RASS-M Product catalogue Radar Maintenance empowered by dedicated compact equipment
Page stability simplicity table of contents 4 1. INTRODUCTION 6 2. RASS-M HARDWARE 6 rass-m maintainability Radar maintenance empowered by dedicated compact equipment The complete radar technician toolbox! 2.1 Digital RF Analyser DRFA912 6 2.1.1 Antenna Measurements 8 2.1.2 Receiver Measurements 12 2.2 USB Video Recorder UVR892 16 2.3 Radar Timing Interface RTI966 18 2.4 Radar Gyroscope and Inclinometer RGI1193 20 2.5 USB Power Meter UPM772
1. rass-m introduction RASS-M (Radar Analysis Support System for Maintenance activities) is intended for use by radar technicians during periodic check-ups of the radar under test (Primary or Secondary Surveillance Radar). RASS-M was developed completely independently from any radar manufacturer in order to offer you an all-round radar maintenance tool. The evaluation of the radar system will be completed quickly and with little interference to the controllers since the RASS-M system can be connected to signals which are already available and this under operational conditions. The RASS-M toolbox is a collection of the RASS-M software tools. A simple click on a measurement icon (button) will open up the tool of interest. In the toolbox the different software modules are arranged per hardware device and are listed in the same conceptual idea as in the RASS-S toolbox: top-down approach following the radar chain. The RASS-M toolbox is divided in 2 sections: Recording and Analysis. RASS-M stands for simplicity, stability and maintainability: Simplicity: The RASS-M software consists of the minimum number of tools to perform a measurement campaign. The RASS-M user interface is similar to that of RASS-S. The simplicity of the RASS-M hardware lies in the design of the new product line which consists of several small boxes with a similar layout (the same connectors are located in the same place on the different equipment) which are interconnected through a RASS Bus (RB) which contains the common timing signals. Stability: The RASS-M software is a simplified version of RASS-S and is a very stable software platform, that will require a minimum of updates. This makes it ideal for use with the compact RASS-M equipment and reduces the maintenance required by the limited software update cycle. Maintainability: The RASS-M software suit is based upon stand-alone tools that operate independently, allowing maintenance to be conducted on only the necessary components. The new RASS-M hardware kit consists of several lightweight, small boxes which are much smaller and lighter than the RASS-S hardware. The different RASS-M devices can be linked together through the RB (RASS Bus) connectors located on the rear of the devices. The RB provides several signals (radar timing signals, GPS data and power) that are common to the different devices. The RB concept simplifies the connection of the equipment to the radar and reduces the chance of connection errors. The Recording section includes all the recording tools of the RASS-M hardware, there is no need for a software license for the recording tools as the price of each recording tool is included in the corresponding hardware recording device. The Analysis section includes all the tools to view and analyse the RASS-M recorded data. A software license for these Analysis tools can be purchased separately. The customer can also decide not to purchase the Analysis license but to analyse the RASS-M recordings on a RASS-S workstation. The equipment on the following pages is part of the full RASS-M hardware kit. The radar technician uses RASS-M during the recurring maintenance activities to collect data and analyse the data on a basic level. If issues are found a RASS-S expert can analyse the data more thoroughly either on site or at his desk using the RASS-M Analysis package or RASS-S, as the RASS-M recorded data is fully compatible with RASS-S. The RASS-M suite has the option to be upgraded to RASS-S. Each customer can select the RASS-M configuration that best suits the maintenance needs. The full RASS-M configuration (5 devices) is delivered in a single protective pelicase and includes all the necessary accessories to use the devices in the field or on a radar site. The RASS-M workstation is delivered with a carrying bag. If the customer purchases a smaller configuration (for example to perform only antenna and gyro measurements), the items will be delivered in a trolley which can include up to 3 devices (and accessories) and the RASS-M workstation. The trolley is airline carryon friendly (be sure to check with your airline before traveling).. 4 5
