Gimbal stabilisation system

A gimbal stabilisation system for an aircraft comprising a control assembly rotatably coupled to a gimbal assembly comprising a payload, the control assembly comprising a controller configured to operate the gimbal assembly to maintain pointing of a first section of the payload towards an antenna under test, AUT, with a second section of the payload rotatably coupled to the gimbal assembly, wherein the first section comprises a communication sensor interface for use in testing the AUT,

• the gimbal assembly further comprising operating the controller of the gimbal stabilisation system based on a computer-implemented method of controlling a gimbal stabilisation system of an aircraft in an antenna test system for testing an antenna under test, AUT, the gimbal stabilisation system comprising a control assembly rotatably coupled to a gimbal assembly comprising a payload, the payload comprising a first section including a communication sensor interface for use in testing the AUT and a second section rotatably coupled to the gimbal assembly, the control assembly comprising a controller, the method, performed by the controller, further comprising:
• receiving an in-flight position of the aircraft during testing of the AUT;
• receiving a position of the AUT in relation to the aircraft;
• and
• controlling the gimbal assembly by:
• calculating a pointing direction and alignment of the first section of the payload relative to the AUT based on the received position of the aircraft and the received position of the AUT;
• and
• maintaining pointing and alignment of the first section of the payload towards the AUT based on the calculated pointing direction and alignment of the first section of the payload;
• wherein maintaining pointing and alignment of the first section of the payload towards the AUT comprises controlling the pointing and the alignment of the payload about at least three axes of rotation, wherein one axis of rotation of said at least three axes of rotation is configured to control said alignment of the payload.

An apparatus comprising a processor unit, a memory unit, and a communication interface, the processor unit connected to the memory unit and the communication interface, wherein the processor unit, memory unit and communication interface are adapted to implement a computer-implemented method of controlling a gimbal stabilisation system of an aircraft in an antenna test system for testing an antenna under test, AUT, the gimbal stabilisation system comprising a control assembly rotatably coupled to a gimbal assembly comprising a payload, the payload comprising a first section including a communication sensor interface for use in testing the AUT and a second section rotatably coupled to the gimbal assembly, the control assembly comprising a controller, the method, performed by the controller, further comprising:

• receiving an in-flight position of the aircraft during testing of the AUT;
• receiving a position of the AUT in relation to the aircraft;
• and
• controlling the gimbal assembly by:
• calculating a pointing direction and alignment of the first section of the payload relative to the AUT based on the received position of the aircraft and the received position of the AUT;
• and
• maintaining pointing and alignment of the first section of the payload towards the AUT based on the calculated pointing direction and alignment of the first section of the payload, wherein maintaining pointing and alignment of the first section of the payload towards the AUT comprises controlling the pointing and the alignment of the payload about at least three axes of rotation, wherein one axis of rotation of said at least three axes of rotation is configured to control said alignment of the payload.