3.10 Electronics Integration Technology
Many of the Joint Warfighting S&T areas require significant advancements in affordable high-performance electronics technology, a major challenge given the relatively small volume of specialized military parts needed compared to commercial production volumes. Specifically, miniaturized, power-efficient, reliable, high-performance circuitry is needed for Information Superiority, Precision Force, Joint Theater Ballistic Missile Defense, and Electronic Combat. Today, the cost, performance, size, weight, power consumption, testability, reliability, and maintainability parameters of military systems must all be dealt with on an integrated basis.
The electronics integration technology (EIT) thrust is critical to all electronic equipment as it affects the performance, reliability, affordability, power generation, conditioning, and distribution for virtually every type of system, both military and commercial. The thrust includes:
3.10.2.2 Major Technical Challenges. Two to three orders of magnitude faster and more affordable "virtual prototyping" of electronic subsystems must be achieved, based on VHSIC hardware description language (VHDL) reusable and interoperable model libraries, and development of analog, mixed-signal, and VHDL analog mixed signal (VHDL-AMS) language capabilities extending to the high-frequency domain. Environmental assessments and sensors, failure analysis/mode identification, reliability and maintainability assessment tools and techniques, built-in self test (BIST) techniques, automated test generation and fault simulation, and diagnostic evaluators are also key challenges.
| Fiscal Year | Goal |
|---|---|
| FY98 | Develop signal processing "virtual" prototyping capability and demonstrate 75% design time/cost reduction. (Typically 12 months to 3 months; $500K to $125K) Demonstrate a 75% reduction in fault simulation and test generation in design time/cost for digital electronics. (Typically 4 months to 1 month; $100K to $25K) Achieve 1-month MCM design cycle with 80-90% recurring cost reduction. (Typically 6 months to 1 month; $150K to $30K) Increase primary battery energy by 40% using Li/Mn02. Demonstrate a 10x increase in power density and a factor 3-5 in reliability and switching speed for PEBBs (typically on-card 5-10 W/in3 to 50-100 W/in3). |
| FY01 | Develop GHz rate MCMs for affordable mixed analog/digital subsystems. Develop capability to efficiently perform fault simulation and test development of analog and mixed signal electronics. Demonstrate high-energy battery for soldier system: 1/2 size battery for SOF. Demonstrate digitally controlled vehicular power at 10% of the cost of current practice. |
| FY03 | Demonstrate 1-10-kW field power source: thin, conformal battery for soldier system. Demonstrate full-system CAE and integrate into scaleable manufacturing. |
The next generation of multichip module (MCM) technologies must be developed for high-speed, mixed-signal circuits and increased levels of integration including microelectro-mechanical devices and buried components in an effort to achieve additional sensor/data/signal processor miniaturization for the individual warfighter, satellites, autonomous vehicles, and ATR processors. Rechargeable lithium-ion cell chemistries with energy densities greater than 100 Wh/kg may be alternatives for C4I training, tank starting, and silent watch. Efficient electrode catalysts in fuel cells are key to 400-Wh/kg manportable fuel cells for soldier system micro-climate cooling. Development of advanced fuel cell components for use in liquid fueled systems and thermal/water management integration techniques are barriers to small fuel cell systems. Diesel fuel processing techniques are critical to the success of the liquid fueled mobile electric power cell programs. PEBB power quality (<3% total harmonic distortion), power density (50 kW/ft3), and quiet operation must be achieved based on:
3.10.2.3 Related Federal and Private Sector Efforts. Related design efforts include tool and computing environment standardization activities under the purview of the CAD Framework Initiative, a consortium of many of the key players in the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) and the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) communities. Related electronic module/ subsystem and packaging efforts include MCM development at Sandia National Laboratory and consortium efforts at the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation, the Micro-electronics Center of North Carolina, and Semiconductor Research Corporation. The IEEE Computer Society has established a study group under the Design Automation Technical Committee to begin standardization of fault model and simulation techniques and methodologies. The Waveform and Vector Exchange Standard (WAVES) has been established under the Design Automation Standards Committee.
3.10.3 S&T Investment Strategy
The EIT subarea is directed at the exploitation of modern electronics to provide a competitive battlefield edge by investing in the development of an integrated design environment closely coupled to high-reliability technologies, advanced packaging and interconnect technologies for mixed signal assemblies, improved power generation and sources, and distributed power architectures. The technology efforts, developments, and demonstrations are designed using a strategy that capitalizes on U.S. industrial capabilities, with the overall objective of meeting present and future military system and subsystem cost and performance objectives. As a result of the long life cycle of military systems and reduced DoD budgets, this technology addresses both new and fielded systems. In the area of design, the strategy is to demonstrate, via an integrated design environment, virtual prototyping and design reuse, reduction in acquisition cost, design cycle time, and life-cycle cost for mixed signal electronic systems. The objectives will be to reduce system development, reengineering, operation and support cost, and life-cycle cost of electronic systems by 4x. The impact on DoD systems will be affordable, maintainable, and upgradable electronic systems.
By using the Rapid Prototyping of Application-Specific Signal Processor (RASSP) program concepts of model-year upgrades, the objective will be to put into place the capability to field state-of-the-art electronic systems rather than fielding 10-year-old obsolete technology. In the areas of dependability, performance, and affordability, the strategy is aimed at achieving an order-of-magnitude increase in mean time between maintenance action, a tenfold reduction in unnecessary maintenance actions, and a 4x decrease in support cost. Design tools and built-in test methodologies are being produced that incorporate reliability technology at the earliest stages of system development. Efficient diagnostic methodologies to enable fault detection and isolation at the component, board, and system levels will be developed. These tools will be utilized by DoD and the commercial industrial base in the design, development, production, and maintenance of cost-effective, dependable systems that meet customer needs.
