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Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR): achieving Next Generation Surveillance and Weather Radar Capability

Published in:
J. Air Traffic Control, Vol. 55, No. 3, Fall 2013, pp. 40-7.

Summary

Within DOT, the FAA has initiated an effort known as the NextGen Surveillance and Weather Radar Capability (NSWRC) to analyze the need for the next generation radar replacement and assess viable implementation alternatives. One concept under analysis is multifunction radar using phased-array technology -- Multifunction Phased Array Radar or MPAR.
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Summary

Within DOT, the FAA has initiated an effort known as the NextGen Surveillance and Weather Radar Capability (NSWRC) to analyze the need for the next generation radar replacement and assess viable implementation alternatives. One concept under analysis is multifunction radar using phased-array technology -- Multifunction Phased Array Radar or MPAR.

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Stepped notch antenna array used as a low thermal resistance heat sink

Summary

A stepped notch antenna at Ku-band is developed to provide a thermal heat sink for active arrays. The antenna with forced air cooling provides up to 0.4 degrees C/W of thermal resistance. The antenna integration with a printed circuit board allows for high volume surface mount assembly of active devices.
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Summary

A stepped notch antenna at Ku-band is developed to provide a thermal heat sink for active arrays. The antenna with forced air cooling provides up to 0.4 degrees C/W of thermal resistance. The antenna integration with a printed circuit board allows for high volume surface mount assembly of active devices.

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Overlapped digital subarray architecture for multiple beam phased array radar

Author:
Published in:
EuCAP 2011, 5th European Conf. on Antrennas and Propagation, 11-15 April 2011, pp. 3027-3030.

Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.
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Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated...

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Low cost multifunction phased array radar concept

Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.
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Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit...

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Results of X-band electronically scanned array using an overlapped subarray architecture

Published in:
2010 IEEE Int. Symp. on Phased Array Systems, 12 October 2010, pp. 713-718.

Summary

The measured results from an X-band electronically scanned array using an overlapped subarray architecture are presented. The 2D architecture uses a 12 x 12 element subarray with 3 to 1 overlapping. The active electronic scanned array is a receive only implementation consisting of switch, low noise amplifier, phase shifter and attenuator. Measured far-field patterns and excitation at the aperture using near-field scanner demonstrates desired design goals of a 20 degree sector beam with low sidelobes. Finally, the scan performance of the sector subarray beam is measured at 20 and 40 degrees. A three tile implementation is constructed and measured.
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Summary

The measured results from an X-band electronically scanned array using an overlapped subarray architecture are presented. The 2D architecture uses a 12 x 12 element subarray with 3 to 1 overlapping. The active electronic scanned array is a receive only implementation consisting of switch, low noise amplifier, phase shifter and...

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Advanced architecture for a low cost multifunction phased array radar

Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIA-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.
READ LESS

Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIA-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit...

READ MORE

Multifunction phased array radar (MPAR) for aircraft and weather surveillance

Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit and Receive Integrated Circuits and a panel-based Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) will be presented. A program plan for risk reduction and system demonstration will be outlined.
READ LESS

Summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and M/A-COM are jointly conducting a technology demonstration of affordable Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) technology for Next Generation air traffic control and national weather surveillance services. Aggressive cost and performance goals have been established for the system. The array architecture and its realization using custom Transmit...

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The next-generation multimission U.S. surveillance radar network

Published in:
Bull. American Meteorological Society, Vol. 88, No. 11, November 2007, pp. 1739-1751.

