Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/948150
20 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2018 Forsythe: Right now, this is tied to our controllers. Down the road, who knows? But right now, we're making the cleaning process better. That's our job. If we make the cleaning process better, then we're delivering the maximum value as the cleaning guy to our customer, which, chances are, is a good thing for us. Matties: Is there anything that we didn't talk about regarding this that we should be covering for our read- ers? Forsythe: No, I don't think so. In the cleaning space, KYZEN is the first with this whole data visualization approach to getting all the data in your system, putting it at your finger- tips, and making it easy to use and access anytime. I'm sure in others' spaces, there's lots of data floating around from all of the inspection systems, so in the different silos or the different stations along the assembly line, there are lots of people looking at their acre of diamonds and saying, "How do we provide information that will feed into the overall control system in the sky, which today is still more conceptual than deliverable?" Matties: I think the challenge there is the language standard, right? Forsythe: Absolutely. We'll just stay close to the standards and see how they turn out. Cleaning doesn't usually drive the boat on things like that, so we simply try to be well informed and adapt as appropriate. Matties: Well, Tom, thank you so much. This has been great. Forsythe: Thank you. SMT007 Improving Military Communications with Digital Phased-Arrays at Millimeter Wave DARPA is launching the Millimeter-Wave Digital Arrays (MIDAS) program to develop element-level digital phased-array technology that will enable next generation DoD millimeter wave systems. To help solve the adaptive beamforming problem and ensure wide application of the resulting solutions, MIDAS seeks to create a common digital array tile that will enable multi-beam directional communications. Research efforts will focus on reducing the size and power of digital millimeter wave transceiv- ers, enabling phased-array technology for mobile platforms and elevating mobile communications to the less crowded millimeter wave frequencies. Advances in element-level digital beamforming in phased- array designs is enabling new multi-beam communications schemes to help significantly reduce node discovery time and improve network throughput. To reduce the size of the arrays, advances in millimeter wave technology will help push the frequency of operation to higher bands, bringing the capabili- ties of directional antennas to small mobile platforms. To accomplish its goals, MIDAS is focused on two key tech- nical areas. The first is the development of the silicon chips to form the core transceiver for the array tile. The second area is focused on the development of wide-band antennas, trans- mit/receive (T/R) components, and the overall integration of the system that will enable the technology to be used across multiple applications, including line-of-sight communications between tactical platforms as well as current and emerging satellite communications.