Partial adaptive nulling on a monopulse phased array antenna system

A partial phase-only nulling (PPON) algorithm has been developed and evaluated on a 496-element monopulse phased array antenna system which employs five-bit phase shifters. Using this PPON algorithm allows nulls in the far-field pattern to be steered to the desired directions for a phased array equipped with low-resolution phase shifters to perform simultaneous nulling in the sum and two difference patterns in the environment of multiple jammers. Simulated and experimental patterns are illustrated     

1～12GHz单通道单脉冲跟踪天线

介绍了以六单元圆形阵列天线作为照射器的超宽频带双圆极化单脉冲抛物面天线的工作机理,并给出了通过数字移相器和耦合器将宽频带的和差两个通道变成单通道的途径.成功研制了一套超宽频带单通道单脉冲天线系统,天线系统由大、小两个抛物面天线组成,小天线置于大天线的边缘.进行了试验研究,给出了和差方向图的测试结果.该天线系统具有同时左右旋圆极化、十二倍频程自跟踪、单通道、馈源体积小等特点.     

Simultaneous nulling for monopulse array with partially adaptiveweights

A new simple method is described for synthesizing low-sidelobe sum and difference patterns with partially adaptive weights. By partially adaptive, we mean that only part of the weights are adapted for simultaneous nulling. These adaptive weights are shared by the sum and difference channels, leading to a significant reduction in the number of variable attenuators/phase shifters used, as compared to the fully adaptive implementation. An objective function is derived that yields different configurations of the shared adaptive weights. Numerical examples are presented to ascertain the efficacy of the new method for both point and extended interference     

Subarray-synthesized low-side-lobe sum and difference patterns withpartial common weights

Methods of synthesizing low-side-lobe sum and difference patterns for linear arrays are described. By subarray beam forming, the sum and difference patterns exhibit a common factor, leading to a simple monopulse estimator. A procedure is proposed for the synthesis of the subarray-based sum and difference patterns which approximate a set of reference patterns in least-squares sense. Supervised nulling is incorporated as a means of suppression of strong interference. To further reduce system complexity, the constraint that parts of the beam-forming weights are shared by the sum and difference channels is imposed. The relationship between the maximum number of common weights allowable and the number of subarrays used is discussed. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods     

Wide-band nulling performance versus number of pattern constraints for an array antenna

The problem of wide-band pattern hulling for an array antenna is addressed, in particular the relation between the number of constraints imposed and the sidelobe suppression achieved. The two constraint methods considered are multiple nulling over a narrow angular sector and hulling of the pattern and its derivatives at a single point. To first order the sidelobe cancellation is shown to be independent of the actual pattern type and is determined by only two parameters: the number of null constraintsMand the number of sidelobesvto be cancelled. The latter parameter directly translates into a desired hulling bandwidthDelta f. A numerical solution to the problem is offered in the form of curves, from which the number of nulls required to suppress a jammer over a given bandwidth can be conveniently estimated. This number is indicative of how many degrees of freedom a conventional adaptive antenna system must allocate to attain a specific hulling performance.     

Adaptive nulling in monopulse antennas

Theoretical and experimental results are presented for phase-only nulling in low-sidelobe monopulse antennas. Both results are based on a gradient search algorithm that simultaneously searches for a minimum in the sum and difference channel output powers. The array's beam steering phase shifters double as the adaptive weights. Each element in the gradient is found by changing phase shifter setting by ΔΨ (the phase shifter stepsize) and measuring the change in output power. Then the phase shifter is restored to its original value, and the process repeated for all the remaining array phase shifters. The algorithm iterates as long as each new adaptive weight setting reduces the total output power. If the output does not go down, then ΔΨ is decremented by one setting and the iteration is started again. The algorithm stops when ΔΨ=0. The adaptive weights act as random perturbations to the phase taper of the array. Consequently, the sidelobe level is proportional to the size of the phase perturbations and inversely related to the number of elements. By keeping the adaptive phase shifts small, the average sidelobe level and the main beam gain do not drastically change     

Spatial correlations in adaptive arrays

A receiving array antenna can steer its main beam toward any direction by adjusting the complex weight in each element. However it cannot always steer one beam and one null toward two prespecified directions simultaneously with a single set of weights. The ability for an array to steer one beam and one or more nulls simultaneously is determined by five factors: 1) element positions, 2) orientations of elements, 3) antenna patterns of elements, 4) polarizations of signals, and 5) directions of the beams and/or nulls. A coefficient is defined, called spatial correlation, which includes these factors and completely characterizes array beam pointing and nulling. Its application to adaptive arrays is demonstrated. The adaptive array performance is dominated by this coefficient and can be improved by properly choosing the first three factors. Several examples on the selection of element placement in adaptive arrays are presented.     

