Novel Innovative Schemes for Remote Update of Software and Firmware for Digital and RF LRUs in Large Aperature Array Antenna

Any long range radar requires the use of a very large active aperture array antenna with thousands of Transmit Receive Modules(TRMs). The command and control distribution to these RF LRUs are distributed through digital LRUs arranged in multiple levels of hierarchy in a series-parallel fashion. There is a need to periodically update the software and firmware in the processor and FPGA respectively in Digital and RF LRUs till the time system functionality is successfully proven. For a large aperture array whenever any software or firmware update is required, automatic update through remote programming is the only viable option. In this paper, we highlight such an important and complex scenario where the software of digital LRUs are updated through remote programming and then subsequently the firmware for the FPGAs are updated with the help of the processor. Moreover, for programming the RF LRUs, a comparative analysis between In-Application Programing (IAP) and In-System Programming (ISP) is also presented. The programming scheme is designed to accomplish remote update in a matter of few minutes even if thousands of LRUs need remote update of firmware. These innovative programming techniques have been successfully implemented, tested and proven.