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Receiver System Design Part 10

Sunday, April 1, 2007 - Dave Adamy

Receiver System Design Part 10

Typical Receiver System Configurations
Dave Adamy
April 2007

Almost all EW and reconnaissance receiving systems include multiple receivers. Because most
systems include emitter location capability, they often require multiple identical receivers to
simultaneously receive inputs from multiple antennas.
Another significant issue is the achievement of high probability of intercept during very short
specified response times. Often, a receiver optimized for the search function finds new signals while
other receivers perform prolonged analysis or intercept functions. Also, wideband receivers may be
used to handle a dense pulse signal environment, while narrowband receivers handle signals that are
incompatible with those wideband receivers. Finally, sophisticated modern types of receivers can be
required to handle specific problems with sophisticated threats or threat environment conditions.
We will consider radar warning receivers, reconnaissance receivers and multiple station (remote
controlled) receiving systems.

Radar Warning Receivers

Figure 1 shows a basic radar
warning receiver as used on aircraft
and some ships. It provides mono-
pulse emitter location; that is, it
generates a direction of arrival
measurement and estimate of range
to the emitter for every received
pulse.
The quadrant antennas are
located somewhat symmetrically
around the protected platform in the
horizontal plane, if the system is to
produce only azimuth of arrival
angular measurement. Note that if
full spherical coverage is required
(as in a tactical aircraft), two more
antennas and receivers (top and bottom) are required. These antennas are typically cavity-backed
spirals, which have a gain pattern as shown in figure 2. Figure 3 shows the approximate gain vs. true
spherical angle from the boresight of the antenna. Each receiver must measure the received power from
its antenna. Because two or three antennas will be able to see any emitter, the direction of arrival can be
calculated from the signal strength measurements.
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These received power

measurements (each reduced by the
offset angle from antenna boresight)
can also be analyzed to determine the
full power of the arriving signal. The
receivers also demodulate received
signals to allow the processor to
identify the type of threat signal
received. If the type of threat is
known, its effective radiated power
(ERP) can be estimated, and the range
to the emitter determined by use of the
appropriate radio propagation
formulas.
At this point, it is appropriate
to mention that reflections from
platform structure, particularly on aircraft, cause multipath reception, which reduces the accuracy of
angular measurements. Also, estimation of range from received signal power (with accuracy reduced by
that same multipath problem) and assumed ERP has never been particularly accurate. Emission control
on modern threat radars can reduce the ERP, which further compounds the problem.
Note: Both threat identification and emitter location were covered in EW 101 several years ago,
but new technology and techniques make it appropriate to revisit those subjects in future columns. For
now, let us focus on the receiver functions in the system.

Figure 4 shows the block

diagram of a typical quadrant
receiver. The antenna typically covers
2 to 18 GHz, and is multiplexed into
four equal 4 GHz bands. Each of
these bands is covered by a crystal
video receiver (CVR). You will recall
that the CVR demodulates any
amplitude modulated (AM) signal
present in its input band. This is
extremely useful in a high density
pulse environment because pulse
signals have 100 percent amplitude
modulation and short duty cycle. The
CVR outputs a video pulse for each

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RF pulse received at a peak
voltage proportional to the logarithm of received signal power. The pulse output is the same regardless
of the RF frequency of the input signal anywhere in the 4 GHz frequency range. When two pulses
overlap (which they will occasionally in a dense environment) the CVR output is a complex video
waveform that presents a special processing challenge (more on that in a later column).
As shown in the diagram, a special receiver of some type may also be present in each quadrant
receiver. Because these receivers are significantly more complex than CVRs, it is usually necessary to
time share it among the frequency channels. This is done by converting each channel to a single
frequency range (for example 6 to 10 GHz). Then a single special receiver, operating over less than an
octave frequency range, can selectively cover the whole 2 to 18 GHz. The special receiver might be a
superhetrodyne receiver to provide higher sensitivity (than the CVR) and the ability to isolate one of
multiple simultaneous signals. It might also be a channelized or digital receiver. Note that the direction
of arrival and received signal strength can be determined if any of these types of receivers are available
in each quadrant.
Because threats in other frequency ranges have become important, there may be additional
quadrant antennas to cover those frequencies with appropriately matched quadrant receivers.
Figure 5 shows the addition
of special receivers in addition to the
quadrant receivers. It is common in
shipboard systems to use a narrow
beam rotating antenna, which feeds
one or more receivers. This antenna
provides additional gain for long
range intercept of threat signals and
isolation for multiple simultaneous
signals.
Most modern radar warning
receivers include instantaneous
frequency measurement (IFM)
receivers. Because these receivers
measure only signal frequency, a
single receiver can handle signals
from any of the quadrants. With a
channelized frequency converter, it
can also handle all frequency ranges.
(You will recall from an earlier
column that an IFM is limited to an
octave bandwidth coverage). It may
also be practical to use a single
channelized or digital receiver in this
way, if it is used only to identify
signals rather than for direction of
arrival.
If there are signals of
importance in other frequency ranges
for which it is either not required or
not practical to measure direction of arrival, an omni-antenna, which covers 360 degrees of azimuth
and as much elevation as practical, can be used to receive those signals. Information from the special
receiver in this band will be combined with information derived from the quadrant receivers to support
required analysis functions.
Figure 6 shows how wideband
and narrowband receivers are sometimes
combined to handle environments with
both pulsed and continuous wave signals.
This approach is also required to handle
high duty cycle signals, such as pulse
Doppler radars in high PRF mode (which
can have 30 to 50% duty cycle). Since
CRV and IFM receivers can only handle
one signal at once, a tunable band stop
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filter is tuned to the CW or high
duty cycle signal frequency. Then, the narrowband receiver (typically superhet) handles the troublesome
signal. As will be discussed in a later column, the presence of a CW signal along with a pulsed signal in
a CVR distorts its output amplitude, causing serious angle measurement errors. The band stop filter
notches out a band of frequencies (perhaps 30 to 50 MHz), so it is also necessary for the narrowband
receiver to search the compromised band for pulse threat signals that may have been inadvertently
removed.

Whats Next
Next month, well discuss multiple receiver reconnaissance systems. For your comments and
suggestions, Dave Adamy can be reached at dave@lynxpub.com.

Naylor Publications
http://66.38.154.178/

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