Analysis of a Multiplicative Feed System for Monopulse Tracking Applications

In angle tracking antenna applications, the angle sensing boresight accuracy capabilities are important. The ability of an antenna to precisely determine the bearing angle to a point source is determined by the slope of the control function pattern at boresight. In the presence of extraneous interference, the magnitudes of the sidelobe and backlobe responses are important. Control pattern slope (angular sensitivity) is primarily a function of aperture illumination. It can be described by a current distribution in intensity and phase at every point. Once distribution is defined, lobe structure is defined by the associated transform. When more than one feed is used, the distribution will be a vector sum of the individual feed distributions. The resulting secondary pattern can be defined in terms of the amplitude distribution and the phase center locations of the contributing feeds. With a four-horn monopulse configuration, the feed phase centers are displaced from the boresight axis. Placing the phase centers on the boresight axis by rotating the feeds through 45 degrees results in a different set of intensity and phase values. A quite different secondary pattern results. The control function obtained by the subtraction of the powers from a paired set of on-axis feeds results in a lower sidelobe level than that obtained with a conventional monopulse combiner for a given feed taper.     

一种新型双线极化BD2 B3抗干扰天线设计

设计了一种双线极化BD2B3抗干扰天线单元,采用2个幅度相等相位相差90°的馈电点,产生幅度相等相位正交的2个线极化波实现双线极化,用该天线单元进行抗干扰阵列组合,能够有效减小天线阵列的体积。     

Two low-cost phased arrays

In a phased array antenna, the phase shifters (or T/R modules in an active aperture phased array) with their beam-steering control circuitry along with the feed network account for the major hardware cost. This paper presents two antenna array configurations that use simpler feed, simpler phase-shifting and simpler beam-steering control circuitry for realizing low-cost phased arrays. Both are lens configurations. The first one uses a Radant lens, which provides a medium that is loaded with diodes and provides the needed phase shift by switching the diodes on and off. The other configuration employs a ferroelectric dielectric material whose dielectric constant can be varied with an applied DC bias voltage. It is shown that the ferroelectric lens may have further advantages of smaller thickness, simpler beam-steering controls and lower cost     

一种低副瓣波纹喇叭天线的设计与实现

文章设计了一种高斯分布的波纹喇叭天线,具有增益高、转换效率高、交叉极化低、相位中心不随频率变化的特点。该天线采用正交馈电,结构简单紧凑,以双线极化或圆极化方式工作。根据天线设计参数,建立了天线模型,进行了优化设计。仿真和实测结果表明,天线在频率34～36 GHz范围内,增益大于20dBi,方向图在E面和H面具有良好对称性,副瓣电平不大于-26 d B,驻波比小于1.5,整体性能满足工程应用要求。     

An Application of Radiometric Techniques to Precision Angle Tracking Radar Systems

A new technique is described which provides for precision angle tracking of celestial radio sources with a conventional monopulse antenna receiving system. It is shown that this technique is readily adapted to angle tracking radars. The features of conventional monopulse operation are preserved while permitting precise angle tracking of noise sources when signal to noise ratios are much less than unity. Measurements, using a four-horn monopulse feed with a 28-foot parabolic reflector and a "monopulse radiometer" produced the characteristic monopulse angle detection functions when using the sun, the moon, and Cassiopeia A as boresight reference sources. Precision measurements were made to 8 arc second under varying weather conditions using 28-foot radio astronomy antennas. The accuracy of the measurements were limited by the antenna angle encoders, consequently no conclusions are drawn with regard to the absolute accuracy of the measurements. The celestial coordinates of four discrete radio sources and the equations for coordinate transformation to local elevation and azimuth are contained in the Appendixes.     

Phase Control in Multibeam Arrays

The phases of the radiation fields in a multibeam antenna are analyzed and their relations to the feed network are established. A method of phase control is proposed and applied to the case of cophasal beams radiated from an array for which the feed network is a lossless Butler matrix.     

