RU2568413C2 - Aircraft multirange aesa with radiation controlled beam and multibeam reception of signal - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to directed radiation and reception antenna systems. The essence of the invention consists in that AESA (active electronically scanned array) is divided into four identical modules placed on front, trailing edges of the right and left wings of the aircraft, while the active electronically scanned array modules are added by the amplitude and phase forming parts separately for the transmitted and received signals which are interconnected with the common radiator through the transceiving modules having separate transmission and reception inputs, and inputs of transmitters of the served radio equipment are connected through the power dividers, the number of outputs of which is equal to the number of radiators and inputs of the reception amplitude-phase forming part, and the same quantity of outputs of communication channels (beams), formed by the amplitude-phase forming part of reception signals, are connected to their receiver, and the output of information signal of each of receivers is connected to the input of the multiplexer added to the AESA module, the multiplex communication channel output of which is connected to the served radio equipment, which is connected through the control and monitoring unit with the AESA phase shifters operated by elements.

EFFECT: technical result is creation of AESA with the structure of construction providing at mounting in aircraft, the simultaneous circular multibeam reception of request signals and radiation of response signal towards the request a narrow beam for the purpose of stealthiness of radio emission.

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Description

The proposed solution relates to antenna systems of directional radiation and reception, active phased antenna arrays (AFAR).

The most efficiently proposed technical solution can be used for multipath reception within the circular space in the azimuthal plane of the active interrogation signal and covert (narrow beam) data transmission in the direction of the interrogation when AFAR is placed on an airplane.

Known analogues of the proposed technical solution, providing partial achievement of the goal: multi-beam phased array [1] and phased array [2]. HEADLIGHT [2] allows to form a beam scanning in one plane.

A multi-beam headlamp [1], containing emitters and an amplitude-phase forming system (such as a Butler matrix) allows you to create a multi-beam radiation pattern that provides circular multi-beam reception of interrogation signals.

However, the disadvantage of such a phased array is that in order to ensure the controlled beam transmission in the direction of the interrogation signal, it is necessary to introduce a complex switching scheme for transmitter signals, which leads to a significant deterioration in the energy characteristics of the AFAR (decrease in gain, increase in power consumption).

Another analogue of the proposed technical solution is the PAR (2), which allows the formation of a beam scanning in one plane. The headlamp contains: emitters, a parallel amplitude-phase distribution system, controlled phase shifters. When using such a phased array, it is possible to implement a radiation mode with a narrow controlled beam in the direction of the interrogation signal. However, such a headlamp does not allow circular multipath reception of interrogation signals.

The closest analogue to the proposed technical solution (prototype) is [3]. Multipath AFAR [3] (Fig. 1) contains: transceiver modules (PPM) 1 (Fig. 1) with emitters controlled by phase shifters, low noise amplifiers, power amplifiers, transmit-receive switches forming a sublattice, adders-dividers of the first group 2 ( figure 1), controlled extra-modular phase shifters 3 (figure 1), adders-dividers of the second group 4 (figure 1), frequency filters 5 (figure 1), transmit-receive switches 6 (figure 1). Moreover, the number of sublattices and related adders-dividers of the first group, extra-modular phase shifters, adders-dividers of the second group, frequency filters, and transmit-receive switches is equal to the number of rays.

This multi-beam AFAR provides multi-beam reception of interrogation signals, however, a feature of the AFAR prototype is that it provides for the work on radiation simultaneously by several beams. A significant disadvantage of the prototype is the inability to provide simultaneous operation in the modes of circular multipath reception of interrogation signals and radiation of response signals by a controlled beam.

In addition, a common drawback of the above analogues and prototype is the inability to provide viewing areas when they are used directly in an airplane.

The objective of the proposed technical solution is to provide simultaneously circular multipath reception of interrogation signals and radiation of the response signal in the direction of the request by a narrow beam in order to conceal radio emission.

To explain the solution of the problem and the essence of the proposed technical solution, the following illustrations are given:

Figure 1 Structural diagram of the prototype.