1. 2.xrass-m hardware 2.1 Digital RF Analyser DRFA912 The Digital Rf Analyser or DRFA912 is intended for on-site performance checks of antennas and receivers of (M)SSR ATC radars and primary radars in L- and S-band. The RASS-M Extract HPD tool (part of the licensed RASS-M Analysis package) shows the pulses as they were recorded in time. Immediately you can recognize the boresights of one or more radars in such a diagram. By selecting a set of pulses and defining their stagger timing, the user can extract the fingerprint of the specific radar under test. After this fingerprinting the software will deal with extracting the different HPD curves from the recorded pulses. Stagger pattern (fingerprint of radar) Extracted HPD curve 2.1.1 Antenna Measurements In the field the DRFA912 receives the RF signal under test and outputs digital data on the USB output port. For this purpose, the radar does not have to be taken out of its operational mode. The DRFA912 allows the user to perform Uplink recordings to evaluate the transmission antenna diagram, these recordings can be analysed with RASS-M tools or converted to RASS-S files for further analysis. The uplink recording function of the DRFA912 performs pulse detection and extracts timestamp, amplitude and pulse width of the recorded pulses.. 6 Uplink measurement result The OTD (Out of Tolerance Detection) function of the Extract HPD software will check important parameters against the EUROCONTROL standards for radar performance giving a detailed evaluation of the HPD diagram of your radar (3dB beam width, crossovers, punch-throughs (P1 > P2 outside the boresight region), 1st side lobe level,etc...). OTD parameters 7
2.1.2 Receiver Measurements The DRFA912 supports to measure the characteristics of the (M)SSR or PSR receiver channels, in order to investigate: RF receiver dynamic range Noise level measurement (sensitivity) Receiver alignment (SUM, DELTA, SLS) for monopulse SSR systems Receiver bandwidth To perform a Bandwidth Calibration measurement, a test pulse with fixed or varying amplitude is used as RF source. For this measurement the frequency of the test pulse is varied and the response voltage measured. Again the three monopulse channels can be checked successively and displayed in overlay to check the channels on alignment. Bandwidth Calibration For these measurements a signal generator injects RF power at the receiver input while the DRFA912 measures the resulting output voltage at the log receiver video output. To perform a Receiver Calibration measurement, RF pulses, generated at a selectable delay after the interrogation trigger and a selectable pulse width, are injected in the radar receiver. The power level of the RF pulses is decreased from a selectable maximum (up to +10dBm) in order to measure the receiver range going from saturation level down to the receiver s noise fl oor. For (M)SSR radar the three monopulse channels can be measured separately and displayed in overlay to check for channel alignment. For these systems the SUM and DELTA channels should typically perfectly align while the SLS channel typically differs. Receiver Calibration 8 9
Interfaces-External Connectors Video 1/2 2x MCX Video input Rf CH1/CH2/Out SMA female RB1/2 2x DB15HD female Timing Signals and Power GPS DB9 female - GPS interface for timestamping USB USB2.0 B female (480Mbit/s high speed) Technical Specifications Sample frequency 4 / 8 / 16 / 32 / 64MHz ADC resolution 14bit Triggering External / Analog / Ext pre-trigger / Ext delay / An pre-trigger / An delay Video 1/2-2V...+2V, 1.1kΩ 3dB BW=32MHz Rf CH1/CH2 inputs Impedance 50Ω Frequency range 650 4000MHz Demodulating 10.7MHz VSWR 1.15<2GHz / 1.3<4.5GHz Input power -13dBm Absolute maximum +20dBm Rf output Impedance 50Ω Frequency range 650 4000MHz Max. output power <-5dBm RASS Bus: RB1/2 Timing signals TTL, 2kΩ Power in/out 400mA, 15V Connects to power supply or other RASS-M device General Specifications Power supply Through RASS Bus (via other RASS-M device) or directly via RB Power Supply Dimensions WxHxD (mm) 125x48x245 Weight 1.1kg Operating temperature 0 C...+ 40 C. 10 11
