Embedded Windscreen Shielding Integrity Monitor

Many aircraft are hardened against the effects of various forms of various high power electromagnetic waves, including EMP, HPM, and HIRF. These aircraft typically have electrically conductive screens built into their windows, with an electrical connection to the metallic fuselage that forms an electromagnetic seal. To maintain the shielding effectiveness of the window, it is necessary to check periodically for leaks in the window seal. This is normally accomplished by placing an RF source on one side of the window, and checking for leaked fields on the other side. In principle, this is a straightforward process; however, it is challenging to make it simple and convenient enough to be used routinely in the field. In newer aircraft, one must remove a great deal of molding to get access to the interior of the windscreen in the cockpit. To address this challenge, we propose an embedded window shield monitor. The antenna on the interior will consist of a spiral transmission line (STL) that is permanently embedded around the perimeter of the interior of the window. On the exterior one could use a variety of antennas or transmission lines to detect the radiated field.