1960 IRE TRANSACTIONS ON SPACE ELECTRONICS AND TELEMEETRY 67

A Device for Automatically Tracking the Roll Position

of a
Missile*
RICHARD WV. LOWRIEt
Summary Many short range missiles are guided in angle or images will remain stationary on the focal plane. If the
range by optical means. Since these missiles are usually caused
images are aligned
on a radial of the focal plane as shown
to roll in flight for stability reasons, some type of roll position
images A and on
a r
of the a plan as sh
reference device is necessary. The only type of roll reference in
lmages
A and C of Fig. 4 or 5, then a scan disc with
device in use is a gyro, although various horizon scanners, Doppler, two slits 1800 apart, as shown in Fig. 4, will cross both
and optical methods have been considered. images (A and
C) simultaneously. However,
when
the
This paper describes an optical method of roll reference which missile rolls out of phase with the optics, as shown in Fig.
utilizes the relative
positions
of two flares of different color attached
5(b) the scan disc slits do not cross the images
simul-
to the rear of the missile. Since the roll position is known at the
launch point, commands to the missile are commutated at the taneously. This time difference is a measure of the
roll
launch point rather than in the missile as is necessary when a position tracking error. It is necessary that various
color
gyro or other missile-borne roll reference device is used. Thus, filters and inverting prisms be used as described
below.
the roll tracker removes from the missile two subsystems (gyro The unit is aimed at the missile during flight with a
and commutator) while adding two components (two colored flares). tolerance in angle of 50 or more. Manual or automatic
angle tracking may be used. The missile must have two
T
mI
HE problem of roll orientation measurement of flares which are mounted on opposite tail fins, and are
of
missiles is almost always solved by installing a roll two
colors,
such as red and
blue.
Of
course other
colors
reference gyro in the missile, together with a com- and other methods of generating the light may be used.
mand commutator to allow the directional commands to The essential parts of the roll tracker are shown in Fig.
actuate the proper control surfaces as the missile rolls. 1 and are as follows:
For missiles which are controlled from the launch point
by an observer or other optical device, the following 1) A lens assembly together with color filters.
This
method permits the gyro and commutator to be removed assembly is automatically rotated at the missile
roll
from the missile and preeommutated commands tc be rate by a servomotor. A commutator is attached
to
generated at the launch point. The only items required
the rotating assembly to allow directional
commands
in the missile for roll reference purposes are two colored to be coded into the proper transmitter channels.
flares. Thus the cost and complexity of expendable hard- 2) A
scanning
disc and two photo detectors.
ware in the missile is kept to a minimum. The tracker 3) Circuits to
analyze the
photo
detector
outputs and
unit is installed at the launch point and can easily be
control the servomotor.
contained in a cylinder 6 inches X 18 inches long. Tracking
to ranges of several kilometers with accuracies of a few Rotating
degrees in roll angle are attainable. Directionat
Assemblv
Photocells
The method is based on the resolution of two flares
Commands Scanner
Circuitry
or lights on the missile by means of a rotating, scanning
type optical system at or near the launch point. A scanning -----------
type detector is used to improve accuracy and make the
aiming of the unit quite uncritical. Continuous, un-
Flares
I -M c)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lto r
ambiguous, and automatic roll position is obtained. Transmitter
Temporary loss of visibility such as small clouds need not
be serious since the unit has enough inertia to maintain
roll reference for short periods. The unit will acquire and
roll track a missile automatically and without roll am- The function of the lenses is simply to form images of
biguity at any time it is visible. the missile flares at the plane of the scanning disc. Four
The essence of the operation of the device is the genera- identical lens are used to generate four images 900 apart
tion of four equal images of the missile at a focal plane. on the disc and equidistant from the center of the disc,
These images are equally spaced about the centerline of wvhen the roll tracker is pointing directly at the light
the optical axis (see Fig. 3). As the missile rolls, each source (see Fig.
