OUSD (R&E) MODERNIZATION PRIORITY: General Warfighting Requirements (GWR) TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials OBJECTIVE: Develop, demonstrate, and validate models, design tools, software and networks that will be used to support the efficient development and eventual mass production of high-speed data networks for electronic textile (etextile) wearable applications. DESCRIPTION: Ongoing Army modernization efforts will provide Soldiers with enhanced capabilities that increase their ability to quickly understand and react to emerging battlefield situations. Digital transformation will improve data access and machine learning to understand, visualize, and decide and direct faster. Information will flow rapidly between the enterprise and soldiers on the ground. Soldier worn power and data networks are necessary to bring these concepts to fruition. To date, success has been achieved in the development, test and evaluation of a variety of functional textile-based data networks for the dismounted Soldier. Examples of network protocols that have been successfully prototyped include USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, serial, SMBus, and I2C. These demonstrations have shown that while etextiles can be used to form effective data networks, they behave differently than traditional theoretical models or empirical guidelines would indicate due to their unique composition and structure. Standard models used for designing strip lines and cables do not accurately predict the impedance characteristics of etextile materials. The connectors used for these networks, and the methods used to connect them to the etextile also have unique impedance characteristics. Line impedance is one of the main components of cable design and it's a driving factor when designing for high speed data. The higher the data rates, the tighter the tolerances become for all design parameters. Currently the process of designing etextile data networks relies on laboratory experimentation to achieve the desired performance which is time consuming and expensive. The development of new models and design tools are desired that accurately predict the impedance and other performance characteristics necessary to quickly build these networks. The development process will include the investigation of the composition and structure of etextile networks and related state-of-the-art materials to characterize and understand the impact of these components on impedance. In addition, the influence of dielectric and shielding materials, connectors, and connector interface media will also be evaluated and characterized. The resulting modeling and design tools are necessary to support early prototyping, testing, and touch points with Soldiers from the operational force to help ensure that solutions generated are the right ones. Ultimately these models will feed into advanced manufacturing methods and processes and will be incorporated into system design, development, production and sustainment. PHASE I: The Phase I awardee shall determine the technical feasibility to develop new design tools and guidelines, including but not limited to, a signal line impedance model to be based on a combination of first principles and empirical data. Using this new conceptual capability, proof-of-concept bench-scale data networks will be designed, fabricated and evaluated. At the conclusion of this Phase I effort, the awardee will deliver a tangible proof-of-concept network demonstration article, conceptual impedance model and design tools, and survey of shielding options. PHASE II: Improvements will be made to the conceptual model and design tools using data collected and lessons-learned. Using these tools, methods for improving the impedance characteristics of etextile networks will be developed and evaluated in an iterative process and ultimately validated. The electronic textiles shall handle various communication protocols (USB, SMBUS, etc.) without signal degradation or loss of data that is comparable to current cable technology. Weight: Same or lighter (for similar length) Amperage: Same or better Efficiency ( ): Same or better MIL-STD-810: Same or better MIL-STD 461: Same or better Working with Soldier Center and PM-Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) subject matter experts, the contractor shall identify a suitable system that can be used to demonstrate the capabilities of these component networks in a relevant setting. The finalized and validated impedance model, design tools and related software will be delivered. Etextile networks sufficient for three prototype systems shall be fabricated and evaluated through a combination of bench-top and EMI chamber testing prior to delivery to the Government. Following delivery of the fully functional and shielded etextile networks, the contractor will support testing and evaluation activities in a relevant setting. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The successful completion of the Phase II effort will provide a detailed understanding of how the complex architectures embodied in etextiles affect network impedance and how these unique properties can be used to extend the state-of-the-art in wearable network design. This knowledge will facilitate the rapid and efficient development of future etextile networks that reduce system weight and bulk, eliminate snag hazards, allow electronic capabilities to be hidden in plain sight, and cost less than current cable technology. Commercial applications include physiological status monitoring for first responders and athletes, general wearable electronics, electric vehicles, telemedicine, and gaming for the entertainment industry. Military examples include the use of the electronic textile impedance modeling software to develop new and improved etextile cables and networks for Nett Warrior and IVAS applications that are lighter weight, have reduced number of components, can be easily integrated within the Soldier System, and are less expensive to manufacture REFERENCES: Analog Devices MT-094 Tutorial Microstrip and Stripline Design, https://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-094.pdf Clemson University PCB Trace Impedance Calculator, https://cecas.clemson.edu/cvel/emc/calculators/PCB-TL_Calculator/ E-textiles for Military Markets, Creating Textiles that Harvest Energy Lighten the Warfighters Load, S. Tornquist, Advanced Textiles Source, Industrial Fabrics Association International, 11 January 2014. Design Tool for Electronic Textile Clothing Systems, J. Slade, J. Teverovsky, C. Winterhalter, 2014 Human Systems Conference, Crystal City, VA, 4 February 2014. KEYWORDS: Impedance, models, wearables, etextiles, smart textiles, personal area network
