Dynamic interface for firmware updates

• US 9,965,267 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Marr, Jr., Harry B., Logan, Jeffrey Jay, Thompson, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Ziaul A
• Application Number:
  US14/945,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20170147321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories

Abstract

An electronic warfare (EW) devices and a method of providing jamming techniques are generally described. Firmware is updated by eliminating an existing jamming technique, adding a new technique and/or changing parameters of one of the techniques in the firmware. Changing the technique parameters includes adding a new parameter, deleting an existing parameter, changing the range of values for an existing parameter and changing the order of the parameters to be transmitted by an Operational Flight Program (OFP) to the firmware to generate the technique. The OFP reads a published a register mapping specifying parameters to use in generating the jamming techniques in the EW firmware, a range of the parameters and an order of the parameters. The jamming techniques are generated using parameters transmitted by the OFP to the firmware. The same OFP is used to trigger generation of jamming techniques prior to and after the updating of the firmware.

Claims

1. A method of providing jamming techniques from an electronic warfare (EW) system, the method comprising:

updating EW firmware by adding a new jamming technique to the EW firmware and changing parameters of one of the jamming techniques in the EW firmware;

storing parameter sets for a set of jamming techniques including jamming techniques other than those currently available by use of the EW firmware in a library of the EW system, the library storing a greater number of jamming techniques than a number of jamming sets able to be generated by the EW firmware, wherein the new jamming technique is added free from eliminating other jamming techniques;

indicating to an Operational Flight Program (OFP) that the EW firmware has been updated;

generating a jamming technique in the EW firmware using parameters transmitted by the OFP to the firmware, the same OFP being used to trigger generation of jamming techniques prior to and after the updating of the EW firmware; and

transmitting the jamming technique to provide countermeasures against a radar signal impinging on the EW system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

indicating to the OFP comprises publishing a register mapping specifying parameters used in generating the jamming techniques in the EW firmware, a range of each of the parameters and an order of the parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing parameters of one of the jamming techniques in the EW firmware comprises:

adding a new parameter to be transmitted by the OFP to the EW firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques, deleting an existing parameter to be transmitted by the OFP to the EW firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques, changing the range of values for an existing parameter and changing the order of the parameters to be transmitted by the OFP to the firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the OFP:

periodically checking to see whether an update flag has been set before reading the register mapping and resetting the update flag, and

receiving a message from the EW firmware informing the OFP of publishing of the register mapping.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the OFP transmitting a predetermined default value for a new parameter, introduced when updating the EW firmware, to the EW firmware in response to the OFP being unable to identify the new parameter from the stored parameter sets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the EW firmware based on geographical location of the EW system.

7. A device comprising:

a physical processor configured to execute software instructions stored in a physical memory;

firmware in communication with the processor, the firmware comprising a firmware build arranged to generate a plurality of signal processing operations each associated with at least one parameter, the firmware arranged to receive an updated firmware build and, in response, publish a register mapping associated with the updated firmware build, wherein the processor is arranged to adjust parameters transmitted to the firmware to generate at least one of the signal processing operations in response to the register mapping being published;

a transceiver arranged to receive signals from an emitter and generate one or more of the signal processing operations in response thereto; and

a library arranged to store parameter sets for a set of jamming techniques including jamming techniques other than those currently available by use of the firmware,

wherein the software instructions comprise Operational Flight Program (OFP) instructions,

wherein the signal processing operations comprise jamming techniques each configured to provide countermeasures against a radar signal impinging on the device,

wherein the signals comprise radar signals,

wherein the firmware is arranged to generate a limited number of jamming techniques in which the library is configured to store a greater number of jamming techniques than a number of jamming sets able to be generated by the firmware, and

wherein the firmware is arranged to add a new jamming technique free from eliminating other jamming techniques in response to the updated firmware build adding the new jamming technique and the firmware being arranged to generate a number of jamming techniques less than the limited number of jamming techniques prior to receiving the updated firmware build.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the updated firmware build comprises at least one of;

an addition of a new jamming technique to be generated by the firmware,

a deletion of one of the jamming techniques previously generated by the firmware, and

a change to one of the jamming techniques generated by the firmware such that the one of the jamming techniques remains able to be generated by the firmware after the updated firmware build.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the updated firmware build comprises the change to one of the jamming techniques, and

the published register mapping comprises, for the one of the jamming techniques;

an addition of a new parameter to be transmitted by the OFP to the firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques,

a deletion of an existing parameter to be transmitted by the OFP to the firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques,

a change in a range of values for the existing parameter, and

a change in ordering of parameters to be transmitted by the OFP to the firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the firmware comprises:

a frequency generator arranged to provide a frequency and a channel selection data,

a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) arranged to receive the frequency from the frequency generator and provide a sine and cosine output,

multipliers each arranged to multiply the sine or cosine output from the DDS and respectively provide an amplified sine or cosine output,

a bitbasher configured to receive channel selection data from the frequency generator and generate selection outputs, and

demultiplexers each arranged to receive the amplified sine or cosine output from one of the multipliers and the selection outputs from the bitbasher, the demultiplexers further arranged to generate channelized IQ data to be provided to the transceiver.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein:

to generate one of the jamming techniques, the OFP configured to transmit a message to the firmware, the message comprising at least one of a frequency value to be supplied to the frequency generator, a phase value to be supplied to the DDS and an amplitude value to be supplied to the multipliers.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the OFP is configured to transmit a predetermined default value for a new parameter, introduced by the updated firmware build, to the firmware in response to the OFP being unable to identify the new parameter from the library.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein one of:

the OFP is configured to periodically check to see whether an update flag has been set before reading the register mapping and resetting the update flag, and

the OFP is configured to receive a message from the firmware informing the OFP of the update to the register mapping.

14. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the firmware build is updated based on geographical location of the device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of an electronic warfare (EW) device, the one or more processors to configure the EW device to:

update EW firmware by adding a new jamming technique to the EW firmware and changing parameters of one of the jamming techniques in the EW firmware,

store parameter sets for a set of jamming techniques including jamming techniques other than those currently available by use of the EW firmware in a library of the EW system, the library storing a greater number of jamming techniques than a number of jamming sets able to be generated by the EW firmware, wherein the new jamming technique is added free from eliminating other jamming techniques;

indicate to an Operational Flight Program (OFP) that the EW firmware has been updated by publishing a register mapping specifying parameters to use in generating the jamming techniques in the EW firmware, a range of the parameters and an order of the parameters; and

generate a jamming technique in the EW firmware using parameters transmitted by the OFP to the firmware, the same OFP being used to trigger generation of jamming techniques prior to and after the updating of the EW firmware.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of:

changing parameters of one of the jamming techniques in the EW firmware comprises;

adding a new parameter to be transmitted by the OFP to the EW firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques, deleting an existing parameter to be transmitted by the OFP to the EW firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques, changing the range of values for an existing parameter and changing the order of the parameters to be transmitted by the OFP to the firmware to generate the one of the jamming techniques, and

the OFP transmitting a predetermined default value for a new parameter, introduced when updating the EW firmware, to the EW firmware in response to the OFP being unable to identify the new parameter from the stored parameter sets.