3).0One lens could also be
usedwxith mirrors
imnage rolls in the same manner. to form four images. In this case, the lens need not be
If the optics also roll at the same rate as the images, the attached to the rotating assembly. A zoom lens would be
more practical if only one lens were used. Four lenses wvere
* Manuscript received by the PGSET,
Februarvr
3, 1960. used in the present system for simplicity of the optics.
t The Martin Co., Orlando, Fla.
v?Two of the images (900 apart, not 1800) must be in-

68 IRE TRANSACTIONS ON SPACE ELECTRONICS AND TELEMETRY June
Mirror Lens Half Silvered
verted, while two are normal. Also, any two of the adjacent Mlirror
images must be filtered through one color filter while the Tht \o IRed Fiter
Four Four Invertin
other two images are filtered through the other color. Lenses Filters Prisms
Each image becomes a red or blue spot. Thus, at the focal \
plane (the plane of the scanning disc) four images of the Light
missile flares are formed. Due to the color filters, however, -- 1(<tvr\ \
each image is of one flare only. Thus the four images L Scanror D
Lens Asse blv Scan Scan Disc
consist of two red and two blue spots (see Fig. 4). Drive Motor Disc Drive Motor
Porro prisms are used in the lens assembly for inverting Fig. 2-Layout of optics.
two of the images.
The lens assembly rotates at the roll rate of the missile. Flare Images
Attached to it is the commutator used for proper command after Passing
generation. Since the roll rate is accurately known, the
Assembly RedlU
commutator angle bias (to allow for control surface Blue Flare Dine
actuation time) may be varied during flight. D- B
Behind the lens
assembly
and separate from it is the
T'1RedFla
u
scanning disc, which rotates at a constant velocity in the Missile
order of 600 rpm. The scanning disc conisists of a thin disc
with two radial slits 1800 apart. These slits are covered Fig. 3-Flare images at scanning disk.
with filters, one red and one blue, so that as each slit goes
around the focal plane it transmits light from only two of Red
the images, those two being of the same color as the slit Red Red Slit
filter. As the slits are
swept past
the
image spots,
the
light
(((Y
passing through the slits is focussed on both of the photo
Ligh
B
detectors. Fig. 2 shows the optical elements and
light
paths. Note that the photo detectors are also filtered so Blue Blue Blue
that each responds to only one color, either red or blue. Fli.t;ns
The output signals from the two photo detectors are Lens Assembly Images After Scan Dis
amplified and compared in time relationship. The motor
which rotates the lens assembly is caused to run faster or Fig. 4-Filter system.
slower depending on which photo detector sees its flare
image first. If the rotation of the mirror assembly cor- ,Blue Blue Blue
responds exactly to that of the missile, coincidenice of
Missile 53 533
the photo detector signals results and the motor speed P ti
ed
ed Red
is not changed.
The signals from each photo detector come in groups of e / e dY/ Red
two. The first pulse in the group is used to control the
D
ed
motor which turns the lens assembly. The second pulses /\
may be used as a measure of the range of the missile. The B BlueGBu
time between the second pulse from the red photo detector
Image Positions
lmage Positions Image Positions
after Inverting by with Trscker
whaen Trackiong
and the second pulse from the blue photo detector [pulses
Lens Filtering, and Roll Position
when Tracking
Re-inverting Images
lIncorr-ect
Properly
B and D, Fig. 5(a)] is a direct measure of the missile dis- B3 ad n
tance. This time difference can be measured by a counter
to give the missile range continuously. Fig. 3 shows the
Red A B
A B A
A
images as they appear at the plane of the scanning disc
Signal
without any color filtering. Note that
images
B and C are
PhBoltue
D
U
D
inverted. Since red and blue filters are used in the lens
Signal
assembly, the images actually appear as shown in Fig. 4.
(a) (b)
,. . .
.~~~~~~~
Fig. 5-Photocell outputs for various conditions.
Fig. 4 also shows the scanning disc. Filters are used over
the slots as shown.
It is evident from Fig. 4 that the red and blue slits will c
cross A and C images simultaneously so long as the images cel.fm~H 9
A and C are on a radial line of the disc. If the lens assembly Forward
rotates at the missile rate, this condition will hold. If not, G
Ii LensAsUeb.
the images will turn relative to each other sothat the slits Bl
| uejRevrs
will not pass the images simultaneously. The lack of
-.s
simultaneous outputs from the slits is used to drive a motorl
to rotate the lens assembly in the proper direction. Figs. Fig. 6-Motor control circuit.

