SOLICITATION NOTICE
99 -- Development of a TDWR Target Simulation System
- Notice Date
- 1/4/2006
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, AMQ-210 Aeronautical Center (AMQ)
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- 4545
- Response Due
- 2/22/2006
- Archive Date
- 3/24/2006
- Description
- The FAA has a requirement for a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) Target Simulation System. The intent of this market survey is to initiate industry involvement, develop and refine the procurement strategy, obtain price information, determine whether commercial items exist, determine the level of competition, identify market practices, and obtain comments on requirements. TDWR Background: The TDWR is a C-Band weather radar that puts runway specific weather products on an air traffic controller's situation displays, such as: windshear alerts, microburst alerts, gust fronts and heavy precipitation. It is a 3-D radar with 0.5 degree beam width that processes range cells (range gates) of 150 meters. Unlike point target detection, the TDWR must be optimized for weather targets so the receiver, signal processor and radar computer always generate scientifically reproducible weather products. Some TDWR Operating Parameters: 1. Frequency: C-Band 5600 MHz to 5650 MHz 2. Pulse modulated signal with a pulse width of 1 microsecond and rise/fall time 110-200 nanoseconds. 3. PRF of 325 Hz to 2000 Hz that varies in a 6 minute volume scan of the radar. 4. The radar return waveform has a lower level typically -120 dBm. 5. The radar completes one volume scan in 6 minutes. We would like to save 5-6 volume scans of waveform data. 6. There are 23 "tilts" (i.e. Twenty three 360-degree tilts) during a volume scan. Each tilt varies in time, but the fastest is 12 seconds and all . 7. Each tilt varies in time, but all are completed in one 6 minute volume scan. 8. The noise figure of the radar return waveform is reduced by approximately 70 dB using a band pass filter outside the 10 MHz window. TDWR Receiver Specifications: 1. Frequency Range: 5600 MHz to 5650 MHz (However, only a single frequency is used, receiver input is filtered to only accept 5 MHz around this single frequency for a 10MHz pass band.) 2. Bandwidth: 910 kHz at 3 dB 3. C-Band LO: 5630 MHz to 5680 MHz 4. IF: 30 MHz 5. System Clock: 10 MHz 6. Image Rejection: >50 dB at downconverter input 7. Dynamic Range: 127.5 dB (total) 101.5 dB (instantaneous) 8. Sensitivity Time Control: 26 dB 9. Automatic Gain Control: 42 dB 10. Receiver Sensitivity: -110.8 dBm 11. Pulse Width: 1.0 us +/- 0.1 us 12. Pulse Repetition Frequency: 326.2 Hz to 1930.5 Hz 13. Range Sample: 150 m 14. Azimuth Sample: 1 deg 15. Stability: -60.7 dBc System Requirements: There is a need to develop a TDWR target simulation system that can capture the radar return waveform from a 10 dB directional coupler before the signal enters the receiver downconverter and to save the waveform on a hard drive. The length of time to capture is 25-30 minutes and the FAA would like to manipulate the waveform using various software tools. While capturing the waveform, there is a need to trigger the capturing tool for external analog interrupts and place markers in time for them. Once the waveform data has been saved, the FAA would like to playback the waveform (pump the RF signal) through the radar receiver that is cued by the recorded interrupt markers and by matching external analog interrupts. This means the waveform will be played back when it receives an external cue that matches the recorded marker. This will enable the FAA to truth test our radar receiver and signal processor to determine the changes made to it. The goal is to get repeatable targets on the radar situation display with the saved waveforms. The return waveform has a 10 MHz span at C-Band frequency and it would be ideal to save this waveform in a 32-bit word format. There are two analog interrupts that must be captured and played back. The first is the Antenna Control Pulse (ACP). There is 1 ACP per 0.05 degrees of antenna motion. This results in 7200 ACPs per tilt. The other analog interrupt is the Antenna Reference Pulse (ARP) indicating the end of a tilt. Therefore, there are 23 ARPs in a volume scan. Total analog interrupts needed in one 6-minute volume scan: 165,600 + 23 = 165,623. Attached for reference are three drawings that contain: TDWR Receiver Exciter (REX) block diagram, the exciter unit of the REX and receiver portion of the REX. Interested vendors that may have capabilities to develop a TDWR target simulation system should respond with their proposed documentation (2 copies) to demonstrate their ability to the Contracting Officer. Responses are due March 1, 2006. The documentation must clearly demonstrate the ability to capture radar return data that is between the frequencies of 5600 MHz and 5650 MHz, and play it back through a radar receiver. If radar data captured is less than 25 minutes, then the playback system should be able to "stitch" together pieces of data that are at least 5 minutes of recording. Questions may be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer. Facsimile responses are not permitted. The FAA will not pay for any information received or costs incurred in preparing responses to this announcement. Any information received as a result of this market survey will not be for use outside the Government but solely for the purpose of determining whether sources exist for this requirement. Statements that data will be obtained or that specifications or drawings will be developed are not acceptable. This market survey shall not be construed as a request for proposal or an obligation on the part of the FAA to acquire these services. The FAA will not pay for any information received or costs incurred in preparing responses to this market survey. Responders to this market survey may be asked to provide additional details/information based on their initial submittal.
- Web Link
-
FAA Contract Opportunities
(http://www.asu.faa.gov/faaco/index.cfm?ref=4545)
- Record
- SN00960934-W 20060106/060104211911 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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