RF characterization of the semiconductor junction igniter in the 2.75 Folding Fin Aircraft Rocket

The design and characterization of a novel passive ignition system which consists of a simple two-stage radio frequency (RF) low pass filter and a novel RF insensitive electro-explosive device is discussed. Lumped parameter modeling was used to provide the frequency response of the circuit. The 2.75 Folding Fin Aircraft Rocket (2.75 FFAR) was utilized as a test vehicle for field measurements which were performed as specified in MIL-STD 1385B at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dhalgren, VA. The configuration exhibited excellent performance over the entire frequency range of 1.5 MHz to 1 GHz.