Evaluation of adaptive phased array antenna, far-field nullingperformance in the near-field region

A theory for analyzing the behavior of adaptive phased array antennas illuminated by a near-field interference test source is presented. Conventional phased array near-field focusing is used to produce an equivalent far-field antenna pattern at a range distance of one to two aperture diameters from the adaptive antenna under test. The antenna is assumed to be a linear array of isotropic receive elements. The interferer is assumed to be a bandlimited noise source radiating from an isotropic antenna. The theory is developed for both partially and fully adaptive arrays. Results are presented for the fully adaptive array case with single and multiple interferers. The results indicate that near-field and far-field adaptive nulling can be equivalent. The adaptive nulling characteristics studied in detail are the array radiation patterns, adaptive cancellation, covariance matrix eigenvalues, and adaptive array weights     

四通道单脉冲抗雷达诱饵干扰技术研究

在常规单脉冲角跟踪雷达技术的基础上,增加一个在方位向、俯仰向均含有零深的差接收波束,将为单脉冲角跟踪雷达对抗波束主瓣干扰提供一种可能途径。文中首先介绍了利用四通道单脉冲技术对抗有源雷达诱饵干扰方法的工作原理,并进行了可行性分析。然后,重点探讨了利用不同差通道接收信号间的相位差信息对雷达诱饵进行角度跟踪的方法以及可能达到的角度跟踪性能。初步研究结果表明：该对抗诱饵干扰的方法不仅理论上是可行的,也具有较好的工程可实现性,而且在诱饵的雷达回波信号不可忽略的情况下仍然有效,因此,不失为雷达导引头对抗有源、无源雷达诱饵干扰的一种有效途径。     

Low-cost monopulse antenna using bi-directionally-fed microstrip patch array

A new technique for realising a simple low-cost monopulse antenna using a symmetrical bi-directionally-fed microstrip patch array is described. The antenna is designed and demonstrated at Ka-band. Two squinted beams are radiated from a bi-directionally fed microstrip patch array, and a sum/difference pattern is synthesised using the in-phase and out-of-phase signals achieved using a hybrid ring coupler. The measured return loss is better than 10 dB at the sum and difference port, and the depth at broadside is more than 30 dB.     

Simultaneous nulling in sum and difference patterns by amplitude control

A method is discussed of suppressing jammers simultaneously in the sum and the difference patterns of a linear antenna array by either using complex weights or controlling the current amplitudes only, with special emphasis on the latter method. For a given array size, the total number of jammers that can be nulled is doubled if complex weights are used instead of real weights. However, the amplitude-only technique has many attractions. It is shown that because the resulting current amplitude distribution has a double symmetry, the number of attenuators required for simultaneous nulling can be as low as a quarter of the total number of elements in the array. This means a much faster computing speed as well as a considerable saving in hardware. The method also allows the main beam of the antenna to be scanned by using phase-shifters while nulls are placed in directions of known jammers in both the sum and difference patterns by using attenuators. As a result, the maximization of the signal-to-jammer ratio can be achieved with relative ease, because the stronger a jammer is, the easier it is to locate it and hence to suppress it.     

Features of formation of the patterns of a monopulse active phased array antenna with a dome lens

A method for the control of the transmission coefficients of antenna elements of a system comprising an active phased array antenna (APAA) and a dome lens, which ensures formation of a deep boresight null of the elevation difference pattern, is proposed. The effect of the control method on the characteristics of receiving monopulse channels of the APAA depending on the intrinsic noise of antenna elements is analyzed. The results of the well-known theory of reception of a nonplane wave by an antenna with continuous aperture are extended to the case of an array antenna.     

Closer spacing of geostationary satellites through adaptive nulling at the ground terminal

The results of a preliminary study suggest that interference to the downlink of one geostationary satellite from that of another satellite in the adjacent orbital slot can be substantially reduced by the addition of a simple adaptive nulling system to the ground terminal antenna. Alternatively, the nulling system allows the satellites to be spaced significantly closer together with no increase in interference. Significant improvement is obtained with simple open-loop antenna pointing. The improvement is greater, however, if the adaptive antenna automatically tracks the direction of the desired source. For a dish antenna with a single receiving feed horn, the extra hardware required to provide the adaptive capability consists of two more receiving feed horns, a variable weighting device for each of the feed lines (now three in number) and the adaptive control electronics. An example shows that the minimum spacing between one satellite and an interfering satellite, consistent with certain assumed operating requirements, could be reduced from the2.25degneeded for a simple single beam antenna to1.35deg, for the adaptive antenna using open loop pointing, to as little as0.7deg, for the adaptive antenna using automatic pointing. The adaptive hulling also provides essentially the same protection against downlink interference from the two other satellites occupying the slots on both sides of the satellite serving the terminal. The three degrees of freedom of the postulated nulling system, however, cannot cope with three or more nearby interfering satellites.     

