Simultaneous nulling in the sum and difference patterns of a monopulse antenna

Most adaptive array research has not directly addressed the problem of nulling in a monopulse antenna. Placing a null in the sum does not automatically place a null in the difference pattern and vice versa. Nulls may be placed in the two patterns with the use of separate adaptive weights and controls for the sum and difference channels. However, this requires two sets of adaptive hardware for one antenna. A technique for simultaneous hulling in the sum and difference channels of a monopulse phased array using one set of adaptive weights shared by both channels is described. First, the technique is described for amplitude and phase nulling, then for phase only hulling. In each case, the ability to simultaneously null in both channels with one set of variable weights is theoretically demonstrated.     

基于副瓣峰值控制的天线阵方向图综合

在干扰入射方向,自适应天线阵方向图会产生零陷,使副瓣电平降低。根据自适应阵列的这一特性,应用一种基于最大输出信噪比准则的改进自适应算法对天线阵进行方向图综合。假定有大量干扰信号施加到方向图副瓣区,通过只对副瓣峰值电平进行控制调整加权值,降低副瓣电平,得到满足副瓣要求的目标方向图,使算法得到简化。可以应用于不等间距直线阵列和矩形平面阵的方向图综合问题。考虑了阵元间的互耦及阵元方向图特性的影响。仿真结果证实了该算法是可行的。     

Antenna coupling model for radar electromagnetic compatibilityanalysis

A statistically based antenna coupling model is presented. The model predicts the probability of interference based on the antenna coupling statistics. In addition, a modification to the model that takes into account sidelobe blanking on the victim antenna is presented. This model has advantages over an existing model because in addition to considering sidelobe blanking it makes no assumption about the antenna pattern statistics and readily incorporates the main beam region     

Simple method for pattern nulling by phase perturbation

A method of sidelobe hulling, which involves perturbing the array illumination phase only, is presented. The general nonlinear problem is linearized by assuming the perturbations to be small, and an analytic solution is derived. Illustrative examples of sinc and Chebyshev patterns with imposed nulls are given.     

圆柱面上的轴向偶极子阵的低副瓣方向图优化综合

本文利用新的非线性最优化方法讨论圆柱面上的轴向偶极子阵的低副瓣方向图优化综合问题，利用阵列的单元可实现增益方向图，我们把阵列综合问题表述为一个约束非线性规划问题，采用新直接法求解该问题即可得出一组使阵列的总方向图满足副瓣指标要求，同时具有尽可能高的方向性系数的激励系数，如果阵列的总方向图不能达到副瓣指标，则可得出一组使阵列方向图在可达到的副瓣方向图综合设计的模拟计算结果。     

基于约束差分进化的阵列置零

阵列置零的同时,阵列的旁瓣电平升高、主瓣增益降低甚至阵列指向都会发生改变,导致阵列性能降低。针对阵列置零时阵列性能降低问题,提出一种约束优化模型。在约束优化模型中不仅设置了零陷深度约束和近旁瓣电平约束,还设置了阵列期望方向增益约束及阵列指向约束。在满足约束条件下,使得阵列旁瓣电平最低。并且针对标准约束差分进化算法收敛慢,采用自适应约束差分进化(e-SADE)算法,该算法采用多种变异方式相结合、自适应地调节交叉概率和缩放因子。运用自适应约束差分进化分别通过调节阵元相位和阵列功率一定时的阵元权值求解这个约束优化问题,仿真结果表明提出的方法实现了需求的目标方向图,利用自适应约束差分进化算法优化实现阵列置零是有效可行的。     

Array pattern synthesis with a controlled mean-square sidelobelevel

The author presents a technique for synthesizing an antenna pattern with a controlled mean-square sidelobe level and a smallest possible beamwidth. The basic idea is to minimize the mean-square error between the array response and the desired response over a mainlobe width subject to a mean-square sidelobe constraint. This formulation results in a quadratically constrained minimization problem. An efficient numerical technique to obtain the optimum weights is presented. Numerical results showed that, under high interference-to-white-noise ratio, the new design approach performs better, on the average, than the Chebyshev technique, in terms of interference rejection     

低副瓣任意波束直接合成算法研究

在传统阵列天线波束赋形设计中，通过对阵元天线辐射方向图进行幅度相位加权，获得阵列合成方向图.通常阵元激励幅度相位权值的获取，取决于优化算法对目标方向图和阵列合成方向图的对比，通过对阵元激励幅度相位进行大量随机选参后，获得优化结果.由于算法通常是基于相关的阵元方向图，且算法中缺乏副瓣抑制机制，使得方向图合成效率不高且副瓣效果通常不理想.该文设计了一种任意波束直接合成算法.该方法首先在阵元方向图的基础上获得一组互相独立的高增益窄波束（自由基波束），然后基于此波束进行方向图的直接合成，使波束赋形问题统一到基于自由基波束权值运算的范畴内，对波束赋形问题进行了统一，避免了未知参量的随机优选过程，极大提升了阵列天线波束赋形设计的效率.同时在自由基设计的过程中结合了副瓣抑制机制，且这种副瓣抑制机制与波束赋形过程互相独立，使合成波束的副瓣天然地具备了低副瓣的特征.     