The growing need for increased functionality in mobile military systems requires the integration of mixed-mode digital, analog, microwave, millimeterwave, electro-optical, and micro- electromechanical components. The strategy is to work closely with industry to develop low-volume access to high-volume commercial fabrication lines and to employ higher integration at both the chip and the packaging levels in an effort to preserve on-chip speeds within a factor of 2 throughout the subsystem. Advanced packaging approaches include using MCMs, three-dimensional interconnect techniques, and chip-level protective coatings to eliminate expensive hermetic enclosures. These concepts will be applied to mixed mode assemblies to permit the affordable, reliable assembly of various analog and digital device technologies on a common substrate along with optoelectronic and microelectromechanical components. Even though commercial products are becoming more sophisticated, many military sensor and signal processing assemblies are required to operate over a wider temperature range and meet more stringent size, weight, and power requirements than are achievable by using COTS components and packaging approaches.
Significant military capabilities such as smart weapons, secure wireless communications, covert tags, individual soldier computers, navigation aides, and tactical information assistants will be enabled using affordable multichip module capabilities. The strategy of the efforts in the area of energy conversion/power generation are aimed at lightening the soldier's burden by providing smaller, lightweight, environmentally compatible power sources with high-power and energy densities. This will include demonstration of superior, low-cost primary and rechargeable batteries and other silent portable power sources, as well as other logistically acceptable sources of mobile tactical power such as generators, fuel cells, solar power converters, and other advanced energy conversion devices.
Lastly, the strategy of the distributed power and control efforts is to develop standard power components or building blocks and an architecture that will provide high-quality, responsive, low-voltage power conversion at the point of load. This is the objective of the PEBB program which is striving to revolutionize the way electric power is produced, distributed, and used through the demonstration of a 9x improvement over the next 9 years (versus 7x over the last 40 years) in the product of power density, switching speed, reliability, and cost. The impact of this effort will be to provide a system solution that replaces complex power electronic circuits with a single architecture and brings added value to the services in the form of reduced size, weight, and performance, such as reduction of total harmonic distortion and quiet operation for shipboard systems. For the SC-21, the power density of PEBB is projected to achieve 50 kW/ft3 at $0.05/watt, up from the present 36 kW/ft3 at $3.00/watt.
3.10.3.1 Technology Demonstrations.
None.
3.10.3.2 Technology Development. The technology efforts within the EIT subarea are viewed as critical to the affordability and performance of all new and currently fielded electronic equipment. These efforts are concerned with breakthroughs in CAE methods and tools, dependability and performance technology, advanced mixed signal MCM technology, energy conversion and power generation technology, and power control and distribution advancements including PEBBs for a more highly distributed power architecture. DARPA's work in the packaging and interconnect area, which was included as part of the EIT subarea last year, is now being reported under DTO SE.24.02, Advanced Common Electronic Modules.
Design Technology for Radio Frequency Front Ends (DTO SE.29.01). Tools and processes are being developed for the rapid and efficient design of MMIC, multichip assemblies (MCAs), and mixed signal electronic subsystems. The overall goals are to drive down the cost of RF component and multichip module assembly development, enhance system portability, upgrade reliability, and reduce life-cycle costs. These goals will be accomplished with improved virtual prototyping, reduced design cycle time, improved tool integration, and behavioral modeling.
Energy Conversion/Power Generation (DTO SE.43.01). This DTO will demonstrate small, lightweight, low-cost, environmentally compatible power sources with high-power and energy densities by providing in FY98 at least a 50-100% increase in energy density for electrochemical, electromechanical, and other direct energy conversion devices. This advancement in energy density will enable corresponding reductions in portable power source size and weight (30-50%) and support increased power demands for manportable electronics, sensors, lightweight TOCs, etc., contributing to the military's ability to project mobile forces, execute longer missions, and provide "power on the move." Approaches include improved battery materials and chemistries and more efficient electrode catalysts for fuel cells. All efforts will improve the deployability, tactical mobility, and effectiveness of a CONUS-based fighting force.
Power Control and Distribution (DTO SE.44.01). This DTO addresses advanced military platforms that are becoming "all electric" or "more electric" systems. To meet the challenging objectives in the generation, conversion, and distribution of electric power requires minimizing the cost, weight, and volume/size of power electronics, while maximizing performance (the product of current density, standoff/blocking voltage, and turnoff time or switching frequency). The approach will improve power device efficiency, circuit topologies, and thermal techniques and will develop a family of common power components. These advanced systems anticipate improvements of 10x in power density and a factor of 3-5 in the reliability and switching speed for PEBBs over the present generation conversion and distribution systems technology. The power control and distribution (PCD) envelope must encompass commonality, performance (i.e., power density), affordability, maintainability, and dual-use applicability for efficient use of resources. This DTO will develop the technologies to revolutionize, through the use of PEBBs, the way electric power is produced, stored, distributed, and used. By using the U.S. industrial infrastructure for volume manufacturing, the projected cost reduction for both military and private sector applications will be achieved.
3.10.3.3 Basic Research. Computer-aided, engineering-oriented research at the Computer Engineering Research Consortium of Ohio and within other universities ranges from individual "niche" tool development to unified environments for end-to-end electronic system development. Much research is currently being conducted in digital signal processor (DSP) design systems, algorithms, architectures, and software systems. CAE tools for low-power electronic systems are also in research and development at the University of California, Berkley. Research is also being conducted to provide very high energy density portable power sources. Technologies being researched include zinc-air batteries and advanced hydrogen-based fuel cell architectures that use polymer-exchange membrane systems and new hydrogen storage mechanisms at locations such as International Fuel Cell Corporation.