On antenna array receiver principles for space-time-selectiveRayleigh fading channels

Optimum (in the sense of minimum-error probability) single-symbol diversity detection for fading, noisy channels is too complex for practical implementation. A simplified, near-optimum array receiver is proposed, which is based on the statistics (i.e., the covariance-function matrix) of the fading channel. This detector is then analyzed by calculating the exact error probability. When there is a spread of the direction of arrival of the incident radio waves, the proposed detector significantly gains over an adaptive antenna array (which forms a weighted sum of the received antenna signals). Also, for this adaptive array, a fundamental difference between maximum-likelihood weights and least-mean-square weights is observed     

Experimental investigation of an adaptive feedback algorithm forhot spot reduction in radio-frequency phased-array hyperthermia

A computer-controlled adaptive phased array radiofrequency hyperthermia system for improved therapeutic tumor heating is experimentally investigated. Adaptive array feedback techniques are used to modify the electric-field in hyperthermia experiments with a homogeneous saline phantom target. A hyperthermia phased-array antenna system has been modified to implement adaptive nulling and adaptive focusing algorithms. The hyperthermia system is a ring phased-array antenna applicator with four independently controlled RF transmitter channels operating at a CW frequency of 100 MHz. The hyperthermia phased array is made adaptive by software modifications which invoke a gradient-search feedback algorithm that controls the amplitude and phase of each transmitter channel. The gradient-search algorithm implements the method of steepest descent for adaptive nulling (power minimization) and the method of steepest ascent for adaptive focusing (power maximization). The feedback signals are measured by electric-field short-dipole probe antennas. The measured data indicate that with an adaptive hyperthermia array it may be possible to maximize the applied electric field at a tumor position in a complex scattering target body and simultaneously minimize or reduce the electric field at target positions where undesired high-temperature regions (hot spots) occur     

Adaptive processing using real weights based on a direct data domain least squares approach

In traditional, adaptive signal processing algorithms one change both the amplitude and phase of the weight vectors associated with an array at each of the antenna elements. The use of complex weights offers greater control over the array response at the expense of system complexity. However, it is easier if one requires only amplitude variation with a fixed phase for all the weight vectors associated with all the antenna elements. Because one uses only real arithmetic operations to find the amplitude of the weights connected to the antenna, the computational complexity is reduced considerably. Hence, this paper addresses the use of real weights in an adaptive system. In this paper we describe a new direct data domain least squares (D/sup 3/LS) method using real weights, which utilizes only a single snapshot of the data for adaptive processing. This technique may be useful for real time implementation of the D/sup 3/LS method on a chip.     

双通道角跟踪设备的近场相位校准研究

随着天线口径的加大和工作频段的提高,远场条件越来越难以满足,对采用连续波信号体制的多模馈源、双通道单脉冲跟踪设备的角度标校提出了新的问题。通过研究自跟踪天线和差口对源天线辐射场的近场响应,定量计算出了源天线来波在天线和差口激励起的电压响应的相对相位随距离的变化曲线,给出了天线不同工作频段的双通道单脉冲跟踪设备相位校准修正曲线。经实际工程验证,采用该方法修正是正确的。     

利用调零天线测向与夹角比对的导航欺骗信号检测

在传统卫星导航抗干扰应用中配置了调零天线的接收机通过多通道接收信号的加权求和，在压制干扰来波方向上形成天线波束方向图零点，以此来抗大功率压制干扰，但无法抗欺骗干扰。针对这一问题，提出了一种新的导航欺骗信号检测方法。首先基于干涉仪测向原理，通过对调零天线中各单元天线接收信号的相位差测量来获得该信号相对于天线阵的来波方向；然后利用来波方向相互之间的夹角在不同坐标系中的不变性，构造实际信号来波方向互夹角矩阵，通过计算与参考来波方向互夹角矩阵之差的范数来反映其偏离程度，以达到检测导航欺骗信号的目的。仿真计算结果显示了该方法的可行性与有效性，从而为配置了调零天线的导航接收机抗干扰能力增强提供了新的技术途径。     

Monopulse Operation with Continuously Variable Beamwidth by Antenna Defocusing

Monopulse tracking operation with continuously variable beamwidth may be obtained by antenna defocusing. To demonstrate this property, antenna patterns (including phase) of a square aperture for large amounts of defocusing have been computed by diffraction theory for the case of highly tapered illumination in both the sum and difference antenna modes. From an examination of the computed patterns over a 10 to 1 beamwidth range, it is shown that with the increasing defocusing, the patterns in the sum and difference modes exhibit smoothly increasing width. Some change of shape is noted, but the pattern amplitudes and phase relationships are still suitable for on-axis tracking or off-axis location by monopulse techniques. To achieve monopulse operation with the defocused patterns two modifications to ordinary monopulse receivers are necessary. A phase shifter, inserted in the difference or sum channel and ganged to the amount of defocusing, is needed to cancel the phase variation with defocusing. In addition, amplitude correction is required to keep the error-signal slope constant.     

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。