Introduction

• Altimeter , device for measuring altitude.

The most common type is an aneroid
barometer calibrated to show the drop in
atmospheric pressure in terms of linear
elevation as an airplane, balloon, or
mountain.
• It shows height above sea level, but not
above such land features as hills, and
mountains.
 Barometric altimeter limitation
• The normal barometric altimeter is
operated by air pressure and has two
limitations:
a. If the atmospheric pressure changes
while the aircraft is in flight the altimeter
reading will change.
b. The barometric altimeter indicates
height above sea level, or some other pr-
set level. It does not tell the pilot his actual
altitude above the ground.
 Radar Altimeter
• The purpose of the radar altimeter system is to
measure the vertical distance from the aircraft
to the ground to provide the pilot with an
indication of the absolute altitude above the
terrain.
• The radar altimeter receiver-transmitter functions
in that directs a narrow beam of high-energy RF
pulses towards a reflecting target.
• The target in this case is the terrain directly
beneath the aircraft.
•The altitude of the aircraft above the terrain is directly
proportional to the time required for the transmit signal
to make a round trip to the terrain and return to the airborne
radar altimeter system.

•Since the radar altimeter is sensitive to variations in the

terrain, it will provide the pilot with an accurate indication
of the absolute altimeter above the ground, rather than
altitude relative to sea-level pressure which is derived
from an standard barometric altimeter.
The radar altimeter is used in flight to monitor absolute
altitude within the maximum range of the indicator
(usually 2,500 feet).
Most radar altimeter indicators have a decision height
(DH) control which is used by the pilot to select a pre-
determined altitude.
When the aircraft reaches the altitude set by the DH
control, the radar altimeter automatically energies an
indicator light and audio tone generator to alert the
pilot.
 RADAR ALTIMETER COMPONENTS

• CONSISTS OF
1. Receiver-
Transmitter
2. Two antennas
(one for receive and
one for transmit)
3. An indicator
Radar altitude information may be displayed
from either a motor driven analog indicator
or from a digital readout indicator, and may
Also be displayed on the flight director
indicator
The analog radar altimeter indicator
•Provides an absolute altitude display from
zero to 2500 feet and includes a red
warning flag to indicate when the system
is inoperative.
• At altitudes within the usable range of
the indicator, proper system operation is
indicated by the absolute altitude pointer
being in-view.
Once the aircraft has flown above the usable
range of the indicator, the pointer hides behind
the mask in the top left corner and the warning
flag remains out-of-view.
Momentary signal loss within the usable range
of the indicator will cause the pointer to
disappear from view temporarily.
The digital radar altimeter indicator

• This does not incorporate the use of

warning flag, but instead, the LEDs display
dashes in place of numerals when a
system fault occurs or the when the
aircraft is above 2,500 feet.
 Radar altimeter
• Both indicators have a self-test switch, a
knob for setting the desired decision
height, and a DH indicator light.
• Pressing the ‘test button’ will cause the
indicator to read a pre-determined altitude
and the warning flag to appear, and if the
aircraft altitude is less than the pre-
selected DH setting, the DH annunciator
will light.
 summary Indicators
• All models allow you to select a decision height
(DH) altitude or any other altitude to about 2,500
feet above the ground.
• When you descend to this preset altitude a
visual and aural warning will sound.
• Some models use electronic digital displays and
others use the more common analog (dial)
displays.
• The indicator you choose depends on whether
you have the required panel space for a 3 inch
analog type or if you prefer a smaller size.
• A few indicators and units offer some additional
features and are all digital models.
 Operating range
• Range
4,250MHz – 4,350MHz
• The frequency- modulated continuous-
wave (FMCW) continuously varied from
these range and come back to 4250MHz
at a rate of 100 times per second.
 Modulator and transmitter
• The modulator is a 100-Hz triangle-wave
generator that consists of eight-bit binary
up/down counter and digital-to-Analog (D/A)
converter.
• The eight bits are summed in the D/A converter
to make a staircase waveform, which is filtered
to make a smooth waveform.
• This waveform allows frequency modulation to
be linear.
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• The transmitter consist of oscillator and power

amplifier.
• Frequency modulation is achieved by applying
the triangular voltage waveform to the oscillator
circuit.
• The mean voltage of this waveform, adjusted by
a control on the modulator, determines the
center frequency of the oscillator.
• The 4300 MHz FMCW oscillator output is routed
through a second directional coupler and an
isolator, or terminated three-port circulator, to
the transmit antenna.
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• The isolator provide non –reciprocal power

