Jeffrey Blanco

Jordan Brauer

Daniel Lent

16 October 2013

Hand-held Transceiver Tester

(HATT)

Approved for public release.

This work was sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations,

recommendations and conclusions are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

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• Introduction

• System Design

• Approach

• Summary and Future Work

Outline

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Moving Target Simulator

• Used to evaluate detection

performance of airborne radar systems

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Moving Target Simulator

• Used to evaluate detection

performance of airborne radar systems

• Modulates signal with Doppler offset

to simulate a target moving on the

ground at a constant velocity

• Field Test Outline:

– Months of preparation

– Test runs come at a substantial

amount of cost and time to

sponsor

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Previous Testing Method (Rack Mounted)

• Test ensures hardware functionality prior to test runs, preventing

loss of time and money to sponsor

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Project Definition

200 Hz tone

• Prototype Design Includes:

– Radio Frequency Hardware

– Analog Hardware

– Digital Hardware

Audio Feedback

Visual Feedback

LCD Displays 200 Hz Doppler

Offset & Received Peak Power

from MTS Unit

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• Introduction

• System Design

– Design Requirements

– Top Level Block Diagram

• Approach

• Summary and Future Work

• Demo

Outline

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Design Requirements

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HATT Block Diagram

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• Introduction

• System Design

• Approach

– RF Hardware

– Analog Hardware

– Digital Hardware

– Enclosure

• Summary and Future Work

Outline

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RF Hardware

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Transmit Chain: Continuous Wave (CW) Tone

• A dielectric resonant oscillator (DRO) was used

– Outputs a CW tone at 16.72 dBm

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Transmit Chain: Splitting the Local Oscillator (LO)

• Oscillator split evenly

• LO of mixer (for receive chain)

• Transmitted RF signal

• 4 dB loss at each output

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Pulsed Continuous Wave

• RF Single Pole Single

Throw (SPST) switch

used to gate oscillator

output

• 250 µs pulse repetition

interval (PRI) and 50 µs

pulse width

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Transmit Chain: Triggering Moving Target Simulator

17 GHz + 200 Hz Doppler Offset

Moving Target

Simulator

Triggered

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Receive Chain: Mixer and Schottky Power Detector Diode Output

Mixer Output

Scottky Diode

Output

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Analog Hardware

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Low Pass Filter Output

• 7 pole Butterworth filter

– Sallen Key topology

• 2 kHz corner frequency

• Attenuates pulse envelope by ~ 36 dB

Input from Mixer Output of LPF: 200 Hz Doppler

Offset Retrieved

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Audio and Visual Indication of Doppler Offset

• Frequency-to-voltage converter measures

Doppler offset at IF port

– Voltage proportional to the input signal’s frequency

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Visual Indication of Received Peak Power

• Inverting buffer converts negative voltage

output of Schottky diode to a positive

voltage.

– Microprocessor unable to read negative

voltages

Inverting Amplifier Output:

Positive Voltage

Inverting Amplifier Input from

Scottky Diode: Negative

Voltage

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Digital Hardware

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Signals Sampled into Microprocessor

Frequency to Voltage

Converter Output Inverted Schottky Peak

Detector Diode Output

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Digital Subsystem

Microprocessor – Arduino Uno:

• Fully Open Source

• Monitors battery voltage

• Generates PWM signal

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HATT Block Diagram

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• Designed in Solidworks and fabricated using 3D printer

Enclosure Top View

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HATT Interior Component Placement

PCB

Audio

Amplifier

25.9V Lithium-

Ion Battery w/

recharging plug

Arduino

RF Hardware

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User Interface

LCD Screen

Volume Knob

¼” Headphone

Jack

Toggle On/Off

Power Switch

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HATT Exterior

Handle enables

portable, hand-

held feature

Rexolite window

protects system

against

environmental

conditions

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• Introduction

• System Design

• Approach

• Lab Testing

• Summary and Future Work

Outline

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Summary and Future Work

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Comparison of HATT Prototype to Previous Testing Technique Continued

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Dual Band Tester