Electronically Programmable PSK SAW Devices.

This report describes the work conducted by United Technologies Research Center during the period from 7 April 1975 through 6 July 1975, on a research and development program entitled, Electronically Programmable PSK SAW Devices. Research under this program is directed toward the development of a state-of-the-art Surface Acoustic Wave SAW module for use in electronically programmable, long code PSK signal correlation and encoding. The program is based on the UTRC PSK Diode-Correlator, a unique SAW device that utilizes non linear mixing phenomena in a hybrid semi conductor delay line configuration. When fully developed in 64 and 128 tap modular form, the PSK Diode-Correlator module will provide advantages in maximum chip rate, minimum tap dissipation, and electronic flexibility. Work during this first quarter has been directed toward 1 the fabrication of PSK Diode-Correlator components, 2 diagnostic experiments on the amplitude and phase characteristics of PSK taps utilizing silicon-on-sapphire SOS diode arrays, and 3 design of 64 and 128 tap Diode-Correlator modulators. This work, which has substantially followed the plan laid out in our program proposal, is detailed.