due to Noise
  • Thermal, Phase & Quantization Noise for key parameters
  • SNR Estimation
• Parameter Errors for Correlated Samples
  • Representative Errors from Simulation
• Simultaneous Signal Interference
• A/D Performance
  • Parameters and Error Sources
  • Freq, Phase, Amp Errors due to Quantization
• Combining Errors and Sample Budgets - Amp. AOA & Phase Interferometer
• Receiver Equalization and Characterization
• Assessment Techniques
  • Theoretical - Statistics, Approximations
  • Simulation Approaches, Tools, and Examples
  • Laboratory Measurements
• Open Forum - Topics of Interest / Questions

Seminar Materials Provided

Advanced Techniques for Digital Receivers, by Philip Pace, plus course notes containing all visual aids and reference materials.

Who Should Attend

This seminar addresses digital signal processing theory, methods, techniques and algorithms with practical applications to ELINT. Digitizing, filtering, demodulation, spectral analysis, correlation, parameter measurement, effects of noise and interference, display techniques and additional areas are included. Directed primarily to ELINT/EW engineers and scientists responsible for ELINT digital signal processing system software and hardware design, installation, operation and evaluation, it is also appropriate for those having management or technical responsibility.

Instructor(s)

Brian D. Moore, Senior Research Engineer - ELINT Systems at RAS, Inc., has over 20 years experience in systems engineering in the area of EW ESM / ELINT and radar. He has a BSEE from Michigan Technological University and an MSEE from Syracuse University. Mr. Moore has been performing system engineering and analysis work to integrate new ELINT technology with existing systems and platforms. In addition, Mr. Moore provides technical inputs to the government for new and innovative ELINT research and development and has provided consulting to various DoD contractors in the areas of ELINT system architecture and processing, SEI, IMOP and feature extraction. Mr. Moore has analytical and modeling experience in several levels of simulations and models applicable to modern ELINT processing. Formerly as an Engineer at Lockheed Martin, he performed Electronic Warfare (EW/ESM) Systems Engineering, including System Analysis, Development Integration and Testing (INEWS, F-22, A-12, B-2, special projects). He is a member of the AOC and IEEE, and serves as a consultant for US Export Law Committee on Communications, Navigation, IFF & DF and as USAF NAIC expert on foreign ESM/ECM systems.