SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- HURRICANE IMAGING RADIOMETER RECEIVER REQUIREMENTS
- Notice Date
- 2/15/2008
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 334220
— Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Procurement Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
- ZIP Code
- 35812
- Solicitation Number
- NNM08AA21S
- Response Due
- 3/7/2008
- Archive Date
- 2/15/2009
- Point of Contact
- Melinda E. Dodson, Contracting Officer, Phone 256-961-7454, Fax 256-961-7524, Email Melinda.E.Dodson@nasa.gov - Isaac W. Jones Jr., Contracting Officer, Phone 256-961-7029, Fax 256-961-7036, Email isaac.w.jones@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Email your questions to Melinda E. Dodson
(Melinda.E.Dodson@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- NASA/MSFC plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the following Commercial item/services: Hurricane Imaging Radiometer Receiver Project Organization The Marshall Space Flight Center will manage the HIRAD program and support the overall system design and integration. The HIRAD team consisting of civil servants, university collaborators and contractor support who will be responsible for the completion of all critical tasks outlined and managed by the HIRAD management team. The instrument development team consists of members from the University of Michigan, University of Central Florida, University of Alabama in Huntsville and NOAA. HIRAD System Overview The HIRAD instrument operates in the 4 to 7GHz range specifically for ocean surface wind, precipitation, and sea surface temperature observations and tropical cyclone research studies from a high altitude aircraft platform. The multi-resonant phased array antenna will mate with ten receivers and additional electronics to form the final HIRAD instrument. The development of these integrated receivers is a critical component to the success of the HIRAD instrument for both future aircraft and spaceflight applications of this technology. OBJECTIVES The science objective for the HIRAD instrument is passive remote sensing of hurricane winds and rain. The objective of these requirements is to define the integrated receiver key parameters that will provide a low risk development path to the HIRAD aircraft instrument. Customer Definition and Advocay The HIRAD instrument is a cooperative NASA & National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?s Hurricane Research Division (NOAA, HRD) team development effort with Marshall Space Flight Center as the management and integrator of the project. HIRAD is being managed by the Science and Mission Systems Office of the Marshall Space Flight Center in collaboration with the University of Michigan, University of Central Florida and University of Alabama in Huntsville. Potential customers could include tropical cyclone and Earth scientists requiring observations for basic and applied research. Receiver Description The HIRAD radiometer uses ten receivers that are phase and amplitude matched so that signals from each pair of receivers can be cross correlated. The antenna signal input to each receiver is supplied by a multi-resonant phased array antenna. A single antenna signal contains frequency components centered at each of 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 6.6 GHz. The exact center frequencies are subject to modification pending final testing of the antenna subsystem. The receiver downconvert these signals sequentially in time to a common IF center frequency of 62.5 MHz. An external LO signal is fed into the receivers that sequentially steps through the four necessary difference frequencies. Ambient and active cold matched loads are contained inside each receiver for calibration purposes, as well as a directional coupler to inject an external noise diode signal. Selection between the antenna and two internal matched loads is made by an internal calibration switch that is externally controlled. The analog IF signals are output from the receivers and sent to a bank of ten digitizers, the outputs of which are sent to a digital cross correlator. This procurement is for ten individual channels of the below design each housed in a separate enclosure specified below as an integrated microwave receiver. Antenna Input Signal The antenna input connector type is SMA female. Inside the receiver, the antenna signal should pass directly into an isolator and then to the Cal switch. Figure 1 shows typical placement of the receivers on the back side of the antenna array. These are not the size of the receivers but allowable area for placement. Further details are discussed below. Input Signal The LO input connector type is SMA female. The LO signal entering the receiver will have a nominal strength of ?10 dBm into 50 ohms and a variable, stepped frequency of 3.9375, 4.9375, 5.9375, or 6.5375 GHz. Inside the receiver, the LO signal should be amplified before reaching the internal downconversion mixer. This booster amp will elevate the LO power level to a strength needed to pump the mixer and will also provide additional isolation of RF and IF signals between receivers. The exact LO frequencies to be used are subject to change pending final chamber testing of the frequency selective HIRAD antenna. Noise Diode Input Signal The noise diode input connector type is SMA female. Inside the receiver, the noise diode signal should pass directly to the internal directional coupler without any other processing. The noise diode signal will cover an RF passband of at least 3.9 ? 