NEAR FIELD RF HL SIMULATION

MALIBU RESEARCH HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED A FLAPS PHASED-SURFACE TECHNIQUE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THIN ELECTROMAGNETIC STRUCTURES HAVING THE CAPABILITY OF SCATTERING INCIDENT RF ENERGY IN SPECIFIC PREFERRED DIRECTIONS AND PATTERNS. THE DESIGN IS BASED ON ARRAYS OF PRINTED CIRCUIT DIPOLES. TO DATE WE HAVE USED THIS TECHNIQUE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ANTENNAS AND CONFORMAL REFLECTORS. THIS TECHNIQUE, COMBINED WITH THE NEAR-FIELD OR "COMPACT RANGE", ANTENNA MEASUREMENT CONCEPT IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A NEAR-FIELD, RF, HARDWARE-IN-THE-LOOP SIMULATION. UNDER THIS DESIGN MICROWAVE OR MMW MOVING TARGETS ARE PROJECTED ONTO A 4' X 8' (NOMINAL) FLAPS PHASED-SURFACE SCREEN TO GENERATE THE TARGET TRAJECTORY SCENARIOS. THE ILLUMINATION SPOT IS COLLIMATED TO A FAR-FIELD PLANE WAVE (AS IN A COMPACT RANGE) AND RE-DIRECTED TOWARDS THE SEEKER UNDER TEST BY THE FLAPS PHASED SURFACE. THE NOMINAL FOCAL DISTANCE IS 4 FT TO 8 FT WITH A 3 FT TO 6 FT ILLUMINATOR DISTANCE, LEADING TO A VERY COMPACT FACILITY. UNDER THE PROPOSED PROJECT A DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIFICS AND TRADE-OFFS OF SUCH A NEAR-FIELD HIL MICROWAVE/MMW TECHNIQUE USING THE FLAPS PHASED SURFACE WILL BE CARRIED OUT.