UAV Digital Tracking Array Design, Development and Testing

Abstract

This thesis carried out the design and development of an integrated array and receiver processor that utilizes advanced techniques of Robust Symmetric Numeric System (RSNS) and monopulse Digital Beamforming (DBF) to accurately track a UAV using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. This was based on previous work done using virtual spacing RSNS and digital beamforming to extend the method to a functional six element array with direction finding and tracking capability. The six-element antenna array and direct-conversion receiver were developed and tested to retrieve a FM-modulated video signal encoded using the NTSC format. This thesis addresses system-level design tradeoffs, as well as hardware and software design, development and testing. A bench top test was conducted to test the functionality of the NTSC decoding and FM software modules developed and a comprehensive test was done in an anechoic chamber to characterize the array's capability in DF using RSNS and monopulse DBF.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2009
Accession Number
ADA514423

Entities

People

  • Deviensh J. Pandya
  • I-hsiang L. Tan

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acoustic Absorption
  • Aircrafts
  • Amplitude Modulation
  • Anechoic Chambers
  • Angle Of Arrival
  • Antenna Arrays
  • Data Processing
  • Decoding
  • Demodulation
  • Detectors
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Direction Finding
  • Ground Control Stations
  • Signal Processing
  • Software Design
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Video Signals

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.
  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.
  • Phased Array Antenna Design.

Technology Areas

  • Space