1 - PPM transceiver module AFAR.

2 - Adders divisors of the first group.

3 - Controlled off-module phase shifters.

4 - Adders divisors of the second group.

5 - Frequency filters.

6 - Transmit / Receive Switches.

Figure 2 Aircraft multi-range AFAR. Functional diagram.

Figure 3 Placing on a plane AFAR modules.

Figure 4 is a block diagram of the module AFAR.

1 - AFAR S sublattice of the frequency range (12 rays).

2 - Sublattice AFAR L1 frequency sub-band (12 beams).

3 - Sublattice AFAR L2 frequency sub-band (6 beams).

4 - Sublattice AFAR UHF frequency range (4 beams).

1B - Transmitter S input of the frequency range.

2B — Input of a frequency subband transmitter L1.

3B — Input of a frequency subband transmitter L2.

4B - Transmitter UHF frequency input.

5 - Multiplexer of receiving information signals served by frequency ranges.

5B - Output of the multiplex communication channel with the served radio equipment.

6 - Control and monitoring unit.

7 - Power Module.

5 is a block diagram of the AFAR sublattice of the S-frequency band or L1 sub-band of frequencies.

1 - Power divider into 12 directions.

2 - Controlled discrete phase shifters.

3 - Amplitude-phase forming part of the emitted signal.

4 - Transceiver module.

5 - Amplitude-phase forming parts of the receiving rays (matrix of the formation of the receiving rays).

6 - Receiver of the radio signal of the beam and the formation of the information signal.

1B - Input of the radio transmitter S of the frequency range.

(2B) - The input of the radio transmitter L1 frequency subband.

6 ₁ ... 6 ₁₂ - The outputs of the information signals of the receivers from 12 communication channels (rays).

7 - Control and monitoring unit.

8 - Power Module.

6 is a block diagram of a module of the transceiver S-frequency band or L1-frequency subband.

1 - Power amplifier of the emitted signal.

2 - Circulator reception-transmission.

3 - Emitter.

4 - Low noise receiving radio amplifier.

1B - Input from the amplitude-phase forming part of the emitted radio signal.

4B - Output to the amplitude-phase forming part of the received radio signal.

Fig. 7 Structural diagram of the AFAR sublattice. L2-frequency sub-band (6 beams).

1 - Power divider into 6 directions.

2 - Controlled discrete phase shifters.

3 - Amplitude-phase forming part of the emitted signal.

4 - Transceiver module.

5 - Amplitude-phase forming part of the receiving rays (matrix of the formation of the receiving rays).

6 - Receiver of the radio signal of the beam and the formation of the information signal.

3B — Input of a frequency subband transmitter L2.

6 ₁ ... 6 ₆ - The outputs of the information signals of the receivers of 6 communication channels (rays).

7 - Control and monitoring unit.

8 - Power Module.

8 is a block diagram of a transceiver module L2 frequency subband.

1 - Power amplifier of the emitted signal.

2 - Circulator reception-transmission.

3 - Emitter.

4 - Low noise receiving signal amplifier.

1B - Input from the amplitude-phase forming part of the emitted signal.

4B - Output to the amplitude-phase forming part of the received signal.

Fig. 9 Block diagram of the AFH UHF sublattice of the frequency range (4 beams)

1 - Power divider into 4 directions.

2 - Controlled discrete phase shifter.

3 - Amplitude-phase forming part of the studied signal.

4 - Transceiver module.

5 - Amplitude-phase forming part of the received signal (receiving beam formation matrix).

6 - Receiver of the radio signal of the beam and the formation of the information signal.

4B - Input UHF radio frequency range.

6 ₁ ... 6 ₄ - the outputs of the information signals of the receivers 4 communication channels (beam).

7 - Control and monitoring unit.

8 - Power Module.

Figure 10 Block diagram of the module transceiver UHF frequency range

1 - Power amplifier of the emitted signal.

2 - Circulator reception-transmission.

3 - Emitter.

4 - Low noise amplifier of the received signal.

