Interferometer Direction-Finding System With Improved DF Accuracy Using Two Different Array Configurations

Abstract

A novel array configuration for improving the direction-finding (DF) accuracy of an interferometer DF system is presented. The interferometer DF system that uses a single array configuration provides a high DF accuracy over a wide frequency range. However, the DF accuracy in the low-frequency range for this array configuration is lower than that of the high-frequency range. The use of a different array configuration and spacing according to the frequency range or the extension of the widest baseline in the low-frequency range by the addition of an antenna can be applied to overcome this limitation. With the proposed method, the DF accuracy in the low-frequency band is improved while the DF accuracy in the high-frequency band is maintained. Simulation results for some examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed array configuration.