Apparatus and method for detecting an interference radiation on board of an aircraft

A method of detecting and locating a source of an interference radiation on board an aircraft, using an apparatus including a plurality of receiver units each respectively including at least one antenna, a monitoring unit including an interference computer adapted to receive and evaluate digital signals from said receiver units, a digital data transmission pathway linking said receiver units and said monitoring unit and adapted to convey digital signals therebetween, and a display unit connected to an output of said monitoring unit, said method comprising the following steps:

• a) receiving an interference radiation in said receiver units with said antennas of said receiver units;
• b) in each one of said receiver units, sampling said interference radiation in at least one specified frequency range, and comparing said sampled interference radiation with at least one specified signal level threshold;
• c) if said sampled interference radiation exceeds said threshold in said step (b), then preparing and transmitting from said receiver units to said monitoring unit respective digital signals that respectively include at least an identifier of a respective originating one of said receiver units, and first data specifying a respective frequency range and second data specifying a respective signal field strength of said interference radiation as received in said respective originating receiver unit;
• d) evaluating and comparing with one another in said monitoring unit said respective digital signals transmitted from said receiver units, and thereby determining a location of a source of said interference radiation;
• and
• e) transmitting from said monitoring unit to said display unit information indicating at least said location of said source of said interference radiation.