1. 2.2x USB Video Recorder UVR892 Window-based Video recording: A UVR892 window-based video recording visualizes the transponder video data in great detail, along with all important side effects of the data, such as reflections, noise, FRUIT etc. Sectorial Video recording: The Sectorial Video Recorder is based on the UVR892 hardware and has been designed to create highly detailed video recordings, unlimited in both range as azimuth. The window width depends on the processing power of the PC. High-end desktops and laptops are able to record the full 360. The View Video tool (part of the licensed RASS-M Analysis package) allows you to review and investigate both window-based as sectorial video recordings. The USB Video Recorder or UVR892 digitizes the video signals of the radar. ACP/ARP generated by the antenna encoder and a trigger signal are passed to the UVR892 through the RB connection (after signal conditioning by the RTI966) so that the video signals are aligned with the appropriate timing. In RASS-M the UVR892 is used as a downlink and solar recording device: Downlink recording: The UVR892 enables the user to measure the HPD antenna pattern at reception of any (M)SSR or PSR antenna. It samples the video level signals of the input channels. The measured amplitudes are then converted to the received RF power at coupler level. To view the measured antenna diagrams, RASS-M contains a universal tool, called View HPD. The program is capable of reading, recognizing and displaying Uplink and Downlink HPD logfiles of both (M)SSR and PSR measurements. Solar recording: The UVR892 samples the noise of the sun (sun-strobe) and stores the information together with its azimuth and elevation position. By using astronomical algorithms, the solar elevation is calculated and used to build the VPD (Vertical Polar Diagram, db versus elevation) of the operational PSR. Another routine calculates the corresponding coverage diagram. The solar measurement is used as a sensitivity check-up of the complete radar system including the antenna chain. The RASS-M View VPD program (part of the licensed RASS-M Analysis package) is capable of reading and displaying PSR VPD Solar Logfiles recorded with the RASS-M hardware. It is possible to overlay antenna diagrams for comparison in up to five layers. Downlink measurement result Solar recording Video window recording 12 13
Sector window recording Interfaces-External Connectors Ch 1/2 2x BNC - Video input RB1/2 2x DB15HD female Timing Signals and Power GPS DB9 female - GPS interface for timestamping USB USB2.0 B female (480Mbit/s high speed) Technical Specifications 2 video channels Analog input voltage -2V...+2V, 1kΩ Sampling rate 8MHz (2 channels)/16mhz (1 channel) ADC Resolution 12 bit RASS Bus: RB1/2 Timing signals TTL, 2kΩ Power in/out 300mA, 15V Connects to power supply or other RASS-M device General Specifications Dimensions WxHxD (mm) 125x48x245 Weight 1.1kg Operating temperature 0 C...+ 40 C. 14
2.3 Radar Timing Interface RTI966 ACP/ARP generated by the antenna encoder and a trigger signal are connected to the Radar Timing Interface or RTI966. The RTI966 provides the timing signals on the RB, available for all other RASS-M devices. A simple software configuration tool will allow the user to select between single ended or differential input signal and set the threshold level for ACP, ARP, trigger and OBI. RTI Configuration tool Interfaces-External Connectors In/Out DB9 male Differential Timing input In DB15HD female Single Ended Timing input RB1/2 2x DB15HD female Timing Signals and Power GPS DB9 female - GPS interface for timestamping USB USB2.0 B female (480Mbit/s high speed) Technical Specifications Differential Timing Input RS422/RS232 4 inputs or 4 outputs or 2 in- and 2 outputs Single Ended Timing Input 0...6 Volt, 2kΩ Selectable trigger level, 4 inputs RASS Bus:RB1/2 Timing signals TTL, 2kΩ Power in/out 200mA, 15V Dimensions WxHxD (mm) 125x48x245 Weight 1.1kg Operating temperature 0 C...+ 40 C Connects to power supply or other RASS-M device General Specifications 16 17
