Model-Based Design for Direction-Finding with Amplitude Comparison

Direction-finding is used in many applications to locate the source of RF emissions and microwave signals. Direction-finding can be done using analog or digital techniques. This paper discusses analog implementation using amplitude comparison. The model in this paper is built using RF Blockset, and the antenna is integrated with the RF channel to simulate an entire system. Amplitude comparison can be achieved using many different antenna configurations and array architectures. A rectangular array is used at the receiver in this paper, and the antenna beam is scanned achieving the maximum power and detect the angle of arrival. The model offers rapid antenna and RF component prototyping, and different scenarios can be simulated very easily. The model also considers impedance mismatches between the blocks so the power transmitted and received can be accurately modelled.