Remote digital firing system

A remote digital firing system for firing a remote mission payload, the remote digital firing system comprising:

• a firing circuit communicatively coupled to and operative to fire the remote mission payload;
• a firing control panel communicatively linked to the firing circuit;
• and
• a digital code plug configured to be integrated in communicative combination with the firing circuit and the firing control panel;
• wherein the firing circuit is operative, with the digital code plug integrated in communicative combination therewith, to generate and write one-time random session variables to the digital code plug and to simultaneously store the one-time random session variables internally in the firing circuit;
• wherein the firing control panel is operative, with the digital code plug integrated in communicative combination therewith, to generate and transmit messages having the one-time random session variables embodied therein to the firing circuit;
• wherein the firing circuit validates the messages by comparing the one-time random session variables embodied in the messages with the internally stored one-time random session variables prior to firing the remote mission payload;
• and
• wherein the one-time session variables includes an encryption key.

A remote digital firing system for firing a remote mission payload, the remote digital firing system comprising:

• a firing circuit communicatively coupled to and operative to fire the remote mission payload;
• a firing control panel communicatively linked to the firing circuit;
• and
• a digital code plug configured to be integrated in communicative combination with the firing circuit and the firing control panel;
• wherein:
• the firing circuit is operative, with the digital code plug integrated in communicative combination therewith, to generate and write one-time random session variables to the digital code plug and to simultaneously store the one-time random session variables internally in the firing circuit;
• the firing control panel is operative, with the digital code plug integrated in communicative combination therewith, to generate and transmit messages having the one-time random session variables embodied therein to the firing circuit;
• the firing circuit validates the messages by comparing the one-time random session variables embodied in the messages with the internally stored one-time random session variables prior to firing the remote mission payload;
• a predefined communication protocol defines the types, formats, contents, cryptographic requirements, and sequencing of messages transmitted by the firing control panel to the firing circuit and the messages transmitted by said firing circuit to said firing control panel;
• the types of messages transmitted between the firing control panel and the firing circuit include status messages, request-challenge messages, command messages, and verification messages;
• the format of the request-challenge messages, command messages, and verification messages includes a message-originator identification character, one or more characters for specifically identifying each of the request-challenge messages, command messages, and verification messages, and a data block;
• the one-time session variables include an encryption key;
• and
• the firing control panel includes an encryption algorithm that uses the encryption key to encrypt the data block;
• and
• the firing circuit includes a decryption algorithm that uses the encryption key to decrypt the data blocks encrypted by the firing control panel.

A firing circuit for a remote digital firing system that includes a firing control panel and a digital code plug, the firing circuit comprising:

• a microcontroller that includes a modifiable, read-only memory module, an application module for storing instruction sets to control the operation of the microcontroller, an input/output interface for communicating with the firing control panel, an output interface integrating the digital code plug in communicative combination with the firing circuit;
• a hardware random noise generator for generating and writing a one-time random encryption key and session codes to the digital code plug when integrated in communicative combination with the firing circuit and simultaneously writing the one-time random encryption key and session codes to the modifiable, read-only memory module;
• an address line decoder connected to the microcontroller;
• an arming stage connected to the address line decoder;
• a power bus connected to the arming stage;
• an output regulator connected to the arming stage;
• first and second firing stages connected to the address line decoder;
• and
• first and second output relays connected to the first and second firing stages, respectively, the first and second output relays defining dual output lines;
• wherein the address line decoder is operative in response to a first signal from the microcontroller to selectively enable the arming stage so that the output regulator is electrically coupled to the power bus;
• wherein the address line decoder is operative in response to a second signal from the microcontroller to selectively enable the first and second firing stages, which energizes the first and second output relays, respectively, to electrically couple the dual output lines to the output regulator;
• and
• wherein the microcontroller is operative to transmit a third signal to enable the output regulator subsequent to energization of the first and second output relays to complete the electrical circuit between the power bus and the dual output lines.