1960 Fowler: A Six-Channel High-Frequency Telemetry System 69
5(a), 5(b), and 5(c) show, for three conditions of mnissile By noting which color, red or blue, comes first, the
position and lens assembly position, the relative outputs ambiguity is resolved. Also, the difference in time
between
from the red and blue photocells. Note that pulses A and the outputs from B and D is proportional to the
image size,
C are simultaneous when the tracker roll position corre- which in turn is proportional to the
range
of the
missile.
sponds to the missile roll position. The time difference Range information can be extracted
directly from
the
between pulses A and C is used in conventional circuitry time between B and D
outputs, knowing
the flare separa-
to control the lens assembly rotation motor. One possible tion on the missile. However, to measure range accurately,
circuit is shown in Fig. 6. Only two relays are used, which the roll tracker must be properly tracking the
missile.
have a fast close and slow dropout characteristic as a result Range error will be somewhat dependent
on roll
tracking
of the large charging capacitors C. When either photocell error.
receives a pulse, its relay closes for about 50 msec alnd locks Since the A and C images are scanned
simultaneously,
out the other relay. This action is repeated at the repetition object motion or jitter of the image has no effect onl roll
rate of the scan disc, so long as one photocell is energized accuracy. Since a slit is used as the photosensitive area,
before the other. The relays are used directly to control the radial position of the image
on the disc is not
critical,
the direction of rotation of the lens assembly motor. Other which means that accurate
pointing of the unit at
the
refinements can be added to make the relay actuiation time missile is not required.
proportional to the time difference between pulses into the To avoid flare masking by the rocket motor, it is
photocells. A similar circuit may be used to check for 1800 necessary to select an optical or infrared frequency outside
ambiguity. the major rocket energy band. If commands during burninlg
To avoid 1800 ambiguity, images B and D are necessary. are not necessary, this requirement vanishes.
A
Six-ChannelHigh-Frequency Telemetry System*
T. C. R. S. FOWLERt
Summary-A frequency-multiplex FM-AM system is described be usable together with an RAE 24-channel sender,1 the
which provides six continuous channels via which waveforms with
t t
frequency components in the approximate band 10 cps to 10 kc
46m band,sang aomm misiles
aertiasthe
may be simultaneously telemetered; extension of the frequency
456-mc
band, sharing a common missile aerial
system.
coverage to include the band 0-10 cps is achieved by the use of
A six-channel
frequency-multiplex
FM-AM
system was
commutated reference levels. A radio frequency in the 465-mcs selected for development. Work proceeded, with encourag-
band and subcarrier frequencies between 250 and 500 kc are ing results, and by the autumn of 1952 gr-ound-to-ground
used. A short historical introduction is followed by description transmission tests had been made, and the system
was
of the system and of units of the flight and ground equipment,
and details of operational results. Future uses of the system are
ready for flight trials.
discussed and methods of increasing the useful range are suggested.
The first two
flight
tests were carried out at
Aberporth,
Wales, in December, 1952, with successful results, and the
I. INTRODUCTION practical use of the
system
there started in
1953;
the use
of the system at Woomera, Australia, began in 19505.
r OWARDS the end of 1950 investigations were
Although it incorporates various improvements and addi-
started at Filton, England into the design of a tions, thepresent Bristol HF telemetrysystem isbasically
system to telemeter simultaneously, from a missile in similar to the system as first tested in 1952.
flight, a number of vibration waveforms in the frequency Asatcpedthsyem
asbnuedfrawe
band 50-6000 cps, with an over-all amplitude accuracy of
10 per cent and a range suficient to cover the boostvaitofelmryppssindiintohergnl
one of vibration measurement. Examples are rotation rate
phase-say at least two miles. The flight sender was to
1 "Telemetry as an aid to guided weapons research," British
*
Reprinted from J. Brit. IRE, vol. 19, pp. 493-507; August, 1959.
XCommunications
and
Etectronlics,
vol. 3, pp. 130-133; March, 1956.
t Bristol Aircraft Ltd., Guided Weapons Engrg. Dept., Filton Also, W. M. Rae, "The Airborne Sender for 24-Channel Telemetry."
Bristol, Eng. (To be published.)