Wide-aperture direction finder

摘要

The wide-aperture direction finder has a linear antenna row (length L) comprising m antennas (11), m being significantly less than n = 2L DIVIDED lambda + 1 (where lambda is the operating wavelength), which are arranged as randomly as possible. A computer (17) carries out a fast Fourier transform for n values, m values specifying the measured phases and amplitudes of an electromagnetic wave received by the antennas in complex representation and the remaining (n-m) values being equal to zero. Each of the Fourier coefficients (Fk) generated during the process is associated with a particular spatial direction. The largest Fourier coefficient by amount is determined and the direction of incidence is the direction which is allocated to this Fourier coefficient. <IMAGE>