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Secondary Radar Transponder Testing Using the 8990B Peak Power Analyzer - Application Note 5991-1192EN c20121203 [10]


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               Secondary Radar Transponder
               Testing Using the 8990B Peak
               Power Analyzer
               Application Note




Introduction   After a brief review of radar systems and the role of transponders, this applica-
               tion note provides examples of how to effectively test transponders in order to
               validate their performance and function. Testing is performed using a transpon-
               der test set and an Agilent peak performance analyzer (PPA). The measurement
               examples provided cover interrogation and reply transmit power and pulse
               profiling, double pulse spacing, and reply delay timing measurement.
Secondary Radar                                  Secondary radar originated from the identification friend or foe (IFF) radar signal
                                                 system used during World War II and complements the limitations of primary
Background                                       radar systems.

                                                 Primary radar works by passively reflecting a radar signal off of the target's
                                                 reflection or surfaces (called echoes). A limitation of primary radar is that it has
                                                 difficulty detecting non-metal or composite-based aircraft parts. Another weak-
                                                 ness is weather-related. In heavy rain, reflected signals are prone to attenuation,
                                                 decreasing detection accuracy.

                                                 Secondary radar works by transmitting and receiving high-frequency modulated
                                                 pulses, also called interrogation and reply signals. Figure 1 illustrates the operat-
                                                 ing principle of secondary radar systems. It begins when the ground station
                                                 sends interrogation signals to the airborne aircraft. The plane's on board tran-
                                                 sponder responds to the interrogation signals by transmitting back reply signals.

                                                 Modern secondary radar systems are used in both civilian and military aviation
                                                 operations. The civilian's secondary radar system is called secondary surveil-
                                                 lance radar (SSR) and it is primarily used for air traffic control such as in the
                                                 Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) and the Traffic Collision
                                                 Avoidance System (TCAS). SSR operates in different modes known by letter
                                                 designators such as Modes A, B, C, D, and S. Rather than alphabetic modes, the
                                                 military IFF uses numerical modes 1 through 5. The military and civilian modes
                                                 operate differently but modes 3 and A are similar and mode 5 is an encrypted
                                                 version of mode S.




                 Interrogation from
                 ground station




                                          Reply from transponder

                                                                                                     On-board transponder



     Ground
     station




Figure 1. Illustration of the secondary radar operating principle




                                                                     2
What is a Transponder   As mentioned previously, transponders are an important part of the secondary
                        radar system. Usually mounted on the under surface of the aircraft's fuselage,
and Its Function?       the transponder is basically a transmitter and receiver. As shown in the timing
                        diagram in Figure 2, during operation the transponder receives interrogation
                        pulse pairs from the ground station and decodes the requested enquiries. After
                        a certain delay duration, the transponder then responds with a different series of
                        pulses that contain the information requested by the interrogation transmission.
                        The communication exchanges can include information such as the aircraft
                        identifier, altitude, and bearings. The interrogation and reply pulses use different
                        frequencies, depending on the mode of operation.


                                                  P1              P3


                        Interrogation
                        pulse to
                        transponder

                                                                       Reply delay
                                        Double pulse spacing

                                                                                     F1                    F2


                        Reply pulse
                        from
                        transponder


                                                                                     Reply pulse spacing
                        Figure 2. Transponder interrogation and reply pulse pairs timing diagram. (Note: When
                        radar is in use, a P2 interrogation pulse is transmitted and ignored. F1 and F2 refer to
                        framing reply pulses.)




                                             3
Testing and Validating                       Federal aviation safety standards, such as those defined by the US Federal
                                             Aviation Administration, require transponders to undergo periodic maintenance
the Transponder's                            and calibration. This precaution ensures that the transponder is decoding inter-
Performance and                              rogation pluses correctly and subsequently replying with correct pulses. The
                                             maintenance also includes performance checks that ensure the transponder
Functions                                    transmit/receive functions conform to specifications. Transponder calibrations
                                             are typically done using a transponder test sets and the Agilent 8990B peak
                                             power analyzer (PPA).

                                             Ultimately these maintenance tasks optimize efficiency and minimize the
                                             potential for transponder failure during operation. They also ensure compliance
                                             with aviation safety standards. A malfunctioning transponder can result in
                                             a catastrophic event. From the military operation perspective, a transponder
                                             failure such as an incorrect reply can ultimately mean the difference between
                                             life or death.

                                             The following sections demonstrate how the Agilent 8990 PPA is used to
                                             perform transponder and transponder test set maintenance and validation. The
                                             measurement examples featured are interrogation and reply transmit power and
                                             pulse profiling, double pulse spacing, and reply delay timing measurement.




Example 1: IFF transponder                   This example explains how to measure the IFF transponder's simple reply pulse.
reply tests                                  The objective of the test is to ensure that the transponder generates the correct
                                             reply pulses using the correct reply delay. Figure 3 shows the measurement
                                             setup.


                                                                                                         Agilent 8990B PPA




                Agilent MXG                                  Attenuator


                                                                                   Interrogation pulse

                                           Coupler



                                                                          N1923A



                                                                                                         Reply pulse
     IFF transponder
        under test
                            RF IN/OUT
                                                                      Attenuator             N1923A
                                             Coupler
Figure 3. Transponder interrogation and reply pulse measurement
                                                                  4
Example 1: IFF transponder                     1. Connect the transponder under test to a signal generator using directional
reply tests (continued)                           couplers.
                                               2. Using pulse building software such as Agilent N7620A Signal Studio,
                                                  construct interrogation pulses according to the operating modes as shown in
                                                  Table 1. In this application example, the transponder is set to operate using
                                                  Mode 1 for the interrogation and reply test.
                                               Table 1. Example of the IFF interrogation double pulse specifications
                                                Interrogation frequency                     1030 



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