Low Cost Direction Finding with the Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator (ESPAR) Antenna
Date
2006-10-27T13:39:20Z
Authors
Berger, Jonathan Michael
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Abstract
In this paper, the Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator (ESPAR) antenna, developed by the Advanced Telecommunications
Research Institute (ATR) in Japan was analyzed to determine its feasibility as a low cost direction finding (DF)
system. Simulations of the antenna were performed in SuperNEC and Matlab was used to determine the direction of arrival
(DOA) using the Reactance Domain multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm. Results show the ideal configuration
has 6 parasitic elements with a diameter of 0.5 . Up to 5 periodic, uncorrelated signals spread 360° in azimuth and above 45°
elevation produce sharp peaks in the MUSIC spectra. Azimuth separations of only 2° at 40 dB are resolvable while signals
arriving with 25% full power are still detectable. For the DOA to be resolved the radiation pattern should be asymmetrical and
hence the reactance set should have a range of unequal values. Comparative results show that the 6 element ESPAR offers excellent
overall performance despite the reduction in cost and is comparable in performance to the 6 element uniform linear array.
Description
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment;
School of Electrical and Information System;
MSC Dissertation
Keywords
ESPAR, Electronically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator, ATR, Advanced Telecommunications, Research Institute