Electronics technology at APL

APL programs have made significant and continuous use of electronics technology from the very beginning. In fact, the VT fuze was a marvel of the Laboratory's electronics technology and the ingenuity of its practitioners. Electronics technology at APL can be subdivided into five broad areas: microelectronics and advanced packaging, RF and microwaves, embedded computers and programmable devices, microetectromechanical systems, and optoelectronics/photonics. In each area, a historical background is presented along with the status of current activities and the trends, directions, and challenges for evolution at the Laboratory. This information was compiled from the APL Senior Leadership Team Technology Review on Electronics Technology. The Laboratory has developed extensive and, in some cases, unique capabilities and facilities for electronics design, fabrication, testing, and qualification. These assets exist in seven APL departments and have been applied across all program areas. The article also highlights a few of the many electronics technology-intensive projects completed recently or currently under development.