Facilities &  Classified Capability

Signal Processing  Branch Laboratory

Workstations - Most of the work of the Signal Processing Branch involves computer simulation, and the primary tools of SPB are therefore the network of personal computers and Sun and Silicon Graphics workstations maintained by its parent Sensors and Electromagnetic Applications Laboratory.  When necessary, SPB can call on additional computing resources throughout GTRI and Georgia Tech, such as those of the Critical Systems Laboratory  and the High Performance Computing Group, or a MasPar MP-2 massively parallel machine.

SPB has also obtained on indefinite loan from Mercury Computer Systems a state-of-the-art COTS embedded DSP multiprocessor.  The system includes the following components:

• Two quad-PowerPC cards (200 MHz, 16 MB per PowerPC)
• Third quad-PPC expected later this year
• One 12-node SHARC card (16MB per “Compute Element” of 3-SHARCs)
• FORCE 8VT SPARC-based Single Board Computer (SBC) development host.
• Comparable to a Sun SPARCstation 5 workstation
• Motorola MVME 1604 real-time SBC controller for VxWorks expected later this year
• A 21-slot (split 6U/9U) 19” rack-mountable VME chassis
• Mercury software development packages including the following:
• Heterogeneous C Software Development Environment
• Parallel Application System (PAS) API
• Matlab libraries for compiling Matlab code into efficient C code
• SuperVision multiprocessor debugging tool
• TATL multiprocessor performance analysis tool
• Talaris high-performance middleware
• PeakWare for RACE Talaris GUI framework

SPB is involved in radar imaging using GTRI's Electromagnetic Test and Evaluation Facility (EMTEF). The EMTEF accommodates research in all aspects of electromagnetics through its far-field antenna range, look-down radar cross section (RCS) range and target turntable, and rooftop radar test and calibration range.  This multi-million-dollar complex can support a variety of antenna and RCS measurements.  It is now one of the leading facilities of its kind in the nation and the largest affiliated with any university.

The far-field antenna range is used for various kinds of electromagnetic measurements, including multi-spectral signature measurements, antenna measurements, propagation measurements, and sensor system measurements.  The facility includes source and receive towers, a control room near the top of the source tower, antenna range instrumentation, a heavy-weight turntable at ground level, an elevatable platform on the side of the source tower for RCS measurements, and a radar test and calibration range.

GTRI/SPB has complete capability for conducting classified research, and for handling and storage of classified material. Georgia Tech's Research Security Department overseas all security procedures at GTRI. Key components of SPB's classified information handling capability include the following:

• All SPB research personnel have at least a DoD SECRET security clearance.
• GTRI has an NSA-certified Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) available at the Cobb County Research Facility.  The secure processing area in Building 5 at the Cobb County Research Facility (CCRF) is TEMPEST approved by virtue of its physical location relative to the secured perimeter that is maintained at that facility.
• GTRI has several STU-III secure telephone units, secure facsimile capabilities both at the Cobb County Research Facility and on the Georgia Tech Campus.
• GTRI has recently established a classified database capability that can be accessed online and is based upon the Motorola Network Encryption System(NES).  The NES 4001 Server is configured with CM2000 software and is classified a Type-I Controlled Cryptographic Item (CCI). Two GTRI personnel have received the formal NSA/Motorola system administrator training.