Desktop joint test system suitable for initial phase test of planar near-field darkroom and method thereof

Abstract

According to the desktop joint test system and method suitable for the initial phase test of the planar near-field darkroom, calibration signals are injected into acquisition and receiving channels through power division by simulating in-place signals of an antenna darkroom test system, calibration signal sampling is completed in multi-channel digital acquisition equipment, and the initial phase test of the planar near-field darkroom is completed. And obtaining an initial phase value of each antenna channel, performing channel compensation, and checking whether a compensation result meets requirements or not. The whole process can be completed in a laboratory, the in-place signal time sequence of a darkroom test system can be completely simulated, antenna darkroom resources do not need to be occupied, and the subsequent antenna darkroom test efficiency is improved. Compared with a traditional method, the antenna darkroom testing efficiency is greatly improved, the testing cost is saved, and the method is high in universality and suitable for the general situation of planar near-field darkroom testing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of radar detection, and designs a desktop joint test method suitable for initial phase test of a planar near-field darkroom. The output of a darkroom test system is simulated in a laboratory to obtain a pulse, and a desktop joint test is carried out. Before the equipment enters the antenna darkroom, the darkroom test system and the digital integrated joint test and adaptation are completed, thereby improving the darkroom test efficiency and saving the test cost. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the development of radar technology, phased array radars, especially large phased arrays with a large number of array element channels, have been widely used. For the development of multi-channel phased array radar systems, the engineering development of large antennas is relatively difficult, especially the integrated joint test of the antenna analog part and multi-channel digital acquisition and the antenna darkroom test efficiency is generally low. For large array antennas, planar near-field testing is more common. The traditional debugging and testing process is that multi-channel acquisition is carried out in the laboratory for AD sampling and DBF program stand-alone debugging, and after the debugging is completed, it enters the antenna darkroom and conducts joint testing with the antenna test system. After the joint testing is completed, the antenna channel initial phase test and calibration and DBF directional pattern test are carried out. According to this traditional debugging process, the joint test time of each set of phased array antennas in the antenna darkroom is long, up to several months, and the cost of darkroom testing is high. Therefore, before entering the antenna darkroom, it is very necessary to complete the phase consistency test of the multi-channel acquisition digital part and the adaptation with the darkroom test system in the laboratory in advance, which can improve the efficiency of darkroom testing and save testing costs. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a desktop joint test system and method suitable for initial phase testing in a planar near-field darkroom. In view of the problems of low efficiency and high cost of existing multi-channel phased array antennas in planar near-field darkroom testing, a desktop joint test system and method suitable for initial phase testing in a planar near-field darkroom are proposed. The method uses a signal source, a power divider, a host computer and other equipment in combination with a multi-channel digital acquisition device to construct a darkroom test desktop joint test system. By simulating the in-place signal of the antenna darkroom test system, the calibration signal is respectively injected into the acquisition receiving channel through the power divider, and the calibration signal sampling is completed in the multi-channel digital acquisition device to obtain the initial phase value of each antenna channel, and then channel compensation is performed to check whether the compensation result meets the requirements. The entire process can be completed in the laboratory, and the in-place signal timing of the darkroom test system can be fully simulated without occupying the antenna darkroom resources, thereby improving the efficiency of subsequent antenna darkroom tests.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is:

[0005] A desktop joint test system suitable for a planar near-field darkroom initial phase test, comprising a darkroom test system signal simulation and return data reading part, an antenna calibration signal control and transmission part, and a multi-channel signal control and acquisition calculation part. The darkroom test system signal simulation and return data reading part includes a signal source and a host computer;

[0006] The signal source is used to simulate the in-place signal of the darkroom test system. The signal is sent by the darkroom test system during the darkroom test. When the antenna test probe moves to the front position of the corresponding antenna unit to be tested, the in-place signal is sent to the digital acquisition device. At this time, the digital acquisition device samples the calibration signal sent by the probe and calculates the phase value. When the digital acquisition device completes the signal sampling and result calculation and uploading, the probe moves to the front position of the next corresponding antenna unit to be tested. The test system sends an in-place signal and continues the channel sampling of the next unit. The time between the two in-place signals is comprehensively calculated based on the mechanical movement time of the probe and the entire digital sampling process.

[0007] The antenna calibration signal control and transmission part includes a calibration module and a signal power divider. After the wave control board of the digital acquisition device receives the in-place signal, it sends a control instruction to the calibration module according to the test requirements. At this time, the calibration module parses the instruction and outputs a calibration signal that meets the requirements. The calibration signal is directly sent to the acquisition board in the digital acquisition device through a multi-channel power divider for multi-channel signal acquisition. The specific number of power dividers is defined according to the actual number of test antenna channels.

