Seven-element antenna array simulation method and system

Abstract

The invention provides a seven-element antenna array simulation method and system, and belongs to the technical field of radio direction finding, and the method comprises the steps: building a seven-element antenna array, and sorting the array elements in the antenna array; designing a path difference according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements; designing the length of a radio frequency cable according to the designed path difference, and simulating the path difference in the incoming wave direction by using the radio frequency cable; a wave shrinkage coefficient is introduced, the path difference simulated by the radio frequency cable is matched with the actual receiving direction, the path difference is finely adjusted, and antenna array simulation is completed; the problems that an existing antenna array simulation method is high in test environment dependence, complex in test building and high in cost, external environment interference is difficult to control, the incoming wave direction is difficult to stabilize and fix, the delay line technology is poor in flexibility, and repeated test cost and time are difficult to reduce are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of radio direction finding, and in particular relates to a seven-element antenna array simulation method and system. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of wireless communication, radar, electronic reconnaissance and other technologies, direction finding technology has important application value in signal positioning, target tracking, interference suppression and other fields. The direction finding antenna array is an important device for achieving accurate direction finding. Its principle is to calculate the direction of the incoming wave by combining the path difference of the received signal at each antenna array element with the corresponding algorithm. However, in the development and testing of the actual direction finding system, the traditional method requires the installation of transmitting antennas and receiving antennas, and the verification of direction finding is completed by the actual path difference of the incoming wave signal.

[0003] Traditional methods have the following disadvantages: It is highly dependent on the environment. The test environment usually requires a larger space to ensure signal propagation between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna, and the test cannot be completed in a limited indoor environment. The construction is complex and costly. The actual test requires the deployment of a large number of equipment, such as transmitting antennas, receiving antennas and related supporting facilities, which increases the complexity and economic cost of the test. It is difficult to fix the simulated orientation. When using a real antenna for testing, the direction of the incoming signal is usually difficult to stably fix, which brings many inconveniences to the system's joint debugging and software verification.

[0004] Existing technologies use antenna array delay line calibration technology: in order to simplify the test process, delay lines and power dividers are used to simulate the phase difference and time difference of signals in an experimental environment; delay lines can accurately simulate the path difference of signals, which is suitable for calibration and verification of some small-scale systems; to a certain extent, it reduces the dependence on the real environment and is suitable for some small-scale array testing and calibration work under laboratory conditions. However, the combination of power dividers and delay lines is usually targeted at a single scenario, has poor flexibility, lacks optimized design for large-scale antenna arrays, is difficult to process complex signals, and the system construction is still complex, and the signal stability and accuracy are limited. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a seven-element antenna array simulation method, which solves the problems of the existing antenna array simulation method, such as strong dependence on the test environment, complex and high cost of test setup, difficulty in controlling external environmental interference, difficulty in stably fixing the incoming wave direction, poor flexibility of delay line technology, and difficulty in reducing the cost and time of repeated testing.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: On the one hand, the present invention provides a seven-element antenna array simulation method, comprising the following steps: S1. Establish a seven-element antenna array and sort the elements in the antenna array; S2. designing the path difference according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements; S3. Design the length of the RF cable according to the designed path difference, and use the RF cable to simulate the path difference in the direction of the incoming wave; S4. Introduce the wave reduction coefficient, match the simulated path difference of the RF cable with the actual receiving direction, and adjust the path difference to complete the antenna array simulation.

[0007] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the present invention combines the delay characteristics of the RF cable and the array layout to improve the accuracy, reliability and applicability of the simulation of the incoming wave direction; and uses precise path difference to reduce the dependence of the antenna array simulation on the test environment, as well as the complexity and cost of the test setup; through the key technologies of antenna array layout, path difference calculation, RF delay design and direction finding accuracy control, high-precision simulation of the incoming wave direction is achieved, with the significant advantages of small phase error, high amplitude consistency and strong adaptability; and the control capability of external environmental interference is improved, the stable fixation of the incoming wave direction is achieved, the flexibility of the delay line technology is improved, and the cost and time of repeated testing are reduced.

