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The US Army Electronic Proving Ground is in Southeastern Arizona with outlying facilities located throughout Southern Arizona. The Proving Ground is an independent test and evaluation activity under the command of the US Army Test and Evaluation Command. It was established in 1954. EPG’s role in the material acquisition cycle is to conduct development (DT I & II), initial production (first article), and such other engineering (laboratory-type) tests and associated analytical studies of electronic materiel as directed. The results (reports) of these efforts are used by the developer to correct faults, and by Army and DOD decision-makers in determining the suitability of these materiels/systems for adoption and issue. Customer tests to satisfy specific customer requirements and foreign materiel exploitations are also done. EPG is assigned test responsibility for Army ground and airborne (aircraft-mounted) equipment/systems which utilize the electromagnetic spectrum to include: tactical communications; COMSEC (TEMPEST testing included); combat surveillance, and vision equipment (optical, electro-optical, radar, unattended sensors); intelligence acquisition; electronic warfare; radiac; imaging and image interpretation (camera, film, lens, electro-optical); camouflage; avionics; navigation and position location; remotely piloted vehicle; physical security; meteorological; electronic power generation, and tactical computers and associated software. Facilities and capabilities to perform this mission include: laboratories and electronic measurement equipment; antenna pattern measurement’ both free-space and ground-influenced; unattended and physical security sensors; ground and airborne radar target resolution and MTI; precision instrumentation radars in a range configuration for position and track of aerial and ground vehicles; climatic and structural environmental chambers/equipment; calibrated nuclear radiation sources; electromagnetic compatibility, interference and vulnerability measurement and analysis; and other specialized facilities and equipment. The Proving Ground, working in conjunction with a DOD Area Frequency Coordinator, can create a limited realistic electronic battlefield environment. This capability is undergoing significant development and enhancement as a part of a program to develop and acquire the capability to test Army Battlefield Automation Systems, variously called C3I, C4, and/or CCS2 systems. The three principal elements of this capability which are all automated include: Systems Control Facility (SCF), Test Item Stimulator (TIS), and Realistic Battlefield Environment, Electronic (REBEEL). In addition to various instrumentation computers/processors, EPG currently utilizes a DEC Cyber 172, a DEC VAX 11-780, a DEC System 10, and has access to both a CDC 6500 and a 6600. Under the Army Development and Acquisition of Threat Simulators (ADATS) program, EPG is responsible for all non-air defense simulators. The availability of massive real estate in Southern Arizona, which includes more than 70,000 acres on Fort Huachuca, 23,000 acres at Willcox Dry Lake, and 1.5 million acres near Gila Bend, is a major factor in successful satisfaction of our test mission. Fort Huachuca itself is in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains at an elevation of approximately 5,000 feet and has an average annual rainfall of less than 15 inches. Flying missions are practical almost every day of the year. The Proving Ground is ideally situated between two national ranges and provides overlapping, compatible instrumentation facilities for all types of in-flight test programs. The clear electromagnetic environment, the excellent climatic conditions, and the freedom from aircraft congestion make this an unusually fine area for electronic testing. The Proving Ground consists of a multitude of sophisticated resources, many of them unique in the United States, which are an integral part of the USAEPG test facility and have resulted from an active local research and development effort over a 28-year period.
The paper describes a simple but unique antenna test facility suitable for aerospace antenna developments. The total idea can be easily adopted by organizations who wish to carry out antenna measurements with minimum required instrumentation. The facility majorly caters for omni and wide beam antenna measurements, has been set up at ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, India. It has been extensively used for omnidirectional antenna developments in VHF, UHF, L, S, and X-bands for India’s various space programs. Radiation pattern, gain, polarization and impedance measurements can be carried out both in near free space conditions as well as the ground reflection modes. The main feature of the facility is the use of large fiber-glass mounting structures for avoiding reflections and perturbations in radiation patterns due to impressed surface currents, specially in VHF ranges. Field probing is done by the use of a fiber-glass X-Y probe positioner. The facility used Scientific Atlanta 1752 Receiver and 1540 Recorder. Suitable software has been added to the facility for contour plotting of radiation levels, calculation of efficiency isotropy, and polarization properties.
In recent years there has been an increasing requirement for more extensive and precise measurements of the polarization properties of antennas. Some of the more conventional polarization measurement techniques are no longer applicable because of the required measurement time or the achievable accuracy. This presentation is an overview of polarization measurement methods which may be employed on far-field antenna ranges. Instrumentation requirements and sources of error are also included.
The Defense Electronic Supply Center in Dayton, Ohio has recently issued a specification, MIL-A-87136, for testing Airborne Antennas. This specification covers all aspects of testing antennas including a section dealing specifically with radiation pattern tests. Further, this specification defines the data format to be used when antenna pattern measurement data is required to be furnished on magnetic tape. Scientific-Atlanta’s Series 2030 Antenna Data Collection System’s magnetic tape format and test instrumentation meets the requirements set forth in MIL-A-87136. The system is a complete instrumentation/firmware package designed and programmed to perform commonly made antenna pattern measurements. After initial operator set-up, measurements can be made automatically at frequencies in the 1-18 GHz range. The test results are digitally recorded on magnetic tape and may be displayed as radiation distribution plots, data listings, or as conventional data patterns. The presentation describes the Antenna Data Collection System, its application to automatic antenna testing and to the requirements of MIL-A-87136. Features of the Data Collection System are included, as well as advantages of automatic measurement and digital recording of antenna data.
This paper will present a basic explanation of the IEEE Standard 488-1978, concerning what it is, and how and why it concerns people in the RF world. In addition, the practical side of the IEEE 488 will be discussed, touching on such topics as the types of instrumentation available with IEEE, custom systems design and installation, the new one-chip interfaces, computer enhancement of measurements and generation of analytical graphic data. This up dated review is made with an eye towards enhancing both speed and accuracy of contemporary antenna testing techniques.
Methods of remotely controlling source transmitters and antennas over long distances is described. The remote range controller instrumentation currently available is limited to a 5.5 mile separation, over voice grade telephone lines. Unfortunately the phone line routes are not line of sight. In fact, the most direct route available for source control over dedicated phone lines at the Westinghouse antenna range complex is 13 miles in length. We wanted to utilize the Scientific Atlanta Model 4580 Remote Range Controller since it is fully compatible with out existing signal sources, programmable receivers and positioner controls. However, the data set available with the Model 4580 is limited to 5.5 miles separation between the master control unit and the remote control unit. The data set requires four wires or two dedicated phone lines. Transfer speed is 0-9600 bits per second asynchronous. The solution to overcome the 5.5 mile limitation and permit full use of the Model 4580 capabilities is described. Lightning protection and alternate control methods using tone controls over phone lines and method of employing a microwave link is discussed.