International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / The Army development and test community must demonstrate the functionality and reliability of gun-launched projectiles and munitions systems, especially newer smart munitions. The best method to satisfy this requirement is to combine existing optical and tracking systems data with internal data measured with on-board instrumentation (i.e. spin, pitch, and yaw measurements for standard items and terminal sensor, signal processor, and guidance/navigation system monitoring for smart munitions). Acquisition of internal data is usually limited by available space, harsh launch environments, and high associated costs. A technology development and demonstration effort is underway to provide a new generation of products for use in this high-g arena. This paper describes the goals, objectives, and progress of the Hardened Subminiature Telemetry and Sensor System (HSTSS) program.

ITC/USA 2007 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Third Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2007 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / As technological advances continue to be made in the commercial sectors of portable and wireless communication products, additional advancements in battery technology have also been made. These advancements have allowed for the rapid growth of a large variety of commercially available batteries which have the capability to meet or even exceed the current power and size requirements for numerous ballistic telemetry systems. The replacement of a custom built battery with a COTS battery would provide immediate advantages such as lower cost, shorter lead times and higher availability. The overall objective of this paper is to provide ballistic telemetry systems engineers and designers with multiple low cost, readily available alternatives to traditional custom made power sources.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 29-November 02, 1990 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / Instrumentation for taking dynamic in-bore measurements during high accelerations typically has been limited to accelerations under 20,000 g’s. In munition development and testing, there is a need for telemetry instrumentation that can relay dynamic performance data at 100,000 g’s. This paper describes the development and testing of a stable, regulated, telemetry transmitter that has been successfully tested to 67,400 g’s.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / M/A-COM has developed a chip set designed specifically for miniaturized ballistic telemetry applications. One key component of this chip set is a dual port voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). This device allows for independent optimization of both modulation and tuning parameters at the chip level. In the dual port architecture, the modulation port of the VCO may be tailored for the peak (frequency) deviation requirements of each system, while still permitting the device to tune over entire SLOWER band. Additionally, M/A-COM has developed S band power amplifiers (PAs) for medium power (500mW, 1W and 2W) telemetry applications. These new PAs are very efficient, (>45% PAE) when operated in saturation. This improved efficiency means these components may be integrated into transmitters with a miniaturized form factor. The excellent thermal performance of these new PAs allows them to be packaged in commercial plastic packages which are robust in high shock/high vibration applications. This paper reviews the design of each MMIC device and presents system performance data.

ITC/USA 2009 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fifth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 26-29, 2009 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The US Army Research Laboratory currently uses a variety of ballistic diagnostic systems for gathering aerodynamic information pertaining to gun launched munitions. Sensors are a vital component of each of these diagnostic systems. Since multiple sensors are commonly used, they are often configured into a sensor suite or inertial measurement unit (IMU). In order to gather information on smaller diameter projectiles, a small diameter IMU was designed using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors and components. This IMU was first designed with a 21.6mm diameter and then later reintegrated into a 17.5mm diameter unit. The IMU provides up to ten sensor data channels which can be used to make in-flight projectile motion measurements. These measurements are then used in the determination of the projectile's aerodynamics. It has been successfully flight tested on a variety of projectiles. It has been used in conjunction with an on-board recorder (OBR) to take measurements on 40mm and 25mm projectiles. It has also been used in a telemetry based system on-board a flare stabilized 25mm projectile. This paper covers the design of the IMU and gives examples of various sensor data.

ITC/USA 2007 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Third Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2007 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Endevco model 7270A high-g accelerometer has been used successfully in numerous flight tests at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. The accelerometer is available in ranges as low as 6,000 g’s up to 200,000 g’s so they can be used in a variety of situations to measure setback, set forward and balloting in artillery rounds, mortars and tank projectiles to name a few. However, one of the disadvantages of the model 7270A is its physical size, in the era of die level and surface mount components, the 7270A is relatively large. The sensing element is packaged inside a metal case with screw holes for mounting to a rigid surface. In addition, there are wires protruding from the case for electrical connections. In the area of munitions, small cavities don’t always afford the room for a large gauge. It was desirable to repackage the die in a smaller container and make it a surface mount component for a printed circuit board. A contract was developed for Endevco to repackage the die and to develop a tri-axial version with the repackaged die. The newly developed accelerometers were tested and evaluated by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The rapid growth in portable and wireless communication products has brought valuable advancements in battery technology. No longer is a battery restricted to a metal container in cylindrical or prismatic format. Today’s batteries (both primary and secondary) can be constructed in thin sheets and sealed in foil/plastic laminate packages. Along with improvements in energy density, temperature performance, and environmentally friendly materials, these batteries offer greater packaging options at a significantly lower development cost. Under the Hardened Subminiature Telemetry and Sensor System (HSTSS) program these battery technologies have been further developed for high-g telemetry applications. Both rechargeable solid state lithium-ion polymer and primary lithium manganese dioxide batteries are being developed in conjunction with Ultralife Batteries Inc. Prototypes of both chemistries have been successfully tested in a ballistic environment while providing high constant rates of discharge, which is essential to these types of applications. Electrical performance and environmental data are reported.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) has developed a rapid turn around process for fabricating multichip modules (MCM’s) called the Flexible Manufacturing of MCM’s (FMM). The Army Research Lab (ARL) in co-operation with the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), has investigated the survivability of this technology in high-g applications. Comparisons were made to other packaging technologies by constructing a 3-channel digital recorder in this and two other competing technologies.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper briefly reports on concepts for hardening (physically toughening) crystal reference oscillators for the highly integrated program known as HSTSS. Within the HSTSS program is the L & S band transmitter development contract. The harshest requirements for this contract are surviving and functioning, to within 20 ppm of its center frequency, 30 ms after sustaining a shock pulse of 100,000 (g) for 0.5 ms on any axis. Additional requirements call for the transmitter to be no larger than 0.2 in3, and to operate within a 20 ppm frequency stability throughout the temperature range of -400 to +850 centigrade and during centrifugal spins of up to 300 Hz or 25,000 (g). Fundamentally the question is, is it feasible for any telemetry system to be capable of withstanding such harsh conditions and, to be practical on all DoD Test Ranges, still adhere to the stability tolerance guidelines set forth by the Range Commanders Council on Telemetry Standards - IRIG 106-96? Under "normal" conditions, stability requirements for "Range" transmitters are easily satisfied through the use of off-the-shelf crystal reference oscillators which provide the reference frequencies required within a transmitter’s phase lock loop circuitry. Unfortunately, the oscillator is also the most vulnerable part of a transmitter to the conditions listed and is the key to this problem. The oscillator’s weak points are in its resonator’s fragile quartz structure (the blank) and support mechanism. The challenge is to invent and adapt this area to these newer harsher conditions and to do it in the smallest space ever required.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 22-25, 2001 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / M/A-COM, Inc. has developed a highly integrated transmitter chip set for wireless telemetry applications under a U.S. Army Development Contract. The chip set is comprised of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a silicon synthesizer/phase locked loop (PLL), and a family of power amplifiers (PA's). The chip-set is designed to operate over the military L and S Band frequencies as well as the lower commercial ISM band. Using these components, M/A-COM has produced IRIG compliant transmitter modules for ballistic telemetry applications. These modules have been successfully flight tested by the Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. This paper reviews the transmitter system architecture and presents test data for the transmitter module and individual components.