[0008] Furthermore, the S1 is specifically: An antenna array is established using seven array elements, the seven array elements in the antenna array are arranged in sequence, the geometric distribution between the array elements and the direction of the incident wave are obtained, and a preset aperture is set.

[0009] The beneficial effects of the above further scheme are as follows: the present invention obtains the geometric distribution and incident wave direction between array elements by establishing a seven-element antenna array, which provides a solid foundation for the subsequent construction of path difference; and adopts fewer array elements and simpler geometric distribution, which reduces the complexity and cost of building antenna array simulation.

[0010] Furthermore, the S2 comprises the following steps: S201, according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements, define the distances of all the elements except the first element relative to the first element as the distance difference; S202. According to the geometric distribution between array elements, the direction of the incident wave and the complete phase cycle, the path difference is designed using the trigonometric function formula of the incoming wave and the phase concept.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the above further scheme are as follows: the present invention uses accurate path differences to replace the functions of real transmitting and receiving antennas, thereby improving the breadth of antenna array simulation application scenarios, getting rid of dependence on large-scale sites, and improving the accuracy of phase difference and the accuracy of beam direction simulation; accurately simulating fixed incoming wave directions reduces test repeatability caused by uncertain incoming wave directions, thereby significantly reducing test costs and improving test efficiency.

[0012] Furthermore, the S3 comprises the following steps: S301. Designing the length of radio frequency cables of different array elements according to the designed path difference; S302: Utilize the transmission delay of the radio frequency cable to simulate the path difference in the direction of the incoming wave.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the above further scheme are as follows: the present invention realizes the simulation of the incoming wave direction through the delay of the RF cable, and combines with the direction-finding antenna array to simulate the state of the radio wave at a specific incident angle; and utilizes the transmission delay of the RF cable to accurately simulate the path difference in the incoming wave direction, stably fix the direction of the simulated incoming wave, stabilize the test conditions, and improve the simulation accuracy of the antenna array.

[0014] Furthermore, the S4 comprises the following steps: S401, according to the inconsistency between the dielectric constant of air and the dielectric constant of the medium of the cable, a wave reduction coefficient is introduced into the path difference, the path difference simulated by the radio frequency cable is matched with the actual receiving direction, and the path difference introduced with the wave reduction coefficient is designed; S402: Adjust the path difference according to the simulated phase error of the specified threshold value to complete the antenna array simulation.

[0015] Furthermore, the path difference expression for introducing the wave shrinkage coefficient is as follows: ; in, Indicates i The distance difference between the array elements, represents the wave shrinkage coefficient, Indicates the caliber, represents a complete phase cycle, represents the incident wave direction, Indicates the total number of antenna elements.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the above further scheme are as follows: the present invention improves the authenticity of the simulation by introducing a wave reduction coefficient to correct the amplitude error in the simulation process; and optimizes the amplitude consistency by finely adjusting the path difference and the wave reduction coefficient to correct the amplitude error; and strictly controls the phase error of each array element signal through strict path difference calculation and cable delay adjustment, thereby realizing sub-angle level incoming wave direction simulation.