1B - Input from the amplitude-phase forming part of the emitted signal.

4B - Input from the amplitude-phase forming part of the received signal.

11 The radiation patterns generated by the module AFAR, in the azimuthal plane in the S frequency range. The bold line is the radiation pattern in transmission mode.

Fig. 12 radiation patterns generated by the AFAR module in the azimuthal plane in the L1 frequency subband. The bold line is the radiation pattern in transmission mode.

Fig. 13 radiation patterns generated by the AFAR module in the azimuthal plane in the L2 frequency subband. The bold line is the radiation pattern in transmission mode.

Fig. 14 radiation patterns generated by the AFAR module in the azimuthal plane in the UHF frequency range. The bold line is the radiation pattern in transmission mode.

To solve the problem in the proposed technical solution, the AFAR is divided into four identical modules (figure 2), placed respectively on the front and rear edges of the left and right wing of the aircraft (figure 3). In the AFAR modules (Fig. 4), the amplitude-phase forming parts are introduced separately for received 5 (Fig. 5, 7, 9) and transmitted signals 3 (Fig. 5, 7, 9), which are connected with a common emitter 3 (Fig. 6, 8, 10) through the transceiver modules (6, 8, 10) having separate 1B, 4B transmitting and receiving inputs. At the same time, inputs 1B, 2B, 3B, 4V are introduced in each AFAR module (Fig. 4) for connecting transmitters of each type of serviced radio equipment through a power divider 1 (Figs. 5, 7, 9), the number of outputs of which is equal to the number of emitters 3 (Fig. .6, 8, 10) and inputs 4B (Fig. 6, 8, 10) of the receiving amplitude-phase forming part 5 (Fig. 5, 7, 9), and the same number of outputs 5 (Fig. 5, 7, 9 ) from each received signal generated by the matrix of the formation of the communication channel (beam) is connected to its receiver 6 (Figs. 5, 7, 9), the output of the information signal of each of which is connected to the inputs of the entered multiplexer 5 (Fig. 4), and the output of the multiplexer 5B, (Fig. 4) is connected via a multiplex communication channel to the served radio equipment (Fig. 2), which is connected to controlled elements of the AFAR, phase shifters, through a central control and monitoring unit ( figure 2).

The resulting technical result is the creation of an aircraft multi-band active phased array antenna with the proposed structure, providing a solution to the problems in the conditions of its placement on the plane.

The proposed technical solution is a structure of four identical AFAR modules (Fig. 2), connected functionally with the served radio equipment S, LI, L2 UHF frequency bands through a high-frequency communication line (radio frequency cable) for transmission and a multiplexed communication line for the received information signal.

The necessity of dividing the AFAR into four modules is determined by the requirement to provide a circular, azimuthal, multi-beam or controllable beam of view of the space in conditions of placement on an airplane

Each AFAR module provides multi-beam viewing or transmission of a signal by a controlled beam within the corresponding quadrant of space: in the S frequency range or in the L1 frequency sub-band of 12 beams (Fig. 11, 12), in the L2 frequency sub-band of 6 beams (Fig. 13), in UHF frequency range of 4 beams, (Fig.14).

Thus, the AFAR provides a multi-beam circular view of the space in the S and L1 bands with 48 beams, 48 positions of the controlled beam for signal transmission, in the L2 frequency subband a multi-beam circular view of space with 24 beams and 24 positions of the controlled beam for signal transmission, in the UHF frequency range of the multi-beam circular an overview of the space with 16 beams and 16 positions of the controlled beam for signal transmission.

Each AFAR module contains four sublattices 1, 2, 3, 4 (Fig. 4) serving the radio equipment of the corresponding frequency range and an introduced multiplexer 5 (Fig. 4), which makes it possible to generalize information signals from receivers 6 (Figs. 5, 7, 9) each sublattice and ensure the subsequent transmission of these signals via the multiplex communication channel to the served radio equipment for further processing and generation of an executive signal for switching on the radiation mode in the direction of the interrogation signal.

