Generic Beam Controller
Description
Model:NSI-SP-GBCRThe Generic Beam Controller is NSI-MI's solution to provide a standardized interface to a wide variety of Digital Beam Forming (DBF) or Smart Antenna systems. The NSI-SP-GBCR is an accessory item that can be purchased as part of NSI-MI's antenna measurement system products that permits straightforward interfacing to a wide variety of digital beam forming antennas (DBF), adaptive array antennas, multi-beam antennas and Multiple lnput and Output (MIMO) arrays and antennas with on-board signal beamforming or processing. The NSI-SP-GBCR allows sending setup information to the antenna under test (AUT), synchronization between the AUT and the measurement system, and transferring measurement data from the AUT to the measurement system, all under a pre-defined and structured interface. This allows the customer's AUT to operate as a generic vector network analyzer (VNA) that NSI-MI measurement system controls.
The Generic Beam Controller requires the use of NSI2000 Antenna Measurement and Control Software, a transmit RF source and an optional (if not internal to the AUT) LO source.
Using this interface, extremely high measurement speeds can be achieved without NSI-MI having knowledge of the customer antenna's operation.-
Specifications
Output Strobes
- NSI-MI Beam Change - Strobe at the beginning of each beam.
- AUT Beam Change - Strobe to change beam on AUT.
- Source Trigger (LO&RF) - Strobe for frequency change.
- Source Dwell End - Strobe after dwell of frequency change.
- Receiver Trigger - Strobe for receiver measurement.
Outputs - Level/Gate
- Cut Busy - Asserted to indicate a cut is in progress.
- Beam Set Busy - Asserted during execution of a Beam Set.
- I/O Busy - Asserted during l/O dwell.
- Measurement Busy - Asserted during measurement dwell.
- Beam Table Direction - Toggled between fon¡uard and reverse cuts.
- MTI Scan - Asserted while acquiring MTI data.
- Ready To Trigger Receiver - Asserted when ready to trigger receiver.
- NSI-MI Fault - Asserted when NSI-MI has a fault.
Inputs
- Receiver Ready - Asserted when receiver is ready.
- RF Source Ready - Asserted when RF source is ready.
- LO Source Ready - Asserted when LO source is ready.
- AUT Ready - Asserted when AUT hardware is ready.
- AUT Fault - Asserted when AUT hardware is in fault state.
- Trigger Receiver Now - Asserted when AUT hardware is ready for receiver trigger.