[0008] The multi-channel signal control and acquisition calculation part includes an acquisition board, a synthesis board and a wave control board; the acquisition board completes the multi-channel sampling of the calibration signal, and calculates the amplitude and phase values ​​of the sampling results of each channel, and then calculates the phase and amplitude values ​​that need to be compensated for each digital channel before beamforming, and sends them to the synthesis board; the wave control board performs clock distribution and sends control instructions.

[0009] Furthermore, a host computer is used in the laboratory to read the return signal of the digital acquisition device, and the signal is read according to the communication protocol between the host computer of the antenna darkroom test system and the digital acquisition device to ensure normal data return communication during the darkroom test.

[0010] Furthermore, the acquisition board, wave control board, calibration module and arrival signal sending module are all of the same source. Therefore, in the laboratory, the clock signal and arrival signal are sent by the signal source, and then the wave control board performs clock distribution.

[0011] Furthermore, before entering the antenna anechoic chamber, the adaptation with the anechoic chamber test system is completed in advance in the laboratory, and the entire desktop joint test process is completed in the laboratory. When entering the antenna anechoic chamber for formal testing, antenna channel calibration, phase plane compensation retest and DBF test are directly carried out, which saves a lot of heavy joint test links, saves antenna anechoic chamber resources, and improves the efficiency of antenna anechoic chamber testing.

[0012] The present invention also provides a method for joint testing of a desktop joint testing system suitable for a planar near-field darkroom initial phase test, the specific steps of which are:

[0013] Step 1: Connect the digital acquisition equipment, signal source, signal power divider and host computer according to Figure 1 Connect to form a desktop joint test system;

[0014] Step 2: The output signal of the calibration module in the digital acquisition device is divided into N channels of signals to the acquisition board through signal power splitter;

[0015] Step 3: The signal source outputs the clock signal, which is sent to the wave control board via the coaxial cable. At the same time, the signal source sends the in-position signal to the wave control board according to the time interval requirements;

[0016] Step 4: After receiving the in-place signal, the wave control board generates a system homologous in-place signal and sends it to the acquisition board and calibration module;

[0017] Step 5: After the calibration module receives the command from the wave control board and the arrival signal from the same source, it sends the calibration signal to the acquisition board through the signal power splitter for multi-channel synchronous acquisition according to the communication protocol requirements;

[0018] Step 6: The acquisition board calculates the acquisition results of each channel, obtains the amplitude and phase values ​​of each channel, calculates the compensation values ​​of the amplitude and phase, and performs compensation on the acquisition board;

[0019] Step 7: After the initial phase compensation in step 6 is completed, repeat steps 2 to 6 to check whether the compensation results meet the requirements. If they meet the requirements, the entire channel test is completed and you can enter the darkroom for formal testing.

[0020] The beneficial effect of the present invention is to use signal source, power divider, host computer and other equipment in combination with multi-channel digital acquisition equipment to build a darkroom test desktop joint test system, complete the adaptation of the multi-channel digital acquisition equipment and the darkroom test system and the phase consistency compensation of the digital multi-channel in advance in the laboratory, and complete the joint test work in the laboratory before the antenna darkroom DBF test. Compared with the traditional method, the method of the present invention greatly improves the antenna darkroom test efficiency and saves the test cost. In addition, the method of the present invention is a highly versatile method and is suitable for the general situation of planar near-field darkroom testing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1It is a schematic diagram of the composition of the darkroom test desktop joint test method.

[0022] Figure 2 This is the channel result without initial phase supplement during desktop joint testing.

[0023] Figure 3 It is the channel result after compensating the initial phase during desktop joint testing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] The purpose of the present invention is to construct a desktop joint test system suitable for planar near-field darkroom initial phase testing in the laboratory, including a darkroom test system signal simulation and return data reading part, an antenna calibration signal control and transmission part, and a multi-channel signal control and acquisition calculation part.

