Abstract: A wave guide scanner assembly having an oscillating support for a scanning antenna which is driven by an assembly having no contacting components. The scanner assembly is particularly useful for motor vehicular collision warning systems. The drive assembly for the oscillating support includes a coil and magnet for driving the support when current is applied thereby resulting in translational movement of the magnet and oscillating movement of the support. A spring flexure assembly is connected to the support for providing controlled harmonic oscillation to the support and antenna.

Abstract: A radar apparatus has an inclined slot wave guide array to form a narrow azimuth beam and a dielectric lens in front of the array to form a narrow elevation beam. The radar apparatus is particularly useful for motor vehicular collision warning systems. The inclined slot wave guide forms an antenna which is driven to oscillate back and forth at a small angle. The dielectric lens is fixed in position relative to the slotted wave guide antenna. The combination of the slotted array for forming a narrow horizontal pattern in combination with the dielectric lens for forming a vertical pattern provides an arrangement that is readily scannable.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a linear frequency sweep while also improving the phase noise characteristics of a microwave or millimeter wave signal source. The invention uses two phase lock loops. The first phase lock loop uses a linear frequency source to linearize a relatively low frequency VCO (typically around 100 MHz). The first phase lock loop has a bandwidth that is only wide enough to pass the radar modulation waveform with minimal distortion. The first phase lock loop includes a phase detector, narrow band loop filter, low noise HF VCO and a divide by M counter. The second phase lock loop is used to lock a millimeter wave VCO to the lower frequency of the low frequency VCO in the first loop. The low phase noise characteristics of this low frequency VCO are effectively impressed upon a microwave or millimeter wave, low noise high frequency VCO.

Abstract: In a collision avoidance communication system and method, equipped aircraft (12) and ground control stations (18) which represent nodes of an RF communication network (22). A radar system (16) determines locations of equipped aircraft (12) and unequipped aircraft (14) within an airspace (10). The ground control station (18) couples to the radar system (16) and the network (22) to receive location data for the aircraft (12, 14). These location data are merged in an object list (142). The ground control station (18) displays objects from the object list (142), broadcasts surrogate location data (84) for unequipped aircraft (14) over the network (22), and broadcasts control data (100, 116) describing weather conditions, geographic features, and the like, over the network (22). Equipped aircraft 12 receive aircraft location data (84) and control data (100, 116) from the network (22). Each equipped aircraft (12) determines its own location.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high power pulse modulation which includes a high voltage supply to provide a high voltage input signal, and a drive channel, rise channel, fall channel, and dump channel. A timing system controls the switching of the drive channel, rise channel, fall channel, and dump channel to modulate the high voltage input signal to produce an output signal. Each channel comprises a channel logic input, buffer amplifier, alternating current (AC) coupler, isolation pulse transformer, current limiter, and switch to provide the pulse modulation. Power MOSFETs can be used as switches in the four channels.

Abstract: A split-phase integrate and dump matched filter utilizes both the positive and negative inputs of a single comparator and adds an exclusive-OR logic element after the matched filter to correct the data polarity since the negative-input path of the data output is inverted.

Abstract: An automatic residual line suppression system for use with a spread spectrum signal wherein a narrow-band sample of the signal around a selected frequency is multiplied by a dithered signal in an auto-balance control loop. A resulting signal is used to control the dc offset of a mixer in order to minimize the residual carrier line in the signal spectrum while any remaining detectible residual lines are smeared by a noise source during up-conversion.

Abstract: A spread spectrum modulator and a method therefor wherein a plurality of binary code generators each being at the same fraction of a desired modulation frequency and all being at equal relative phase angles are used to serially bi-phase modulate an unspread carrier signal.

Abstract: An augmented phase-locked loop for use with a data communication system in which the data is encoded into a plurality of symbol signals such that the channel on which transmission occurs is switched at a data clock rate between symbol signals and such that two like symbol signals cannot appear successively. The coincidental transitions between symbol signals are detected and are used to lock a phase-locked loop. If the integrated signal from a transition detector is greater than integration of the signal level of the pluses on each incoming channel at the frequency of the loop locking to a subharmonic is detected and causes a sweep circuit to drive an oscillator to sweep until the phase-locked loop locks on the correct data clock frequency.