Software Design of Beam Steering of a Phased Array Radar
A software design and its’ hardware platform of beam steering of a active phased array radar is presented in the paper. In this design, FPGA (Field－Programmable Gate Array) is adopted to realize the core algorithm and Single Chip Microcomputer (SCM) is used as the heart of control and adjustment of array module-drive board. A control and debug realization method that programmed by hardware language is introduced. The method achieves fewer equipment, perfect adjustment and diagnosis function. The design could be apply to other distributed control system.
To provide control signal for shifter of array antenna elements is the basic function to beam steering system. In addition to the basic function, high speed and efficiency control, lower costs, miniaturization and perfect system diagnosis are all required for beam steering of modern radar. And for most of phased array radar, beam steering subsystem must to compensate original phase online and to realize phase code random feedback according to work frequency. At the same time, maturity and dependency regulation function during the process of produce or in cooperate with other subsystem is needed for the beam steering. Considering the maintenance and troubleshooting of a separate antenna module, the beam steering drive board could provide all control signal as the module online
In order to reduce the cost of circuit and to increase the reliability of beam steering subsystem, the concentrate calculation and distribute driving design scheme is adopted which use one circuit board, that named calculate-board, to produce beam steering control code, and then use many driving board to realize phase shift of the antenna. The scheme has less equipment and very convenience maintenance. The calculate-board receives instruction that include the orientation of the main antenna, the pitching increment, the working frequency and the work mode code etc, and then, phase shift code to be calculated, transferred, distribute and format reset, finally, the rudiment beam steering code are formed.
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