This technical solution allows, thanks to subsequent hardware processing of the received information signals, to exclude the signals received by the side lobes and to unambiguously highlight the number of the beam by which the request signal is received.

The sublattices included in each AFAR module (FIGS. 5, 7, 9) contain separate reception phase 5 (FIGS. 5, 7, 9) and transmission 3 (FIGS. 5, 7, 9) amplitude-phase forming parts, having the number of inputs (outputs) equal to the number of common emitters 3 for receiving and transmitting (6, 8, 10), and interconnected via transceiver modules (6, 8, 10).

This solution allows you to generate at the output of the amplitude-phase forming part of the receiving signals (formation matrix) 5 (FIGS. 5, 7, 9) the number of communication channels (rays) equal to the number of spatial positions of the controlled beam for signal emission, the direction of which coincides with the direction of the corresponding beam of a multipath receiving radiation pattern, and allows you to combine in time the multipath reception of interrogation signals and the response of a controlled beam towards the query, while eliminating information loss tion during the response radiation.

To form the required number of communication channels (rays) in the sublattices (Figs. 5, 7, 9) of the served frequency ranges, two transceiver modules 4 (Figs. 6, 8, 10) of the corresponding frequency range are included.

The proposed technical solution (AFAR) works as follows: the request signals of each of the communication channels (rays) received by the multi-beam radiation pattern of the served frequency ranges by its receiver 6 (FIGS. 5, 7, 9) are processed in order to extract information signals received by the corresponding radiation patterns , in this case, a beam number is assigned to each information signal, all information signals are generalized by multiplexer 5 (Fig. 4) and transmitted through the multiplex communication channel to the service removable airborne radio equipment. Subsequent processing of information signals in the corresponding on-board equipment allows you to determine the number (direction of response to the request signal) of the position of the controlled beam for radiation of the response radio signal. In accordance with the control signals received from the serviced radio equipment, command signals to the controlled elements (phase shifters) of the AFAR modules are generated and transmitted to the control and monitoring units of each module.

Due to the determined phase state of the phase shifters established by the command signals, the required position of the controlled beam of the AFAR radiation pattern for radiation of the radio signal in the direction of the request is included. The controlled beam is turned on for the time required for the response signal to be emitted by the transmitter of the served frequency range.

Based on the development of the basic elements of AFAR, we can conclude that industrial implementation of the proposed technical solution is possible.

Information sources

1. Active phased array antennas. Ed. D.N. Voskresensky, A.I. Kanashenkova. Ed. "Radio Engineering", Moscow, 2004, p. 217.

2. Reference radar. Edited by: M. Skolnik, M. ed. "Sov. Radio", 1977, p. 196, Fig. 38, p. 202.

3. Patent RU No. 2298267, the application. October 19, 2005, publ. 04/27/2007 "Multipath Active Phased Antenna Array".

Claims (1)

Aircraft multi-band AFAR with a controlled beam for radiation and multi-beam signal reception, containing amplitude-phase forming parts (power dividers, controlled phase shifters, a beam forming matrix), transmit-receive modules, including a circulator (receive-transmit), and a transmit power amplifier , low-noise amplifier, control and management unit, characterized in that the AFAR is divided into four identical modules, located respectively on the front, rear edges of the right and left wing of the aircraft and, at the same time, amplitude-phase forming parts are separately introduced into the AFAR modules for each served frequency range for the transmitted and received signals, which are connected to the common emitter via transceiver modules having separate transmit and receive inputs, and the inputs of the transmitters of the served frequency ranges are connected through dividers power, the number of outputs of which is equal to the number of emitters and inputs of the receiving amplitude-phase forming part, and the same number of outputs of communication channels (rays), sf formed by the amplitude-phase forming part of the receiving signals are connected to its receiver, and the output of the information signal of each of the receivers is connected to the input of the multiplexer inserted into the AFAR module, the output of the multiplex communication channel of which is connected to the radio equipment of the served frequency ranges, which is connected through the control and monitoring unit to controlled phase shifters of the amplitude-phase forming part for the emitted signal.

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