Subminiature Telemetry Systems for Submunitions

Abstract

The increased sophistication and reduced size of the emerging generation of 'smart' submunitions has generated a requirement for subminiature telemetry systems for use in test and evaluation. The Army's SADARM and the Air Force's Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW) are typical of smart submunitions with multiple sensors, VHSIC signal processing, large warheads, and complex deployment sequences. Reported here is the SADARM Telemetry Module, designed and developed by Honeywell to support the SADARM Program. The SADARM Telemetry Module applies MMIC and VLSI technology to provide sophisticated telemetry operation with a physically small, (2 in3) package, in a harsh operating environment. The SADARM Telemetry Module senses 17 channels of digital and analog data, digitizes the analog data, multiplexes and PCM formats the data stream and transmits it via an IRIG compatible MMIC transmitter. This SADARM Telemetry Module was used to collect in-flight performance data at the SADARM Congressional Tests in February, 1989. Submunitions have evolved into very complex systems. Submunition development support testing has also become increasingly complicated. Onboard flight recorders are not feasible for live submunition tests because destruction of the submunition after the test precludes recovery of the recorded data. Telemetry provides the necessary test and measurement support required for efficient, cost effective, submunition development. The application of conventional telemetry for this type of submunition instrumentation has also become more difficult as the submunitions have become smaller in size and have more complex deployment sequences to evaluate. In addition, subminiature telemetry provides a practical, cost effective means to support field testing and development efforts in multiple munition weapon systems. In fact, subminiature telemetry offers the most practical instrumentation approach to evaluate the in-flight performance of several munitions dropped simultaneously. The SADARM Telemetry Module, discussed in this paper, incorporated these subminiature telemetry performance requirements into a practical, cost effective instrumentation package for SADARM development support.