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Antenna Tracking Systems

PROJECT

DESCRIPTION

PROJECT

DESCRIPTION

System Design of Low Threshold, Phase-locked Beacon Receivers

This beacon receiver was designed for operation with small earth stations, such as INTELSAT Standard E. These Ku-Band earth stations had comparitively low G/T, yet had to contend with deep fades as well as the possibility of operation with significantly reduced beacon EIRP in satellite Contingency Mode. Further, the beacon receiver had to acquire rapidly and track as the satellite beacon frequency changed with spacecraft temperature variations. Later versions had anti-sideband lock detectors to cope with telemetry modulation and satellite ranging tones. Operation with C/No levels below 27dBHz was achieved on production units.

System Design of a Spread Spectrum Beacon Receiver

This beacon receiver had to acquire and track on the spread spectrum beacons employed on some military satellites.

System Design of a Low Cost Monopulse Tracking System

System design of a monopulse tracking system with inherently lower production costs than traditional monopulse systems. These cost savings were mainly achieved in the phase-coherent multiple downconverter chains.

System Design of a Novel Fade-Compensating Fluxmeter

See This Link for more information.

Design of a Step Track System

Involvement in the design of an antenna step track system.

Evaluation of a Step Track System

Evaluation of a step track system employed on an 18-metre earth station. This investigation identified linearity problems in the beacon reception chain, resulting in false-locking. Proposed design changes cured the problem. See This Link for more information.

System Design of Tracking Downconverters

System design of a number of tracking downconverters for frequency bands up to Ka-Band. The emphasis was always on high performance (linearity, dynamic range, phase noise & image rejection) and low production cost.