Prospect for Using Low-Element Adaptive Antenna Systems for Radio Monitoring Stations

Abstract

This article is devoted to the analysis of prospect to apply multifunctional adaptive antenna systems for radio monitoring stations. The review of publications done demonstrates that current antennas that are developed and used in radio monitoring systems to control and measure the parameters of electromagnetic radiation should be applicable to conduct accurate measurements in wide frequency range under the condition of interferences. The analysis shows that modern adaptive antenna systems are mostly developed for radar and telecommunications applications. In this context we consider possible ways to solve the problem of adapting radio monitoring devices to a complex electromagnetic environment using antenna systems with primary processing of received signals . It was found that the developers of the antennas, which are based on adaptive interference suppression methods, focus basically on the development and implementation of adaptation processes, limiting themselves only to solving electromagnetic compatibility problems. In such approach, the functions of direction finding and measurement of radiation field parameters important exactly for radio monitoring systems are mostly ignored. Therefore, this research area opens up a wide field for identifying new possibilities for constructing multifunctional antenna systems. Focusing on this direction of research, we consider as an example the constraction of a simple two-element adaptive antenna system, which can be used to measure the parameters of the electromagnetic field in radio monitoring systems. The main relations for the error of determining the direction of arrival of the interference signal with a simple two-element antenna are investigated. The influence of the stability of the antenna array parameters and functional units of signal processing onto the errors is estimated.