Generalized Phase-Coherent Multi-Channel RF Receiver Framework for Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Direction-Finding Antenna Arrays

Abstract

A generalized phase-coherent radio frequency (RF) direction-finding system is disclosed, featuring a high-depth ruggedized chassis housing a multi-channel receiver architecture optimized for wideband operation from 30 MHz to 500 MHz. The system utilizes a novel synchronization framework where a centralized internal timing reference is locked to an external timing source to distribute a phasealigned local oscillator signal across multiple isolated receiver channels, ensuring absolute phase relationship integrity across the entire HF, VHF, and lower UHF spectrum. Uniquely, the system includes a dedicated hardware interface for real-time visualization of coherence-monitoring metrics and synchronization percentages directly on the chassis. This allows for immediate verification of signal integrity and phase stability before data is offloaded via highbandwidth digital interfaces for spatial triangulation and signal analysis.