Low-cost miniature unattended RF sensor suite

Recent advances in electronic miniaturization have facilitated the design and development of a deployable, stand-alone sensor for battlefield RF (radio frequency) MASINT (measurement and signature intelligence). Recent results of a Phase I effort to assess battlefield RF signatures and compare sensor sensitivity, size, and number for optimal coverage will be presented. An RF sensor suite is being designed that will be networked for robust and redundant data gathering and wireless, stand-alone operation. The RF sensor will essentially function as a swept-frequency spectrum analyzer, measuring frequency content, amplitude and modulation characteristics over predetermined (or user programmable) bandwidths of interest. Recommendations and preliminary schematics for a compact, ruggedized, low-power RF sensor will be presented together with a design for a low-power centralized wireless network for data transfer and processing. The RF sensor technology developed in this effort will have a predominantly military application but should also find use in security and surveillance applications.