Development of a Robust Smart Antenna Array Signal-Processing Algorithmbased on Antenna Array Auto-Calibration Using GPS Signals.

摘要

For the U.S. Air Force better, more rapid decision-making is essential to achieving virtually all joint war-fighting capabilities in the 21st century battle-space. War-fighters must be assured the capability to seamlessly acquire, store, distribute and protect their information. Seamless communications span the globe; interconnecting command echelons, services, and allies worldwide by implementing common transport protocols and dynamic network management. By focusing on wide bandwidth capabilities linked to the Air Force's current narrowband tactical systems, including mitigated modems to recover messages during nuclear and naturally disturbed environments, the Air Force can provide the correct critical information to the warrior anywhere in the world. To achieve wideband seamless communications it is essential to use smart conformal wideband (2 MHz 2 GHz) antennas. This has the added benefit of resulting in fewer antennas being required on airplanes and Uninhabited Air Vehicles (UAVs). The University of Limerick has ongoing research in the general area of array signal processing algorithms for smart antennas. The principal general goal of this project is the development of improved robust, stable and accurate algorithms for signal source bearing estimations using sampled data taken from the sensors of phase array antennas on airplanes and UAVs. The particular goal is to investigate the feasibility of using Global Positioning System (GPS) signals to facilitate 'on-the-fly' auto-calibration of phase array antennas and to develop a means of doing so.