6.7 GHz. (See attached Figure 1-Backside of Full Array) RF Passband Frequencies Four distinct passbands, with the following center frequency / 1 dB, 3 dB, 24 dB bandwidths: 4.0 GHz / 70, 75, 90 MHz 5.0 GHz / 45, 50, 65 MHz 6.0 GHz / 45, 50, 65 MHz 6.6 GHz / 70, 75, 90 MHz The specified 1 dB bandwidth is a lower bound value. It can be any number between the specified value and the 3 dB value. The specified 24 dB bandwidth is an upper bound value. It can be any number between the 3 dB value and the specified value. Both the center frequencies and bandwidths are subject to change pending final chamber testing of the frequency selective HIRAD antenna. Internal Calibration Sources There are three input signal options: 1) external signal entering antenna input port 2) internal ambient matched load 3) internal active cold load Selection between the three sources is made by a SP3T switch (Cal switch). A 20dB directional coupler follows the Cal switch. It couples the external noise diode signal onto the input signal that is selected by the Cal switch. The internal active cold load is a reverse LNA with its normal output port terminated and its normal input port used as the output port of the cold load. If the return loss looking into the cold load output port is worse than 23 dB (i.e. if the S11 of the LNA is above ?23 dB) then the cold load should be followed by an isolator to raise the return loss of the combined LNA/isolator above 23 dB. The brightness temperature of the cold load should be below 150 K between 3.9 and 6.7 GHz. Low Noise Amplifier and Receiver Noise Figure A broadband low noise amplifier (LNA) follows the Cal switch and directional coupler. The LNA passband should cover the complete 3.9 ? 6.7 GHz signal bandwidth. The noise figure of the LNA should not exceed 1.0 dB over the full signal bandwidth. The end-to-end noise figure of the complete receiver, referenced to the antenna input port, should not exceed 2.8 dB. The receiver noise figure includes the effects of insertion loss by the isolator, SP3T Cal switch, and noise diode directional coupler in addition to the noise figure of the LNA. Inter-unit Phase and Amplitude Matching The phase and amplitude of the end-to-end signal flow, from RF input to IF output, must be sufficiently well matched across each of the four passbands for any pair of receivers. This is true for both the antenna and noise diode input ports. The difference in phase between any pair of receivers must be less than 5o across the 1 dB bandwidth and less than 15o across the 3 dB bandwidth. The difference in amplitude between any pair of receivers must be less than 1.5 dB across the 3 dB bandwidth. IF Output Signal The receiver will downconvert the selected RF signal to an IF passband centered at 62.5 MHz. The output IF signal strength will be 0 dBm into a 50 ohm load when the RF input is a matched load at 290 K physical temperature. The output connector type is SMA female. Digital Control Input Signals Three digital control lines are input to the receiver to select one of the three positions of the Cal switch. The logic level of these signals is 3.3V single-ended CMOS. Suggested connector type is 9 pin micro-D female. Thermal Monitoring Housekeeping Lines Temperature sensors should be installed to monitor: 1) the internal ambient matched load 2) the isolator at the antenna input port 3) the noise diode directional coupler 4) the RF low noise amplifier Output signal lines from the temperature sensors should exit the receiver package through one of its side connectors. DC Input Power Conditioned DC power supply voltages will be supplied to the receiver at suitable voltage levels (e.g. 5, +/-12, +/-15 or 28 volts) needed to bias internal active devices. Required voltage levels and nominal and maximum current required during power up and steady state operation should be specified by the vendor. Mechanical The outer dimensions of the receiver package shall be no more than 2.0 cm thick. The input and output connectors (including control signals, housekeeping lines, and power supplies) should all be located along the thin (2.0 cm) sides, so that the receivers can be installed immediately adjacent to one another. The antenna input port should be located on one side by itself, away from the LO and noise diode input ports, to improve isolation between them. Figure 2 (Attached) shows a proposed layout of the receivers over a partial set of antenna elements with the board and mounting structure removed for clarity. This layout is being developed and is subject to change but is provided as a reference for physical size and dimensioning. The blue elements in the antenna array are the active elements that will be combined through a beam former (not shown). The beam former combines the individual active elements of a linear array into a single signal that is sent to a receiver. This single connection to the antenna array will be an SMA connector mounted just before the receiver boxes. To accommodate the two adjacent active rows of antenna elements the receivers can either be placed side by side as noted above or interspersed about the center line of the antenna array as shown below. (See Attached Figure 2-HIRAD receiver typical layout) Thermal The receivers should be able to meet all performance specifications over an operating temperature range of 10 C to 40 C. Within this range, any pair of receivers can differ in temperature from one another by at most 5 degrees Celsius. Deliverable Items This procurement will consist of ten receiver channels as described above with the option of two additional spares. There will be at least one review of the final design by the HIRAD team before production of the receivers is to begin. Delivery of the first receiver is to be no longer than 6 months from time of award with the remaining receivers following over a 60 day period. This procurement is a total small business set-aside. See Note 1. The anticipated release date of RFP NNM08AA21R is on or about February 21, 2008 with an anticipated proposal due date of on or about March 7, 2008. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the agency. Evaluation criteria will be based on lowest cost technically acceptable. An ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". The solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will reside on a World-Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA/MSFC Business Opportunities page is http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=62 Prospective offerors shall notify this office of their intent to submit an offer. It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the solicitation and amendments (if any). Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below. All contractual and technical questions must be submitted in writing via email at iris.r.walter@nasa.gov to Iris Walter, DFS, Inc. not later than COB March 7, 2008. Telephone questions will not be accepted.
- Web Link
-
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin=62#128767
- Record
- SN01510616-W 20080217/080215231408 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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