Further discrete optimizations for continuous aperture illuminations

Two applications of an iterative procedure to establish a means of optimizing theoretical low sidelobe antenna patterns are discussed. Examples described consider discrete element linear array antennas where the parameters involved in the optimization process are coefficients ordinarily associated with continuous aperture illuminations. One application uses the iterative procedure to control far-out sidelobe levels of the far-field pattern to establish array element excitations appropriate for low sidelobe behavior throughout the entire visible region of space. The other application uses the procedure to establish beam port amplitude weightings at a minimum number of beam ports in a multibeam feed network also suitable for low sidelobe antenna pattern behavior.     

表面误差对双弯曲反射面天线副瓣的影响

天线反射面的表面误差会引起反射面天线的副瓣发生变化。为确定赋形波束双弯曲反射面天线反射面的表面误差与反射面天线副瓣最大值变化之间的关系,采用数理统计的方法,对受到随机表面误差影响的面电流积分,得到天线辐射场。随机表面误差用相关半径和Z向随机误差两个参量表示。根据随机表面误差求出其天线最大副瓣样本分布函数,较好地展现了表面误差引起的副瓣最大值变化,使得反射面天线表面误差引起的副瓣变化可预测,为天线反射面加工的精度要求提供了理论依据。     

基于遗传算法的低频不规则天线阵综合

低频天线工作波长长,辐射性能受载机影响大,且阵列布局受限于安装环境极不规则,从而造成副瓣电平抬高和方向图恶化,传统的阵列综合方法将难以适用,文中采用遗传算法并结合载机影响来优化,以实现所期望的平均副瓣。作为一种优化算法,它能解决一些N维和非线性的优化问题。首先,给出了任意阵列的方向图公式;其次,介绍了遗传算法;最后,给出了应用实例及其优化结果。结果表明,该算法是一种解决多维和非线性问题的行之有效的方法。     

Design of a minimum-loss series-fed foldable microstrip

The design and analysis of a series-fed, low-loss, inverted microstrip array antenna, operating at 1.413 GHz is presented. The array antenna is composed of two subarrays consisting of an equal number of microstrip patches connected together through a series microstrip line. The subarrays are coaxially fed 180/spl deg/ out of phase. This approach ensures a symmetric radiation pattern. The design approach for obtaining a low sidelobe ratio and a low loss microstrip array is accomplished using the IE3D code. Experimental and simulated data are presented and discussed.     

毫米波锥面共形相控阵天线的仿真与优化*

以弹载共形相控阵雷达导引头天线为应用背景,在未考虑极化的情况下,首先推导了任意共形天线单元方向图从局部极坐标系到全局极坐标系转换的一种实用方法;然后采用凹槽加载的中心馈电方式设计了毫米波锥面共形微带天线单元,并建立锥面共形相控阵天线模型,推导了锥面共形天线阵列的导向矢量及其方向图函数;最后采用能量迭代法对15 阵元的锥面共形相控阵天线方向图进行了仿真优化,在副瓣电平约束和零点约束两种情况下,分别给出了相应最优加权矢量的求解方法,实现了对方向图波束指向、副瓣电平以及零点的控制。     

An investigation of concentric ring antennas with low sidelobes

An analysis is made of circular antenna arrays with diameters being 2 to9lambda(the minimum inner circle diameter being0.4lambda) containing 3 to 18 concentric circles. For the purpose of computation of the array factor the elements of the array are assumed to be isotropic radiators. The elements of each circle have equal current amplitudes and are phased so that the contributions of all the elements add in phase in the direction of the main beam. The Chebyshev radiation pattern function is approximated by a truncated Fourier-Bessel series, from which the current amplitude of each circle is obtained. From these current amplitudes a method for computing the current amplitude to excite a new distribution of fewer circles is shown. Also, an empirical method is given for improving the sidelobe level of the radiation pattern by adding an element to the center of the array. A number of circles in the array sufficient to avoid pattern deterioration is found to be the integer nearest to5d/4lambdafor -20 and -30 dB sidelobe level and4d/3lambdafor -40 dB, wheredis the diameter of the array. This represents a large reduction in the number of circles needed over the Fourier-Bessel series representation in the case of large antennas. Experimental verification of the computed pattern is made for an array of two concentric circles with diameters of0.8lambdaand1.6at a frequency of 90 Mc/s. The elements of the array were vertical monopoles.     

