Hardware Implementation and RF High-Fidelity Modeling and Simulation of Compressive Sensing Based 2D Angle-of-Arrival Measurement System for 2–18 GHz Radar Electronic Support Measures

This article presents the hardware implementation and a behavioral model-based RF system modeling and simulation (M&S) study of compressive sensing (CS) based 2D angle-of-arrival (AoA) measurement system for 2–18 GHz radar electronic support measures (RESM). A 6-channel ultra-wideband RF digital receiver was first developed using a PXIe-based multi-channel digital receiver paired with a 6-element random-spaced 2D cavity-backed-spiral-antenna array. Then the system was tested in an open lab environment. The measurement results showed that the system can measure AoA of impinging signals from 2–18 (GHz) with overall RMSE of estimation at 3.60, 2.74, 1.16, 0.67 and 0.56 (deg) in L, S, C, X and Ku bands, respectively. After that, using the RF high-fidelity M&S (RF HF-M&S) approach, a 6-channel AoA measurement system behavioral model was also developed and studied using a radar electronic warfare (REW) engagement scenario. The simulation result showed that the airborne AoA measurement system could successfully measure an S-band ground-based target acquisition radar signal in the dynamic REW environment. Using the RF HF-M&S model, the applicability of the system in other frequencies within 2–18 (GHz) was also studied. The simulation results demonstrated that the airborne AoA measurement system can be used for 2–18 GHz RESM applications.

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Nonuniformly Spaced Array with the Direct Data Domain Method for 2D Angle-of-Arrival Measurement in Electronic Support Measures Application from 6 to 18 GHz

International Journal of Antennas and Propagation ◽

10.1155/2020/9651650 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

Chen Wu ◽

Janaka Elangage

Keyword(s):

Data Transformation ◽

Transformation Method ◽

Estimation Accuracy ◽

Angle Of Arrival ◽

Support Measures ◽

Planar Array ◽

Direct Data ◽

Electronic Support ◽

Direct Data Domain ◽

Electronic Support Measures

This paper introduces a 2D angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimator, which has a 6–18 GHz 7-element nonuniformly spaced array (NSA) and a Direct Data Domain- (D3-) based AoA algorithm for a 2D isotropic-element planar array (IEPA). A 2D calibration and data-transformation method is developed to convert the NSA data to the output of the IEPA, so that the NSA-measured data can be used in the D3 algorithm. Using the steering vector (SV) of the IEPA and the results derived from the D3 method, a new 2D AoA searching method is also developed, which offers frequency-independent performance defined by the probability of AoA estimation, when the required estimation accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are given. For the applications of electronic support measures, this paper also presents the use of precalculated SV and data-transformation matrix databases built on preselected frequency points and a 2D-angle grid that is close to uniformly distributed directions. The simulation results show that with good SNR (≥15 dB), the estimator can have 50% probability of AoA estimation with root mean square error (RMSE) less than or equal to 1° using just a few samples from the NSA. Moreover, the study focuses on the applications with low SNR by using more samples from the NSA. Results show that the estimator has 52% and 80% probabilities of AoA estimation with RMSE ≤1° and 5°, respectively, for phase- or frequency-modulated radar pulses, when the SNR is within [−10, 0] dB. The study also shows that the estimator prefers a circular-shaped planar array with a triangular interelement pattern, since it presents more symmetrical characteristics from different azimuth angles.

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