transfer from one port to another.
• When one of three ports terminated with a
load, the device will transfer power with
minimum loss from one port to another
while in the reverse direction, the power is
transferred to the load with a high resultant
loss, thus providing isolation.
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• Each directional coupler is connected to a quartz bulk

acoustic delay line that is the equivalent of 300 feet of
altitude.
• The delay signal is heterodyned in a mixer with the non-
delayed signal applied from the transmitter.
• The mixer output is the difference frequency of
approximately 12Hz, which is amplified and limited into a
square wave.
• One delay line circuit produces calibration signal 1,which
is used for comparison in the altitude processor.
• The other delay circuit produces calibration signal 2,
which is used in the monitor processor.
Receiver and frequency counter
• The reflected signal picked up by the receive
antenna is routed through an isolator to a mixer.
• The other input to the mixer is a sampling of the
transmitter signal from directional coupler.
• The mixer heterodynes the two signals to
produce a difference or beat frequency.
• Because of the modulation, this frequency is
proportional to the time required for the round
trip to the terrain by the transmitted signal.
• The difference of altitude signal frequency
changes at the rate of approximately 40 Hz/foot
of altitude
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• The mixer output is applied to a preamplifier on the
modulator whose output is routed through a tracking filter
to a limiter.
• The tracking filter and associated amplifiers are
controlled by the altitude processor that selects the
correct pass band shape for the altitude being tracked.
• This amplification increased with increase altitude.
• The altitude beat frequency is then applied to altitude
and monitor processor noise-elimination filters.
• These filters convert the beat signal into a 60/40% duty
cycle wave form to remove extraneous noise and
provide additional signal stabilization.
• The detector monitor the filter output and provides a
discrete signal to both the altitude and monitor
processors when a signal is present.
 Altitude processor
• Altitude processing is accomplished by a general purpose
microcomputer.
• This consists of an CPU, a Programmable Read- Only Memory
(PROM) for program memory, a Random-Access memory (RAM) for
data memory, and Input/Output (I/O) interface circuits.
• The processed receive signal or filtered beat frequency signal, along
with the 12-KHz calibration signal 1, are applied to the altitude
processor.
• As previously mentioned, the processed receive signal is
proportional to the altitude and the calibration signal is proportional
to the reference delay line.
• These two signals are applied to a ratio circuit or period sampler
whose output is in the form of parallel digital words.
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• The digital data words are continuously loaded into the

working memory of the microcomputer.
• The computer operates on the data to derive a running
average, applies the correction factors for the aircraft
installation delay, controls the bandwidth of the receiver,
computes the logarithm of the altitude, and couples the
final altitude answer to the digital-to-analog converters.
• The D/A converters and associated amplifiers convert
the digital answer to the DC altitude analog signals
required for compatibility with the indicator and the other
avionic systems that require radio altitude information.
 Monitor processor
• As previously mentioned, two reference delay lines that
produce independent calibration frequencies calibration
signal 1 and 2.
• The calibration signal 2 is applied to the monitor
processor, which is essentially identical to the altitude
processor except for the stored program used.
• The monitor processor computes the altitude in the same
way as the altitude processor and compares the two
computed altitude answers.
• If the two answers are within a predetermined
comparison threshold, the processor validity signal is
interrupted, which will cause a warning to be given to the
radar altimeter indicator and any other associated
avionic system
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• The monitor processor also initiates
periodic test routines to ensure that the
RF,IF, and signal presence functions are
operating properly.
• Failure of the test cycles will result in a
warning output being produced.
 Receiver Transmitter
summary

• The core of the device, a radar altimeter

actually is a single frequency radar system
that broadcasts a pulsed tone directly
downward.
• The time it takes for the reflected tone to
be received directly translates into your
height above the terrain.
• Clearly, the better the Receiver
Transmitter, the more accurate your
readings will be.
 Radar altimeter installation
• Radio altimeter antennas are mounted on the underside
of the fuselage of the aircraft to send and receive radar
signals from the from the ground directly beneath the
aircraft.
• Ideally, a typical radio altimeter installation would have
the antennas mounted in an area on the belly of the
aircraft that was entirely free of extraneous protrusions
so that no object is visible to either antenna within a plus
or minus 45 degree conic area below the aircraft.
• Also, the antennas should be spaced 36 inches apart
(center to center) with 0 degree squint angle.
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• Squint angle- angle between the vertical axes of

