Monitor for an electronic TACAN beacon
AssigneeInternational Standard Electric Corporation
InventorFrancis G. Overbury
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A monitor for an electronic TACAN (ELTA) includes a 16-way switch whereby samples of the r.f. signal fed to each TACAN antenna element are fed via a common lead 30 to (a) means for r.f. phase correlating the samples with the transmitter generated signals, and (b) means for determining the relative phse and amplitude of the low frequency modulations in the sampled signals.
Claims16
A monioring apparatus for an electronic Tacan beacon transmitter operating at a given transmitted frequency in which the rotating field patterns are produced by electronic commutation of a static antenna array comprising a plurality of individual antenna elements in a circular array which array generates a far field pattern by having selected groups of said elements in said plurality radiating simultaneously, said monitoring apparatus operative to monitor each antenna element in said array to determine a proper far field pattern comprising:
- commutating switch means having a plurality of identical selectable switching paths each separate one associated with one antenna element, with each path coupled to a common output lead and means for selecting any one of said paths to provide an antenna element signal on said common output lead indicative of the radiated field from said associatd antenna element;
- correlation means coupled to said output lead to provide an I ? Q signal according to said transmitted frequency to provide an output indicative of the phase of said transmitted signal over a given period as provided by each of said antenna elements with said output indicative of said far field pattern and whereby a non-operative element can be determined according to said transmitted phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.