Data exchange system and method for ammunition rounds

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a method for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system while the round is inside the gun and before firing the gun, comprising the steps of:
• (a) providing a data exchange system including:
• (i) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor;
• and
• (ii) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data to be transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor;
• (b) transferring said data via said data exchange system;
• and
• (c) transferring data from the fuze processor to the fire control system via said data exchange system.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a data exchange system for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system, comprising:
• (a) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor;
• and
• (b) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor, said data exchange link including a mechanism for ensuring that said electrical signals have a voltage less than the threshold, said mechanism including an amplifier and an attenuator in parallel.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a data exchange system for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system, comprising:
• (a) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor said electrical connection including:
• (i) a communications control unit,
• (ii) an amplifier, for amplifying said signals from the fire control system, and
• (iii) an attenuator, for attenuating electrical signals, from the fuze processor to the fire control system, to a voltage less than the threshold;
• and
• (b) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a data exchange system for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system, comprising:
• (a) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor, said electrical connection including a communications control unit:
• (b) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor;
• and
• (c) a power supply, within the round, for said communications control unit, said power supply including:
• (i) a capacitor,
• (ii) a transformer, and
• (iii) a diode rectifier between said transformer and said capacitor, said transformer being connected in parallel with the resistor.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a method for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system while the round is inside the gun and before firing the gun, comprising the steps of:
• (a) providing a data exchange system including:
• (i) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor, said electrical connection including a communications control unit;
• (ii) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data to be transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor, and
• (iii) a power supply, within the round, for powering the communication control unit, said power supply including a capacitor;
• (b) transferring said data via said data exchange system;
• and
• (c) charging said capacitor.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a data exchange system for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system, comprising:
• (a) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor;
• and
• (b) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor, said data exchange link including a mechanism for ensuring that said electrical signals have a voltage less than the threshold.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a data exchange system for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system, comprising:
• (a) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor, said electrical connection including a communications control unit;
• and
• (b) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor.

In a weapons system in which a round having a case is fired from a gun, the round including a fuze processor, the round further including a firing circuit having a resistor and also having two contacts in the case of the round, the gun having two contacts which contact the two contacts of the round when the round is in the gun and ready to fire, the gun being fired by applying a voltage in excess of a certain threshold to the contacts of the round via the contacts of the gun, the weapons system including a fire control system outside the gun:

• a data exchange system for exchanging data between the fuze processor and the fire control system, comprising:
• (a) an electrical connection, within the round, between the contacts of the round and the fuze processor, the resistor being thereby connected in parallel with the fuze processor, said electrical connection including:
• (i) an amplifier, for amplifying said signals from the fire control system, and
• (ii) an attenuator, for attenuating electrical signals, from the fuze processor to the fire control system, to a voltage less than the threshold;
• and
• (b) a data exchange link, between the fire control system and the contacts of the gun, for applying, to the contacts of the gun, electrical signals representative of data transferred from the fire control system to the fuze processor.