Applications for Coordinated Motion in Radome Testing
Authors: Scott McBride, Evan Langman, Marion Baggett
Publication: AMTA 2002
Copyright Owner: NSI-MI Technologies
Traditional data collection strategy for antenna measurement is to perform a step and scan operation. This method moves a particular axis while holding all other source and AUT axes in a fixed location. Modern radome measurements require the coordinated motion of two or more axes due to the desired measurements, the radome testing geometries or a combination of both. An example would be transmission efficiency testing of a radome associated with a tracking antenna. In this measurement scenario, the antenna azimuth and elevation axes must maintain an orientation along the range axis while the radome is moved in front of the antenna. The axis coordination could be linear or non-linear in nature.
This paper describes the concept of coordinated motion and the needs for coordinated motion in radome measurements that have been identified. Additional potential applications for coordinated motion in radome measurements are described. Two methods of coordinated motion that have been implemented in instrumentation are described. They are geared motion, which is a linear master/slave relationship between two axes and generalized coordinated motion where the relationship of axes motion is described via linear or non-linear equations.