[0017] In order to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a seven-element antenna array simulation system is provided, which is used to execute the seven-element antenna array simulation method as described above, and is characterized by comprising: a radio frequency signal source subsystem, a radio frequency cable network subsystem, an antenna array element subsystem and a control subsystem; The radio frequency signal source subsystem is used to provide a standardized radio frequency signal; The radio frequency cable network subsystem is used to implement signal delay according to the path difference design; The antenna array element subsystem is used to receive the standardized radio frequency signal and simulate the incoming wave in the target direction; The control subsystem is used to adjust the cable delay in real time to match the incident angle.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the above scheme are as follows: the seven-element antenna array simulation system provided by the present invention utilizes an RF signal source to provide a standardized RF signal, and designs an RF cable network, thereby supporting a combination of multiple array element numbers and antenna apertures, and is suitable for different direction-finding requirements; and based on the technical solution of standard RF cables, it has a lower implementation cost; it can simulate the incoming wave direction in an indoor closed environment, avoid interference from external signals, and improve stability and accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 The figure is a flow chart of the method of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the geometric layout of the seven-element antenna array in this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a simulation diagram of the path difference between the length of the radio frequency cable and the direction of the incoming wave in this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of an antenna array simulation system in this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an antenna simulator in this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 A simulation three-dimensional model diagram of an antenna array simulation device in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are described below so that those skilled in the art can understand the present invention. However, it should be clear that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the specific implementation modes. For those of ordinary skill in the art, as long as various changes are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined and determined by the attached claims, these changes are obvious, and all inventions and creations utilizing the concept of the present invention are protected.

[0026] Before describing this embodiment, the following terms are explained: FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array; MEMS controller: micro-electromechanical system controller.

[0027] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a seven-element antenna array simulation method, and its implementation method is as follows: S1. Establish a seven-element antenna array and sort the elements in the antenna array, specifically: An antenna array is established using seven array elements, the seven array elements in the antenna array are arranged in sequence, the geometric distribution between the array elements and the direction of the incident wave are obtained, and a preset aperture is set.

[0028] In this embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, an antenna array is established, which includes 7 array elements, and each array element is arranged in sequence, and a preset aperture is set. Assume that the incoming wave is at an angle If the wave is incident, each array element receives the wave through a different path. In the figure, N represents the due north direction, and A represents that the wave is perpendicular to the plane of N. Indicates the angle formed by the incoming wave and the planes of antenna 1, antenna 2 and antenna 3.

[0029] S2. Design the path difference according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements. The specific steps are as follows: S201, according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements, define the distances of all the elements except the first element relative to the first element as the distance difference; S202. According to the geometric distribution between array elements, the direction of the incident wave and the complete phase cycle, the path difference is designed using the trigonometric function formula of the incoming wave and the phase concept.

[0030] In this embodiment, the path difference of the current element is defined according to the ordered seven-element antenna array elements. , which indicates the distance of the current array element relative to the first array element except the first array element; because the distance difference directly affects the phase difference, the incoming wave is expressed in degrees Incident, which is the direction of the incident wave , determines the spatial distribution of the path difference, so accurate research on the path difference can achieve accurate simulation of the beam direction; according to the geometric distribution between array elements, the direction of the incident wave and the complete phase cycle, the trigonometric function formula of the incoming wave and the phase concept are used to design the path difference; the initial expression of the path difference is as follows: ; in, Indicates i The distance difference between the array elements, Indicates the caliber, represents a complete phase cycle, represents the incident wave direction, represents the total number of antenna array elements. In this embodiment, there are seven antenna array elements. ; This embodiment uses The complete phase cycle of can make the path difference formula applicable to different incident wave directions and the total number of antenna elements .

[0031] S3. Design the length of the RF cable according to the designed path difference, and use the RF cable to simulate the path difference in the direction of the incoming wave. The specific steps are as follows: S301. Designing the length of radio frequency cables of different array elements according to the designed path difference; S302: Utilize the transmission delay of the radio frequency cable to simulate the path difference in the direction of the incoming wave.

[0032] In this embodiment, the transmission delay of the RF cable is 4.7 nanoseconds per meter (4.7ns / m). According to the designed path difference, the lengths of the RF cables of different array elements are designed to adjust the transmission delay of the RF cable. The transmission delay of the RF cable is used to realize the path difference simulation in the direction of the incoming wave.

