Some problems arising in designing digital antenna array (or Smart Antenna) have been considered. The results of study on the influence of DAC (digital-to-analog converter) parameters on the system characteristics have been presented, the modeling for the purpose to find out the influence of gas-phase scattering on the set forth antenna beam pattern has been performed.
The development of the analog, digital and digital-to-analog models of the channel characterization and the calibration system for the antenna arrays as well as the creation of the active phased antenna array have been described. These models have been created as the Aglient Technologies Advanced System program package. The amplitude and the phase errors characterization algorithm has been described as well as its implementation results have been presented.
The analysis of the modern solutions in the area of building multiband radars has been performed, and the method for qualitative improvement of such systems technical characteristics due to the system approach to synthesis and processing of signals has been proposed. The method is based on using the fast Fourier transform to expand the initial wideband pulse into N components, which, in their turn are applied in the system as the modeling signals. The algorithm of processing of the received signals, which provides the harmonics gathering and by that the range resolution increase, has been shown. The results of the experimental proof of the method efficiency have been given. The experiment performed has shown a 7 times initial pulse width decrease with usage of N =13 harmonics. The results of its application have shown a 8% resolution improvement and an 0.7 dB main lobe magnitude increase with a slight sidelobes increase.
The issues of applying the multipath smart antenna array for creation the systems of multiple access with space division of channels have been considered. The classification of the basic algorithms of signal space processing has been presented. The method of constructing the assigned form antenna pattern has been described. The results of the study on the algorithm of the multipath antenna pattern formation for the multiple access realization have bee given.
Some issues of application of spread spectrum signals as the probing pulses of weather radars (RLS), as well as the signal weighting technique and the MATLAB-assisted mathematical model of the probing pulses generation and processing have been considered. The simulation results of the system various options have been presented.
The research results of the I/Q-signals obtaining aspects in the receiving channel of smart antenna have been presented. The errors of signal processing in the array tract have been considered. The results of numerical modeling of the phase error influence on the smart antenna performance have been also presented.
The APAA based X-band airborne weather radar development results have been presented. It has been shown that the implemented APAA technology allows the ± 30 degree spatial scanning capability while reducing the radar weight and the overall dimensions. To increase resolution and to reduce the emitting power level, the digital formation of complex signals with big base has been used.
The results of designing the radiating APAA aperture of the aircraft forward view radar for automatic guidance and landing of aircraft have been presented. It has been shown that the considered design methods allow a several times reduction of the number of receiving APAA active channels while conserving the main electric characteristics of the radar unit.