Phase Monopulse Error Due to Nonuniform Noise Background

A phase monopulse antenna system can be used for the high accuracy tracking of active or passive objects in space or on earth. Far-field noise sources that are present in the background of the object being tracked will introduce an offset or bias error in the determination of the angle of incidence of the coherent sinusoidal wave received from the source. The dependency of this bias error upon the nonuniformity of the noise background or equivalently upon the asymmetry of the antenna patterns about the direction to the signal being tracked is determined. Although the variance in the measurement of the sinusoidal source direction can be reduced by increasing the post detection integration time, it is shown that the bias or offset error is unaffected by this change. In order to decrease the offset or bias error the predetection bandwidth must be reduced.     

深空探测多天线组阵的增益损失研究

为定量分析上行天线组阵增益损失的影响因素,提出一种通过建立数学模型分析合成损耗的估计方法.首先基于天线原理和电磁波传输理论建立了天线组阵上行链路信号的数学模型,以统计学理论对数学模型进行分析,得到了影响上行链路信号的若干因素.通过分析得出,深空探测信号在远距离传输中因大气相位扰动引起的误差是造成天线组阵增益损失的最主要因素.再通过对大气相位扰动误差的进一步分析,构建S频段和X频段下大气相位扰动的空间自相关模型和时间自相关模型,得到组阵基线长度和工作仰角同合成损耗的关系.经过对各误差源的分析可知,在目前的技术水平下,能够满足上行天线组阵工程应用的精度要求.     

Multimode adaptive signal processing: a new approach to GMTI radar

We show how a single reflector antenna with a multimode feed horn can be used in a ground moving target indication (GMTI) radar. In particular, we demonstrate the simultaneous detection and estimation of angular location of a ground moving target via adaptive cancellation of ground clutter     

Some properties of retrodirective beam of multiple sidelobecanceler

The retrodirective or perturbation beam concept is often used to aid in explaining the nulling of interference sources. The classical explanation for cancellation of a single-zero-bandwidth source is that of a perturbation beam steered to and peaking at that interferer angle. The subtraction of this perturbation beam from the main beam causes the nulling. It is shown that, for discrete point main and auxiliary antennas, this explanation can be generalized to non-zero bandwidth sources. It is demonstrated that if the main and auxiliary antennas are spatial points, then the retrodirective beam is nonuniformly weighted, steered to the interference source, and peaks at the interferer angle. For the more realistic assumption of a nonpoint main antenna, the retrodirective beam does not peak at the interferer angle for any bandwidth     

偏焦偏置抛物面多波束天线的分析与设计

以口径场法为基础对偏置抛物面天线进行建模分析,可方便有效地计算馈源数目任意、馈源放置位置任意的偏置抛物面天线的方向图。通过优化对馈源位置进行调整,使得各波束的性能达到设计的要求,最终实现多波束天线。绕特定的轴旋转馈源阵列,可以实现更大空间的扫描。     

Phase Residual Estimations for PCVs of Spaceborne GPS Receiver Antenna and Their Impacts on Precise Orbit Determination of GRACE Satellites

In-flight phase center systematic errors of global positioning system(GPS) receiver antenna are the main restriction for improving the precision of precise orbit determination using dual-frequency GPS.Residual approach is one of the valid methods for in-flight calibration of GPS receiver antenna phase center variations(PCVs) from ground calibration.In this paper,followed by the correction model of spaceborne GPS receiver antenna phase center,ionosphere-free PCVs can be directly estimated by ionosphere-free carrier phase post-fit residuals of reduced dynamic orbit determination.By the data processing of gravity recovery and climate experiment(GRACE) satellites,the following conclusions are drawn.Firstly,the distributions of ionosphere-free carrier phase post-fit residuals from different periods have the similar systematic characteristics.Secondly,simulations show that the influence of phase residual estimations for ionosphere-free PCVs on orbit determination can reach the centimeter level.Finally,it is shown by in-flight data processing that phase residual estimations of current period could not only be used for the calibration for GPS receiver antenna phase center of foretime and current period,but also be used for the forecast of ionosphere-free PCVs in future period,and the accuracy of orbit determination can be well improved.     