[0033] S4. Introduce the wave reduction coefficient, match the simulated path difference of the RF cable with the actual receiving direction, and adjust the path difference to complete the antenna array simulation. The specific steps are as follows: S401, according to the inconsistency between the dielectric constant of air and the dielectric constant of the medium of the cable, a wave reduction coefficient is introduced into the path difference, the path difference simulated by the radio frequency cable is matched with the actual receiving direction, and the path difference introduced with the wave reduction coefficient is designed; S402: Adjust the path difference according to the simulated phase error of the specified threshold value to complete the antenna array simulation.

[0034] In this embodiment, according to the inconsistency between the medium in space and the medium in the real object, the dielectric constant of air is 1, the dielectric constant of the cable medium is 2, a wave reduction coefficient of 0.7 is introduced into the path difference, the path difference simulated by the RF cable is matched with the actual receiving direction, and the path difference with the wave reduction coefficient is designed; the expression of the path difference with the wave reduction coefficient is as follows: ; in, Indicates the wave reduction coefficient; introduces the wave reduction coefficient , correct the amplitude error in the simulation process; perform phase error control, through strict and accurate path difference calculation, achieve a simulation phase error less than the specified threshold, ensure that the signal phase received by each array element is consistent with the simulation target, fine-tune the path difference, optimize the amplitude consistency, and complete the antenna array simulation.

[0035] In this embodiment, Figure 3As shown, 1#:0 indicates that the cable length from the first array element to the first array element is 0mm, 2#:6.65 indicates that the cable length from the second array element to the first array element is 6.65mm, 3#:62.78 indicates that the cable length from the third array element to the first array element is 62.78mm, 4#:126.12 indicates that the cable length from the fourth array element to the first array element is 126.12mm, 5#:148.97 indicates that the cable length from the fifth array element to the first array element is 148.97mm, 6#:114.13 indicates that the cable length from the sixth array element to the first array element is 114.13mm, 7#:47.83 indicates that the cable length from the first array element to the first array element is 47.83mm. According to a seven-element antenna array simulation method, a seven-element antenna array is established, and the results shown in Table 1 are obtained.

[0036] Table 1

[0037] In this embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, a seven-element antenna array simulation system is used to execute a seven-element antenna array simulation method as described above, including a radio frequency signal source subsystem, a radio frequency cable network subsystem, an antenna array element subsystem and a control subsystem; The radio frequency signal source subsystem is used to provide a standardized radio frequency signal through an installed radio frequency signal source; The radio frequency cable network subsystem is used to design the length of the radio frequency cable according to the designed path difference, and to complete the construction of the radio frequency cable network using the radio frequency cable to achieve signal delay; The antenna array element subsystem is used to receive the standardized radio frequency signal and simulate the incoming wave in the target direction through the array elements installed in the seven-element antenna array; The control subsystem is used to adjust the cable delay in real time, change the length of the radio frequency cable, match the incident angle, and realize accurate antenna array simulation.

[0038] Example 2 In this embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, the present invention can build an antenna array simulation device, based on the one-to-nine 0-degree power divider of the antenna simulator, the chassis model is selected as a custom designed chassis, the custom chassis is 280mm deep, 240mm wide, and has a 2U panel height, and the custom designed chassis needs to have modular expansion capabilities (such as ETT 280 type); using the custom designed chassis, the internal structure can be flexibly adjusted according to different antenna simulator types to improve compatibility and heat dissipation performance, wherein L1~L9 represent simulation extension lines, LK represents the simulated wave calculation line length, IN represents the input end of the antenna simulation, and OUT1~OUT9 represent the output end of the antenna simulation; Digitally adjustable power dividers (such as MEMS controllers) are used to replace traditional passive power dividers, and accurate phase distribution can be achieved through software control, further reducing the impact of physical delay line length on simulation accuracy. Solid-state delay lines (such as PIN diode switch delay lines) or microwave waveguide delays are used instead of physical cables to improve simulator accuracy and reduce losses. And use standard RF interfaces (such as N-type or 3.5mm connectors) to increase mechanical strength and reduce damage caused by improper operation; quick plug-in interfaces (such as push-button RF interfaces) to improve ease of use and reduce the possibility of connection errors; Use programmable logic arrays (such as FPGAs) combined with digital delay modules to replace physical delay line cables, simulate signal delays through algorithms, reduce actual cable losses, and improve device debugging flexibility; Optical fiber is used to replace RF cables to achieve signal delay. Optical fiber delay has lower signal loss and higher anti-interference ability; it is replaced by microwave absorption load to reduce the interference of reflected signals on system simulation. Automatic switching circuits are added to unused ports to dynamically ground them and improve system stability; Based on the phase shifter, the phase delay on the signal path is changed by a digital or analog phase shifter, which can achieve the elimination of physical delay cables; and the external cables are replaced by fixed RF transmission modules to avoid cable damage caused by improper operation.

