Simplified tracking antenna

摘要

An antenna pointing detection system for use with circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation has a horn, a waveguide and at least one mode switching arm. The horn receives radiation in a primary mode from the radiation source. The waveguide receives radiation from the horn and supports only radiation in a primary mode, e.g. the TE11 mode and the next higher order TE mode, e.g. the TE21 mode at one or more rectangular mode switching arms extending from the circular waveguide for stimulating radiation of the-next order TE21 mode in the waveguide. The arm has a series of switchable pin diodes for changing the effective length of the mode switching arm to cause a phase alteration in the TE21 mode thereby causing a deflection of the effective pointing direction of the horn. The magnitude of the received signal is detected and compared with different deflections of the horn to operate conventional antenna pointing hardware.