极化角对跟踪接收机相位影响分析

根据卫星通信中遇到的极化问题及其对移动地面站的影响,针对不同极化卫星间的差异,从电磁场理论中极化的定义和分类出发,给出不同极化电磁波电场信号表示方法,以某型移动卫通站天线馈源结构为例,介绍了不同状态下极化工作方式和线极化方式中线极化面调整的机理,然后结合单通道单脉冲跟踪接收机工作原理,对天线跟踪水平极化信标时线极化角与跟踪接收机相位间的关系进行了详细分析,为解决实际应用中遇到的跟踪接收机相位漂移问题提供了技术依据。     

The Measurement of Echo Direction in a Phased-Array Radar

For a planar-array antenna with a monopulse feed horn, this study describes a simple algorithm for the determination of the direction of target echoes. Antenna pattern measurements of the array indicate that the direction sines of a received wavefront can be independently obtained with one simple relation between a normalized difference channel output and a direction sine. This paper determines the accuracy of the algorithm.     

基于VLBI的上行组阵标校技术研究

天线组阵能否完全替代大口径天线有一个关键性难题,就是天线阵是否支持上行链路组阵。深空航天器无法将不同地面天线的上行信号对齐,所以上行链路信号的调整必须在地面完成。针对上行组阵发射机相位调整问题,提出一种基于VLBI(Very Long Baseline Interferometry,甚长基线干涉测量)技术的接收模式天线上行组阵标校方案,并对标校精度进行了简要分析。将上行链路时延分解为几何时延和发射系统时延,建立了几何时延模型,通过标定接收时延和发射时延,便可以得到天线阵元间的相位标校值。理论分析结果表明,该方案具有一定的可行性,对上行组阵相位标校的研究具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Angle measurement in the presence of mainbeam interference

The problem of reducing interference impinging on an antenna array when the sources lie in the main beam is addressed. Adaptive antenna arrays are incorporated to form adapted sum and difference beams in which the interference signals are suppressed. Monopulse error curves are then obtained, providing the necessary distortion correction curves across the entire mainbeam tracking angle region. New Cramer-Rao (C-R) bounds on the angle estimation error are derived with generalized assumptions on the signal amplitude and phase. The bounds previously derived by others are valid under different conditions. With these generalized assumptions on the signal characteristics, a Monte Carlo simulation is performed, based on the estimation procedure presented, to determine the angle estimation error. These errors are compared with the C-R bounds. Good performance is shown for sufficient S/N₀ and angular separation between the target and the interference sources     

Superconducting antennas

The applicability of superconductors to antennas is examined with emphasis on the roles of external and internal fields. Six potential implementations have resulted. These are superdirective arrays, millimeter-wavelength arrays, electrically small antennas, matching of antennas, phasers for electronic scanning, and traveling-wave array feeds. Most superdirective arrays are still impractical, because of high Q and strict tolerances. Large millimeter arrays appear feasible, due to a major reduction in feed losses. For electrically small antennas, high Q again limits applicability. However, matching of small superdirective arrays and all electrically small antennas, including large transmit antennas, is very attractive, as matching network losses are greatly reduced. Switched-line phasers offer a major size reduction; phase control by means of temperature of a single line poses some problems. Traveling-wave array beam steering by means of temperature also appears possible. The last two utilize the kinetic inductance provided by thin films     

GPS精密单点定位收敛性分析及改善措施

目前卫星定位技术中常用的高精度定位方法主要是相对定位和非差相位精密单点定位。非差相位精密单点定位无法像相对定位那样使用差分方式来消除定位中的某些误差,因而如何对影响定位的各个误差源进行准确地建模修正是提高非差相位精密单点定位精度和收敛速度的关键。本文从非差相位精密单点定位的3个关键环节入手,对影响定位收敛速度的因素进行简要分析,讨论了改善措施,并结合实际数据进行了相关验证。     

基于反馈的振荡器注频锁相研究

注频锁相技术是非线性有源阵列天线的关键技术之一,论文提出了一种带反馈的振荡器注频锁相闭环结构。与开环结构相比,该电路能够提高锁频带宽,可用来构成非线性有源天线阵。仿真结果表明该电路相噪低,具有更宽的锁相带宽。     

海事卫星测控站天伺馈故障诊断专家系统设计

随着卫星技术的广泛应用,卫星地球站天伺馈设备也越来越复杂.天伺馈设备故障的自动诊断和定位也成为越来越紧迫的课题.本文从工程的角度描述了海事站天伺馈故障诊断专家系统开发的全过程,着重分析了系统的总体设计方案,并对系统的扩展提出了一些展望.