the two antennas and is a measure of the ability
of the antennas to illuminate the same area of
ground.
• Angle of tilt- angle between the plane containing
the front face of both antennas and ground.
• To minimize variations in the altitude readout to
changes in the angle of tilt, the antenna
mounting should be as close to the aircraft
center of gravity as possible.
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• The antenna must be mounted on a conductive

surface for proper operation.
• A conductive gasket is usually provided to give a
good electrical bond between the antenna and
fuselage, and in addition, provide an airtight seal
when installed in pressurized compartments.
• Compensation for antenna cable lengths and the
antenna height above the ground at the
touchdown point may be made by applying an
aircraft installation delay (AID) bias.
• The AID bias selected from a chart.
 continue
• To determine the antenna height, it is important to jack-
up the aircraft so that the landing gear is unloaded in a
simulated touchdown configuration.
• Cable lengths are critical and should be measured
accurately.
• Any excessive cable should be coiled up and secured to
the aircraft.
• The cables must also be continuous without any
intervening connectors or brakes.
• Note ..
In some installations, the altimeter indicator may read
less than zero altitude while the aircraft is on the ground.
This is a normal phenomenon in aircraft whose altimeter
antennas are nearer the ground on the ramp than at
touchdown.
 System testing
• Prior to take-off, the altimeter system should b tested using
the following procedure
• Apply power to the radar altimeter system
• Press and hold the test switch on the indicator and observe
that the pointer indicates the proper test altitude (usually 50
or 100 feet) and that the warning flag is in view
• With the test switch depressed, slowly adjust the DH
setting outside the test altitude range. The DH light should
remain off until the DH setting is adjusted to within the test
altitude range.
• Release the test switch and observe the indicator. The
warning flag should be out of view and the altitude
indication should be zero foot.
 Summary Radar Altimeter
The absolute altimeter, also called a radar or radio altimeter,
measures the height of the aircraft above the terrain.

It does this by transmitting a radio signal, either a frequencymodulated

continuous-wave or a pulse to the ground, and accurately measuring the
time used by the signal in traveling from the aircraft to the ground and
returning.

This transit time is modified with a time delay and is converted inside the
indicator to distance in feet.

Most absolute altimeters have a provision for setting a decision

height/decision altitude (DH/DA) or a minimum descent altitude (MDA)
so that when the aircraft reaches thisheight above ground, a light will
illuminate and/or an aural warning will sound.

Absolute altimeters are incorporated into ground proximity warning systems

(GPWS) and into some flight directors.
 Review question - 1
• What is the purpose of radar altimeter?
A. measure pressure altitude
B. measure absolute altitude
C. measure the atmospheric pressure
D. measure the sea level altitude
• Answer B
 Question -2
• What is the “decision height”?
A. pressure altitude
B. Aircraft height above ground
C. pre-determined altitude selected by
pilot
D. indicated altitude
• Answer C
 Question -3
• What is the advantage of using the radar
altimeter over standard barometric
altimeter?
A. cheaper than
B. easy to read
C. more accurate indication
D. All a, b and c are correct.
• Answer C
 Question -4

• What are the components of radar

altimeter
A. indicator and microphone
B. headphone and antenna
C. headphone and indicator
D. transceiver and indicator
Answer D
 Question -5
• Antenna of Radar altimeter are mounted…
A. in the nose of the aircraft
B. on the underside of the fuselage
C. on the top of the fuselage
D. in the vertical stabilizer
• Answer B
 Question -6
• When the aircraft descends to the selected
DH, what is happening?
A. indicator shows zero reading
B. warning light and horn energized to
alert the pilot
C. aircraft will climb automatically
D. the red warning flag is out of view.
• Answer B
 Question -7
• What is the different between analog and
digital radar altimeter indicator?
A. test switch
B. DH adjustment knob
C. DH indicator
D. warning flag
• Answer D
 Question -8
• How much is the angle of tilt?
A. 180 degree
B. 90 degree
C. 45 degree
D. 0 degree
• Answer D
 Question -9
• Does radar altimeter need ground station?
A. yes
B. no
C. depend upon the type of altimeter
D. only reference to the sea level
• Answer B
 Question -10
• What is the purpose of red warning flag in
analog radar altimeter?
A. indicate when the system is inoperative.
B. indicate when aircraft flies below DH.
C. indicate when aircraft on ground.
D. indicate when aircraft flies above
desire range.
• Answer A