Affiliation
Ford Aerospace & Communications CorporationIssue Date
1984-10
Metadata
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Copyright © International Foundation for TelemeteringCollection Information
Proceedings from the International Telemetering Conference are made available by the International Foundation for Telemetering and the University of Arizona Libraries. Visit http://www.telemetry.org/index.php/contact-us if you have questions about items in this collection.Abstract
Automated acquisition of a satellite’s downlink signal by the main beam of a ground station’s tracking antenna is complicated by the presence of antenna pattern sidelobes and potential large uncertainties in the spatial and/or frequency location of the signal. Sidelobe acquisition prevents autotracking and telemetry reception, and large uncertainties require time for coordinated antenna and receiver search. Use of an auxiliary antenna assists in resolving the sidelobe intercept problem, and a high speed digital receiver alleviates the problems associated with spatial and frequency uncertainty. The antenna and receiver, under processor control, constitute a fully automated system. The associated processor software controls the antenna motion during the search phase, selects the proper receiver configuration for the expected signal environment, makes the main beam versus sidelobe intercept decision and switches to autotrack mode upon successful signal acquisition.Sponsors
International Foundation for TelemeteringISSN
0884-51230074-9079