[0026] The signal simulation and return data reading part of the darkroom test system includes a signal source and a host computer;

[0027] The signal source is used to simulate the arrival signal of the darkroom test system. The signal is sent by the darkroom test system during the darkroom test. When the antenna test probe moves to the front position of the corresponding antenna unit to be tested, the test system sends the arrival signal to the digital acquisition device. At this time, the digital acquisition device samples the calibration signal sent by the probe and calculates the phase value. Therefore, the arrival signal and the clock of the digital acquisition device are required to be of the same source. When the digital acquisition device completes the signal sampling and result calculation and uploading processing, the probe moves to the front position of the next corresponding antenna unit to be tested. The test system sends the arrival signal and continues the channel sampling of the next unit. The time between the two arrival signals is comprehensively calculated based on the mechanical movement time of the probe and the entire digital sampling processing process. In addition, the host computer is used in the laboratory to read the return signal of the digital acquisition device. The signal is read according to the communication protocol between the host computer of the antenna darkroom test system and the digital acquisition device to ensure normal data return communication during the darkroom test.

[0028] The antenna calibration signal control and transmission part includes a calibration module and a signal power divider;

[0029] After the wave control board of the digital acquisition device receives the in-place signal, it sends control instructions to the calibration module according to the test requirements. At this time, the calibration module parses the instructions and outputs a calibration signal that meets the requirements. The calibration signal is directly sent to the acquisition board in the digital acquisition device through multi-channel power division for multi-channel signal acquisition. The specific number of power divisions can be defined according to the actual number of test antenna channels.

[0030] The multi-channel signal control and acquisition calculation part includes an acquisition board, a synthesis board and a wave control board; the acquisition board completes the multi-channel sampling of the calibration signal, and calculates the amplitude and phase values ​​of the sampling results of each channel, and then calculates the phase and amplitude values ​​that need to be compensated for each digital channel before beamforming, and sends them to the synthesis board; the wave control board performs clock distribution and sends control instructions.

[0031] Attention should be paid to the clock homology problem in the system, which requires that the acquisition board, wave control board, calibration module and arrival signal sending module are all of the same source. Therefore, in the laboratory, the signal source is used to send the clock signal and arrival signal, and then the wave control board is used to distribute the clock.

[0032] The desktop joint test system for planar near-field darkroom testing is designed by the present invention. Before entering the antenna darkroom, the adaptation with the darkroom test system is completed in advance in the laboratory. The entire desktop joint test process is completed in the laboratory. When entering the antenna darkroom for formal testing later, antenna channel calibration, equal phase plane compensation retest and DBF test can be directly performed, which saves a lot of cumbersome joint test links, saves antenna darkroom resources, and improves antenna darkroom testing efficiency.

[0033] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the desktop joint test method for darkroom testing. Among them, the digital acquisition device is the device under test; the time reference is the clock source of the whole machine, which provides the reference clock for the whole machine. The clocks used in the system are all the frequency division and frequency multiplication of this clock, which are provided by the signal source; at the same time, the signal source is also used to simulate the test system in the antenna darkroom to provide the arrival signal; the calibration output signal of the calibration module is divided by the signal power, and the calibration signal that meets the number of acquisition channels is divided into the acquisition board for digital sampling, simulating the probe signal output during antenna testing.

[0034] Through the digital multi-channel phase compensation in the laboratory and the adaptation test of the in-place signal with the darkroom test system, the initial phase test and DBF test can be directly carried out when entering the darkroom for formal testing.

[0035] Taking an antenna test as an example, a desktop joint test is performed in the laboratory before entering the darkroom. The steps are as follows:

[0036] Step 1: Connect the digital acquisition equipment, signal source, signal power divider and host computer according to Figure 1 Connect to form a desktop joint test system;

[0037] Step 2: The output signal of the calibration module in the digital acquisition device is divided into N channels of signals to the acquisition board through signal power splitter;

[0038] Step 3: The signal source outputs the clock signal, which is sent to the wave control board via the coaxial cable. At the same time, the signal source sends the in-position signal to the wave control board according to the time interval requirements;

[0039] Step 4: After receiving the in-place signal, the wave control board generates a system homologous in-place signal and sends it to the acquisition board and calibration module;

[0040] Step 5: After the calibration module receives the command from the wave control board and the arrival signal from the same source, it sends the calibration signal to the acquisition board through the signal power splitter for multi-channel synchronous acquisition according to the communication protocol requirements;

[0041] Step 6: The acquisition board calculates the acquisition results of each channel, obtains the amplitude and phase values ​​of each channel, calculates the compensation values ​​of the amplitude and phase, and performs compensation on the acquisition board;

[0042] Step 7: After the initial phase compensation in step 6 is completed, repeat steps 2 to 6 to check whether the compensation results meet the requirements. If they meet the requirements, the entire channel test is completed and you can enter the darkroom for formal testing.