Summary

Current U.S. weather and aircraft surveillance radar networks vary in age from 10 to more than 40 years. Ongoing sustainment and upgrade programs can keep these operating in the near to mid-term, but the responsible agencies National Weather Service (NWS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Homeland Security (DHS) recognize that large-scale replacement activities must begin during the next decade. The National Weather Radar Testbed (NWRT) in Norman, Oklahoma, is a multiagency project demonstrating operational weather measurements capability enhancements that could be realized using electronically steered phased-array radars as a replacement for the current Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D). FAA support for the NWRT and related efforts address air traffic control (ATC) and homeland defense surveillance missions that could be simultaneously accomplished using the agile-beam capability of a phased array weather radar network. In this paper, we discuss technology issues, operational considerations, and cost trades associated with the concept of replacing current national surveillance radars with a single network of multimission phased array radars (MPAR). We begin by describing the current U.S. national weather and aircraft surveillance radar networks and their technical parameters. The airspace coverage and surveillance capabilities of these existing radars provide a starting point for defining requirements for the next-generation airspace surveillance system. We next describe a conceptual MPAR high-level system design and our initial development and testing of critical subsystems. This work, in turn, has provided a solid basis for estimating MPAR costs for comparison with existing, mechanically scanned operational surveillance radars. To assess the numbers of MPARs that would need to be procured, we present a conceptual MPAR network configuration that duplicates airspace coverage provided by current operational radars. Finally, we discuss how the improved surveillance capabilities of MPAR could be utilized to more effectively meet the weather and aircraft surveillance needs of U.S. civil and military agencies.
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Summary

Current U.S. weather and aircraft surveillance radar networks vary in age from 10 to more than 40 years. Ongoing sustainment and upgrade programs can keep these operating in the near to mid-term, but the responsible agencies National Weather Service (NWS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Departments of Defense (DoD)...

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Integrated compensation network for low mutual coupling of planar microstrip antenna arrays

Published in:
IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Int. Symp., 2007 Digest, 9-15 June 2007, pp. 1273-6.

Summary

The unavoidable presence of mutual coupling of antenna elements in an array limits the ability to transmit and receive signals concurrently [1]. In the absence of mutual coupling, it is conceivable although still difficult to transmit and receive at the same frequency at the same time, i.e., FM-CW radars. The reflection from the antenna, leakage through the circulator, and any other possible deleterious paths from the high power amplifier to the low noise amplifier must be cancelled or compensated for in some manner to keep the receiver linear. With a single antenna the signal and noise paths are correlated and therefore cancellation of the signal inherently eliminates the noise. However, in an array environment the mutual coupling of antenna elements cause noise from neighboring high power amplifiers to couple into each channel's receiver. While the signal coupling is coherent, the noise is uncorrelated to a degree that depends on the amplifier gain and noise figure. The use of a low mutual coupling antenna array is a critical element in operating systems in this manner.
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Summary

The unavoidable presence of mutual coupling of antenna elements in an array limits the ability to transmit and receive signals concurrently [1]. In the absence of mutual coupling, it is conceivable although still difficult to transmit and receive at the same frequency at the same time, i.e., FM-CW radars. The...

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Ultra-wideband step notch array using stripline feed

Published in:
IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Int. Symp., 2007 Digest, 9-15 June 2007, pp. 3361-4.

Summary

Electronically scanned array (ESA) antennas capable of efficiently radiating over an octave of bandwidth provide system designs with more flexibility in multiple mode operation. Communication and radar bands occupy different frequency allocations and the growing research in Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communications make the use of a single ESA to cover these frequencies an area of interest. Array antennas constructed of tapered-slot antennas and TEM horns have been investigated and shown to operate successfully over an octave bandwidth. These antennas use vertical feeds which make them optimal for brick architectures, but less than desirable for tile architectures. Conventional notch antennas require a feed extending vertically away from the notch antenna which makes a flat 2-D connection between antennas difficult. In this work an Ultra-Wideband Step Notch Array (UWSNA) was designed for ESA applications. The array operates over a 6-12 GHz range using a flat, tile-based 2-D feed network making this array optimal for conformal applications with a minimum of vertical distance. Simulation results and measurements on a small prototype demonstrate the concept.
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Summary

Electronically scanned array (ESA) antennas capable of efficiently radiating over an octave of bandwidth provide system designs with more flexibility in multiple mode operation. Communication and radar bands occupy different frequency allocations and the growing research in Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communications make the use of a single ESA to cover these...

READ MORE