[0039] In this embodiment, Figure 6 As shown, based on Figure 5 The antenna simulator shown is a 90-degree power divider, and a simulated three-dimensional model of the antenna array simulation device is constructed, in which the lines of the calculated simulated incoming wave direction are simulated in sequence. Figure 6 The antennas in the figure represent Figure 5 The simulation extension line L1~L9 is then passed through Figure 6 The antenna array simulation device shown completes the antenna array simulation.

Claims

1. A seven-element antenna array simulation method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Establish a seven-element antenna array and sort the elements in the antenna array; S2. designing the path difference according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements; S3. Design the length of the RF cable according to the designed path difference, and use the RF cable to simulate the path difference in the direction of the incoming wave; S4. Introduce the wave reduction coefficient, match the simulated path difference of the RF cable with the actual receiving direction, and adjust the path difference to complete the antenna array simulation.

2. The seven-element antenna array simulation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The S1 is specifically: An antenna array is established using seven array elements, the seven array elements in the antenna array are arranged in sequence, the geometric distribution between the array elements and the direction of the incident wave are obtained, and a preset aperture is set.

3. The seven-element antenna array simulation method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The S2 comprises the following steps: S201, according to the sorted seven-element antenna array elements, define the distances of all the elements except the first element relative to the first element as the distance difference; S202. According to the geometric distribution between array elements, the direction of the incident wave and the complete phase cycle, the path difference is designed using the trigonometric function formula of the incoming wave and the phase concept.

4. The seven-element antenna array simulation method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The S3 comprises the following steps: S301. Designing the length of radio frequency cables of different array elements according to the designed path difference; S302: Utilize the transmission delay of the radio frequency cable to simulate the path difference in the direction of the incoming wave.

5. The seven-element antenna array simulation method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The S4 comprises the following steps: S401, according to the inconsistency between the dielectric constant of air and the dielectric constant of the medium of the cable, a wave reduction coefficient is introduced into the path difference, the path difference simulated by the radio frequency cable is matched with the actual receiving direction, and the path difference introduced with the wave reduction coefficient is designed; S402: Adjust the path difference according to the simulated phase error of the specified threshold value to complete the antenna array simulation.

6. The seven-element antenna array simulation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The path difference expression for introducing the wave shrinkage coefficient is as follows: in, Indicates i The distance difference between the array elements, represents the wave shrinkage coefficient, Indicates the caliber, represents a complete phase cycle, represents the incident wave direction, Indicates the total number of antenna elements.

7. A seven-element antenna array simulation system, used to execute the seven-element antenna array simulation method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: RF signal source subsystem, RF cable network subsystem, antenna array element subsystem and control subsystem; The radio frequency signal source subsystem is used to provide a standardized radio frequency signal; The radio frequency cable network subsystem is used to achieve signal delay according to the path difference design; The antenna array element subsystem is used to receive the standardized radio frequency signal and simulate the incoming wave in the target direction; The control subsystem is used to adjust the cable delay in real time to match the incident angle.

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