[0043] Through the design of the above seven steps, the adaptation of the multi-channel digital acquisition equipment and the darkroom test system and the desktop joint test of the initial phase test are completed in advance in the laboratory. The above implementation method is only a specific example of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation to the present invention. Obviously, according to the concept of the present invention, different implementation methods can be improved, but these are all protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A desktop joint test system suitable for planar near-field darkroom initial phase test, including a darkroom test system signal simulation and return data reading part, an antenna calibration signal control and transmission part, and a multi-channel signal control and acquisition calculation part, characterized in that: The desktop joint test system suitable for the initial phase test of the planar near-field darkroom, the darkroom test system signal simulation and return data reading part includes a signal source and a host computer; the signal source is used to realize the simulation of the in-place signal of the darkroom test system, the signal is sent by the darkroom test system during the darkroom test, when the antenna test probe moves to the front position of the antenna unit corresponding to the test, the in-place signal is sent to the digital acquisition device, at this time the digital acquisition device samples the calibration signal sent by the probe, calculates and obtains the phase value, when the digital acquisition device completes the signal sampling and result calculation and uploading processing, the probe moves to the front position of the next antenna unit corresponding to the test, the test system sends the in-place signal, and continues the channel sampling of the next unit, the time between the two in-place signals is comprehensively calculated according to the mechanical movement time of the probe and the whole process of digital sampling processing; The antenna calibration signal control and transmission part includes a calibration module and a signal power divider. After the wave control board of the digital acquisition device receives the in-place signal, it sends a control instruction to the calibration module according to the test requirements. At this time, the calibration module parses the instruction and outputs a calibration signal that meets the requirements. The calibration signal is directly sent to the acquisition board in the digital acquisition device through a multi-channel power divider for multi-channel signal acquisition. The specific number of power dividers is defined according to the actual number of test antenna channels. The multi-channel signal control and acquisition calculation part includes an acquisition board, a synthesis board and a beam control board; the acquisition board completes the multi-channel sampling of the calibration signal, and calculates the amplitude and phase values ​​of the sampling results of each channel, and then calculates the phase and amplitude values ​​that need to be compensated for each digital channel before beamforming, and sends them to the synthesis board; The wave control board distributes clocks and sends control instructions.

2. The desktop joint test system suitable for planar near-field darkroom initial phase test according to claim 1 is characterized in that: In the laboratory, the host computer is used to read the return signal of the digital acquisition device. The signal is read according to the communication protocol between the host computer and the digital acquisition device of the antenna darkroom test system to ensure normal data return communication during the darkroom test.

3. The desktop joint test system suitable for planar near-field darkroom initial phase test according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The acquisition board, wave control board, calibration module and in-position signal sending module are all of the same source. Therefore, in the laboratory, the clock signal and the in-position signal are sent by the signal source, and then the wave control board performs clock distribution.

4. The desktop joint test system suitable for planar near-field darkroom initial phase test according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Before entering the antenna anechoic chamber, the adaptation to the anechoic chamber test system is completed in the laboratory in advance, and the entire desktop joint test process is completed in the laboratory. When entering the antenna anechoic chamber for formal testing, antenna channel calibration, phase plane compensation retest and DBF test are directly carried out, which saves a lot of heavy joint test links, saves antenna anechoic chamber resources, and improves antenna anechoic chamber testing efficiency.

5. A joint test method using the desktop joint test system suitable for planar near-field darkroom initial phase test according to claim 1, characterized in that The steps include: Step 1: Connect the digital acquisition equipment, signal source, signal power divider and host computer according to Figure 1 to form a desktop joint test system; Step 2: The output signal of the calibration module in the digital acquisition device is divided into N channels of signals to the acquisition board through signal power splitter; Step 3: The signal source outputs the clock signal, which is sent to the wave control board via the coaxial cable. At the same time, the signal source sends the in-position signal to the wave control board according to the time interval requirements; Step 4: After receiving the in-place signal, the wave control board generates a system homologous in-place signal and sends it to the acquisition board and calibration module; Step 5: After the calibration module receives the command from the wave control board and the arrival signal from the same source, it sends the calibration signal to the acquisition board through the signal power splitter for multi-channel synchronous acquisition according to the communication protocol requirements; Step 6: The acquisition board calculates the acquisition results of each channel, obtains the amplitude and phase values ​​of each channel, calculates the compensation values ​​of the amplitude and phase, and performs compensation on the acquisition board; Step 7: After the initial phase compensation in step 6 is completed, repeat steps 2 to 6 to check whether the compensation results meet the requirements. If they meet the requirements, the entire channel test is completed and you can enter the darkroom for formal testing.

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