Four-antenna amplitude direction finder: statistical synthesis and experimental research of signal processing algorithm

Abstract

The subject of this study is the algorithms for measuring the angular positions of radio emission sources. The goal of this study is to develop an improved algorithm for signal processing in amplitude direction finders that will provide several unambiguous measurement angles at high steepness of the discrimination characteristic by combining measurements of systems with different widths of antenna patterns. The task: to develop an optimal signal processing algorithm for a four-antenna amplitude direction finding system, two antennas of which have a wide radiation pattern and the other two have a narrow one; to test the overall performance of the resulting algorithm by simulating the direction finder; to develop and conduct a study of an experimental model of a four-antenna direction finder, which includes two antennas with wide radiation patterns, two antennas with narrow radiation patterns, radio frequency paths, and a signal processing unit that implements the developed algorithm; to analyze the effectiveness and features of the application of the developed algorithm, and to compare the results of simulation modeling and experimental research. The methods used are statistical methods and optimal solutions for solving problems of statistical synthesis of signal processing algorithms in passive radio systems, computer simulation modeling methods, and experimental research methods. The following results were obtained. The algorithm for signal processing in a four-antenna direction finding system was synthesized using the maximum likelihood method. By simulation modeling, the overall effectiveness of measurement integration in multi-antenna amplitude direction finders was confirmed, and the peculiarities of the synthesized algorithm application were revealed, namely, the need to introduce additional proportionality coefficients into the measurement channels. During the experimental studies of the developed model of the direction finder, the results of the simulation modeling were confirmed. Conclusions. To determine the direction of radiation sources by amplitude direction finders, it is advisable to simultaneously use systems with wide and narrow antenna patterns, the measurements of which are combined by the proposed algorithm. This makes it possible to simultaneously expand the range of unambiguous measurement angles and increase the accuracy of measurements within the equal-signal zone. The disadvantage of using the algorithm is the nonlinear form of the obtained discrimination characteristics and the need to determine additional proportionality coefficients heuristically.

Keywords

• radio direction finder
• observation characteristic
• power measurement
• optimal signal processing
• experimental research