TR

Project This project is due by Thursday, January 13

Fall 2010

Helical Antenna Array for GPS Receivers Project Proposal Overview The low broadcast power of the GPS satellites makes these signals particularly susceptible to jamming and interfering. Even a relatively low power jammer can have drastic effect on GPS receivers at quite significant distances from the jammer source. Interferences produced by multipath signals are among the main causes for the inability of current GPS receivers to further increase their accuracies. The most effective performance improvements against jammers are provided through the use of controlled radiation pattern antennas. High gain advanced GPS receivers can use a digital beam-steering antenna array to apply nulls through the forming radiation pattern. A basic design of a simple null-forming antenna array consists of four helical antenna elements with antenna weighting and phase shifter circuitry to adapt the array pattern. Implementing adaptive algorithms for array processing in real time, these GPS antenna systems are designed to detect jammer signals and place a null in the antenna pattern in the location of the jammer. By placing nulls on interfering signals, the array antenna can be used to reject interference sources or signals from GPS jammers. Practical considerations impose some restrictions to the design of a feasible nullforming array. First, the original design of the hemispherical helical antenna elements may not match to the GPS receiver impedance being the mutual coupling potentially high among the four elements in the array. Second, to avoid ambiguities, the array must define just a single null in the visible range. In this project proposal each student team has to design, simulate, and analyze a four helical-elements array antenna with null-placing capability to receive GPS signals in a reliable way in the presence of strong jammer sources. Most important, you will need to properly consider the characteristics of the receiving equipment you plan to connect to your antenna. For this satellite-to-earth link, you can assume a direct line-of-sight, obstacle free propagation. The antenna must respect all the specifications defined for GPS signals (Table 1).

Table 1. GPS System Parameters

Parameter

Value

Units

Satellite Transmitter (Space segment)

Frequency

1575.0

MHz

Polarization

RHCP

Transmitter Power

17.0

dBW

Antenna beamwidth System efficiency (loss and mismatch) Signal Receiver (Ground segment)

42.3

-5.0

dB

Atmospheric losses Range (worst case scenario) Link Margin

dB

25785

km

10

dB

Bandwidth

20

MHz

Sensitivity

-189

dBW

Copolar-crosspolar ratio

20

dB

Student Project Guide The following steps should serve as a guide for the sequence of events required by the project. Use simulation tool NEC when required.

(a)

Consider in detail the project proposal and fully understand which the problem you need to address is. In general, this is one of the most difficult parts of any project. Study the antenna characteristics and technical requirements that would be needed to develop the proposed project (such as radiation pattern, directivity, impedance, bandwidth, maximum range, or ground conditions). Choose the basic antenna parameters that suite your system requirements and specify which are its main design considerations. Verify that the designed antenna performs as expected (polarization, crosspolar level, and impedance, among others) using Helix.nec file. Design the antenna array to accomplish the goals of the project. Use Array2x2.nec file. Analyze its performance and verify that the main technical requirements are fully achieved. At a minimum, you should check the null placing at the following directions: =0 =0; =0 =70; =90 =70; and =45 =45. Describe the impedance characteristic of each element of the array in the operating frequency band. Write the report. It should include first a short introduction describing the project. The identification of the antenna type considered in the analysis should come next, addressing its benefits and drawbacks. A discussion of the fundamental principles of operation should be included. The main part of the report should detail important design considerations, describe the results of the simulations, and make explicit the most relevant conclusions of the analysis. The report must contain a schematic plot of the problem showing the known parameters involved in the design procedure and a table listing the technical requirements (gain, main radiation pattern cuts, polarization, impedance, and bandwidth) for the antenna. A brief summary may conclude the paper.

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e) (f)

The report must be no longer than 8 pages. Along with the report, the modelling and simulation files generated in the project have to be provided. Also, an antenna specification sheet should be produced at the end of the project.