Development of a Stable Differential-Equisignal Method for Spacecraft Autotracking with a Digital Antenna Array

Abstract

. By analyzing the possible implementations of equisignal and differential methods for spacecraft autotracking in a previ-ously suggested broadband digital antenna array, a differential-equisignal autotracking method stable in a wide parameter range was developed. When autotracking by elevation, this method suggests an electronic displacement of the sum beam of the near and far half of the antenna field, determination of a difference signal for each half, calculation of the difference of the received deferential signals, which is the control signal for autotracking by elevation. By analogy, the control signal for autotracking by azimuth is the difference between the differential signals from the sum in the left and right halves of the antenna array. Diagrams for all the discussed methods are presented. The results of this article can be used to design digital antenna arrays.