2.4 Radar Gyroscope and Inclinometer RGI1193 Interfaces-External Connectors The Radar Gyroscope-and-Inclinometer (RGI1193) and the Radar Timing Interface (RTI966) allow you to evaluate the mechanical and structural design of the antenna support and tower under windloads, temperature, etc. The RGI1193 basically has 2 co-related functions, measuring: the quality of the encoder system the levelling of the platform The RGI1193 measures the angular velocity and planar angle of the antenna. For this purpose the device is mounted on the rotating part of the (SSR or PSR) antenna and the data is logged in the RGI1193 s internal memory. Meanwhile the RTI966 will record the ACP/ARP timing signals of the encoder under test.the rotational information data combined with the encoder signal provide essential information on encoder accuracy and platform leveling. Note that deviation on the instantaneous azimuth (= encoder error) is measured, because biases (e.g. wind-load) are simultaneously recorded at encoder and antenna level. These two signals plus their difference are shown in the software. Antenna start-up and stop are also recorded and provide information about the mechanical stiffness of the radar tower. The analysis program allows the user to view the recorded gyro and ACP measurements on a scan by scan basis over multiple revolutions. USB connector (Data and charging) Charge LED Recording LED WiFi antenna (RP-SMA) Technical Specifications Gyro Module Max. Angular Rate Resolution Configurable; ±-60 /s, ±120 /s, ±240 /s, ±720 /s 16-bit Self calibrated using radars North and time reference Inclino Module Measuring Range ±15 Sensitivity 0.01 Battery Battery Type Capacity Li-on Nominal Voltage 3.6V 2350mAh Watt-hour rating Weight 8Wh (acc. To UN38.3) 43g Built in Safety Unit (over voltage, under voltage, current limit) System runtime WiFi disabled System runtime WiFi enabled 15 hours 10 hours WiFi Type Mode Output Power 802.11bgn Access Point 17dBm Recording Sample Rate Configurable up to 1000Hz, default 200Hz Gyro-inclino Analysis software 18 Time 10 hours (at 200Hz) General Specifications Charge Temperature 10 C to 45 C Operating Temperature -20 C to 60 C Storage Temperature -40 C to 85 C Size 120x120x90 mm Weight 1240g 19
2.5 USB Power Meter UPM772 Interfaces-External Connectors RF in connector SMA female Video Out connector BNC USB2.0 connector Technical Specifications RF Input Frequency Range 10MHz..10GHz Input Range typically 0..-60dBm Maximum CW input power +12dBm Maximum peak input power +30dBm (2μs) Dynamic range 60dB for 10MHz to 6GHz Application range view calibration file Video Output The UPM772 is a broadband log receiver (10MHz to 10GHz) and can operate on L/S/C/X band. In the field of radar the UPM772 can be used as a pulse power meter designed for on site power measurements of the Tx and Tx driver of the radar under test. The UPM772 offers the following key features: Measure and record amplitude, shape and timing of radar pulses from SSR or PSR radars Visualisation of basic Tx power and pulse parameters such as: pulse width rise time fall time timed-sidelobes. 20 0..2V Video Bandwidth 50MHz Rise time/fall time <20ns Transfer function Logarithmic Extra Specifications 8 bit ADC 15MHz sample rate General Specifications Power supply Through USB2.0 interface Dimensions WxHxD (mm) 135x80x30 Weight 0.2kg Charge Temperature -20 C...+50 C USB Power Meter software Output voltage 21
Intersoft Electronics Lammerdries-Oost 27 2250 Olen, Belgium www.intersoft-electronics.com support@intersoft-electronics.com Intersoft Electronics China www.intersoft-electronics.com.cn Inventive Electronics Inc. US Office www.intersoft-electronics.com support@inventiveelectronics.com IE Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd Asia Pacific Office www.intersoft-electronics.com support@ie-asia-pacific.com 23
IE-CD00328-006 RASS-M