Using continuous aperture illuminations discretely

An iterative procedure is described for fitting a continuous aperture illumination function to a small discrete element array such that the far-field antenna pattern has prescribed sidelobe behavior. Control of successive sidelobe levels in the array factor pattern is used to minimize an error expression comprised of the sum of the squares of the differences between calculated and specified levels for a selected number of sidelobes. The coefficients of a finite series defining the continuous aperture illumination are the variables employed in a Newton-Raphson solution. A sum beam aperture excitation for meeting the 20/30 dB sidelobe requirements of the 1973 OTP manual is derived for a small array and shown to be a useful approximation for a larger array situations. The procedure has been extended to difference beam illumination functions. Extensions to other aperture illuminations are indicated.     

Whitening of sidelobe powers by pattern switching in radar array antenna

Presented here is a concept for nearly eliminating bias errors in reflectivity and velocity estimates due to power received through antenna sidelobes of pulse Doppler radars. The antenna pattern is switched from pulse to paise among specially designed patterns, with near identical main lobes, but with sidelobes having randomly distributed phases and amplitudes. The sidelobe signal then becomes incoherent without affecting the coherency of the main lobe signal. The whitened sidelobe signal does not bias the mean velocity estimate computed by Doppler processing, and an unbiased estimate of reflectivity can be computed with the knowledge of the mean whitened power level. Pattern design criteria and a method for the design of optimum patterns are developed for a linear array. The extent of sidelobe reduction by way of whitening has been studied in detail for special case of only two patterns switched randomly using a pseudonoise sequence. Pattern switching realizes an effectively low sidelobe pattern without sacrifice of main lobe resolution. A possible extension to two-dimensional arrays is suggested.     

Novel Directional Radiation Pattern by Genetic Algorithms in Indoor Wireless Local Loop

The genetic algorithm is used to synthesize the radiation pattern of the directional circular arc array to minimize the bit error rate (BER) performance in indoor wireless communication system. The impulse responses of the indoor channel for any transmitter-receiver location are computed by shooting and bouncing ray/image techniques. By using the impulse response of multipath channel, the performance of the synthesized antenna pattern on BPSK (binary phase shift keying) system with phase and timing recovery circuits can be calculated. Based on the topography of the antenna and the BER formula, the synthesis problem can be reformulated into an optimization problem and solved by the genetic algorithm. The novelty of our approach is choosing BER as the object function instead of sidelobe level of the antenna pattern, i.e., BER performance is defined as a object function to optimize the excitation coefficient of array by the genetic algorithm. The strong point of the genetic algorithm is that it can find out the solution even if the performance index cannot be formulated by simple equations. Besides, the genetic algorithm will converge to global extreme instead of local extreme and achieves a good antenna pattern. Numerical results show that the synthesized antenna pattern is effective to combat the multipath fading and can increase the transmission rate of indoor millimeter wave system.     

Isophoric arrays-massively thinned phased arrays withwell-controlled sidelobes

Traditional filled phased arrays have an element placed in every location of a uniform lattice with half-wavelength spacing between the lattice points. Massively thinned arrays have fewer than half the elements of their filled counterparts. Such drastic thinning is normally accompanied by loss of sidelobe control. This paper describes a class of massively thinned linear and planar arrays that show well-behaved sidelobes in spite of the thinning. The term isophoric is derived from Greek roots to denote uniform weight. In isophoric arrays, element placement based on difference sets forces uniformly weighted spatial coverage. This constraint forces the array power pattern to pass through V uniformly spaced, equal, and constant values that are less than 1/K times the main beam peak, where V is the aperture size in half-wavelengths and K is the number of elements in the array. The net result is reduced peak sidelobes, especially when compared to cut-and-try random-placement approaches. An isophoric array will exhibit this sidelobe control even when the array has been thinned to the extent that K is approximately the square root of V. Where more than one beam must be generated at a time, isophoric array designs may be used to advantage even within a traditional filled array. By “interweaving” two isophoric subarrays within a filled array and by appropriate cyclic shifting of the element assignments over time, two independent antenna power patterns can be generated, each with a sidelobe region that is approximately a constant value of 1/(2K) relative to the main beam, where K is the number of elements in the subarray     

Multiple beam feed networks using an even number of beam ports

An aperture illumination compatible with the use of an even number of adjacent beam ports in a multiple beam feed network is discussed. The antenna pattern characteristics of near-in sidelobe levels, half-power beamwidth, aperture efficiency, and feed network loss are evaluated. Maximization of the available antenna gain at adjacent beam crossover points is shown to be possible for either sequential or simultaneons operation of a receiving system. The results presented indicate that lossy feed networks are quite suitable for certain array antenna applications.     

有源相控阵雷达天线实时校正方法

针对有源相控阵天线的超低副瓣、高增益及精确波束指向等性能的实现进行分析研究。首先分析一般相控阵雷达天线及其校正耦合网络的结构,并对实时校正的原理以接收校正为例进行详细的阐述,最后通过某有源相控阵雷达天线实测数据验证该方法的有效性及可行性。