Radome

Radome

Today�s military and commercial aircraft carry a vast array of antennas for specialized and vital functions. Communications, navigation, weather and fire control antennas must perform as specified to meet safety and mission requirements. Radomes must conceal and protect antennas without interfering with or degrading their transmit or receive capabilities.

Antennas and radomes must be tested to exacting standards to ensure reliable performance. Successful test and measurement of antennas and radomes have been the hallmark MI Technologies for decades.

MI Technologies has provided antenna and radome test systems for the full range of U. S. and NATO tactical aircraft and a wide array of commercial aircraft from Boeing 747s to Beech King Air 200/300, and Cessna 421 and 560.

MI Technologies offers a variety of solutions for test and measurement of aircraft antennas and radomes. Depending upon the application, test and measurement solutions may employ the use of

an indoor Compact Range,
an indoor Planar Near-Field measurement system or
an outdoor Cylindrical Near-Field installation.

All of the systems make use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) equipment and may be used for depot level maintenance.

Each system features precision mechanical positioners that simulate required antenna/radome interactions. In addition, each MI Technologies test and measurement solution includes system instrumentation, workstations and software that are the most comprehensive, efficient, state-of-the-art test and measurement products available today.

A More Efficient System
MI Technologies provides complete, depot level turnkey test and measurement facilities. Accurate, far-field measurements can be duplicated in indoor Compact Ranges, Near-Field test chambers or outdoor Cylindrical Near-Field test sites.

The Compact Range
MI Technologies� Compact Ranges combine the precision and accuracy of testing in the Far Field with the convenience and security inherent with an indoor test chamber.

MI Technologies introduced the first commercial compact range more than 25 years ago. Since that time the Company has installed more than 250 Compact Ranges worldwide.

The Compact Range indoor test facility is an anechoic chamber approximately 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and 20 feet high. Standard designs provide test zone sizes from 1 to 12 feet in diameter. Special custom designs provide test zones up to 35 feet wide and 18 feet high.

Because it is indoors, testing can be conducted 24-hours a day regardless of weather conditions. Electromagnetic shielding completely eliminates extraneous signal interference and prevents external electronic surveillance. Also, to ensure that measurement accuracy will not be affected by sonic vibration, the system can be seismically isolated with special foundations and supports.

Typical Compact Range installations include:

Compact Range Reflector & Feed Stand or Positioner
Antenna Test Positioner
Source Antennas, Feeds, and Probes
Radome Test Positioner
Shielded Anechoic Chamber
Host Buildings

Indoor Near-Field Test Facility
MI Technologies� Planar Near-Field systems are used to test smaller directional antennas. An advantage of the indoor Planar Near-Field test and measurement system over a typical Compact Range is its use of a smaller anechoic chamber which in turn reduces the test facility cost. As an example, an F-16 Fire Control Radar Antenna can be tested in a Planar Near-Field facility that is only 20 feet long by 15 feet wide and 15 feet high, reducing the space required from 25 to 50 percent.

Outdoor Cylindrical Near-Field Test Facility
For testing large antennas such as those used aboard the E-2C, an outdoor Cylindrical Near-Field approach is recommended since a large anechoic chamber would increase system costs. In an outdoor Cylindrical Near-Field test site the Antenna Under Test (AUT) is mounted on a Azimuth rotator that in turn is mounted on a tower. A second precision vertical tower and near-field probe is installed adjacent to the AUT to scan the entire antenna surface. At each vertical probe position the AUT is rotated 360 degrees and Near-Field data is collected during the scan process. The vertical probe is raised to a new position and the AUT is again rotated 360 degrees. This process is repeated until the entire AUT is scanned.

The Positioning System
Each test configuration features a precise positioning system, which provides the relative axes movements required to fully simulate radome and antenna operating capabilities. The MI Technologies positioners are complemented by position control systems that ensure consistent, repeatable positioning with high-resolution data displays.

The Test and Measurement System
The heart of each antenna and radome test and measurement solution is MI Technologies� MI-2097 Automated Microwave Measurement System, the fastest, fully integrated automatic test and measurement system available today. The MI-2097 provides all of the hardware, and optional simple-to-use software (Planar Near-Field, Cylindrical Near-Field, and Antenna or Radome Analysis) to fully test antennas and radomes. Custom software is available to meet unique or specific customer requirements.

The system provides automatic data acquisition, plotting of data and analysis routines as well as go-no-go capability.

The MI-2097 system provides automatic tests from 0.1 to 100 GHz and complete automatic control of the positioning subsystem. It�s high speed data transfer allows interface with other computers where previously recorded data can be analyzed off-line. The system�s receiver provides measurement speeds of up to 10,000 measurements per second of Phase and Amplitude data with 90dB of dynamic range in CW mode. In addition, the synthesized signal source provides frequency switching speeds of less than one millisecond.

The modular design and script capability make the versatile MI-2097 easily adaptable to any antenna or radome test and measurement requirement. Specific test programs can be created and new programs easily added.

The MI-2097�s computer workstation includes a large color monitor for quick look real time capability, a color printer and a state-of-the-art PC. Test Engineers, System Operators and antenna and radome designers will find the controls and requirements they need in the MI-2097.

Unit Test and Documentation
In each configuration, the MI-2097�s antenna and radome test and measurement processes will validate and identify problems or faults. The system may also be used to quickly and efficiently evaluate the entire antenna or radome. After a fault or problem has been isolated and repaired, the process validates that the fault or problems has been corrected.

In addition to the extensive data storage provided, the MI-2097 test and measurement software generates individual Device Under Test (DUT) documentation and data files for historical analysis.

On-Site Testing Available
Many customers, due to space or budget restrictions, cannot make the investment in their own antenna and radome test and measurement facilities. For these customers, MI Technologies offers a full range of test and measurement services at its test facilities in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

MI Technologies� test and measurement facilities feature:

Large anechoic chamber configured as a free-space, far-field range, compact range or equipped with a near-field scanner
Fully automated MI-2097 test and measurement system
Full suite of RF and microwave signal sources, receivers, mixers, multipliers, positioners, position controllers and absorber
Fully stocked machine shop for fixture modification or manufacturing
Instruments calibrated to NIST standards

Contact MI Technologies at 1-800-854-3660 with your aircraft and radome test requirements.