N7660C Signal Studio for Multi-Emitter Scenario Generation

N7660C Signal Studio for Multi-Emitter Scenario Generation

Simplify Electronic Warfare (EW) Test Signal Creation

During the electronic warfare (EW) test and evaluation process, threat simulation with enhanced realism will ensure greater confidence in the system under test’s (SUT) ability to detect the most complex threats. Keysight Technologies Inc. N7660C Signal Studio for Multi-Emitter Scenario Generation (MESG) provides an intuitive software interface to create realistic multi-threat environments from 0 to 40 GHz. EW scenarios can be downloaded to the N5193A UXG agile signal generator and N5194A UXG Vector Adapter to play out the scenario for either direct inject or over the air testing. With the scalable and flexible architecture of the UXG family, additional signal generators can be included in the simulation to increase pulse density and simulate Angle of Arrival (AoA) for multi-port receivers, providing a cost-effective solution to take your lab to the next level.

EW system under test

Development and validation of EW SUT’s require simulation of a complex RF environment. With N7660C’s suite of signal creation tools you can create EW scenarios to test the following SUT applications:

• Threat identification, prioritization and classification
• Threat de-interleaving and sorting
• Subsystem interface management
• Subsystem threat correlation
• Electronic countermeasures.

EW threat environment

When creating a threat in the EW environment, define the emitter characteristics by controlling radar parameters such as amplitude, frequency, pulse width, modulation-on-pulse, pulse repetition interval (PRI), coherent processing intervals (CPI) and antenna scan modulation. Then increase the complexity of the environment by adding additional emitters.

With the constant evolvement of the EW threat environment, MESG is now compatible with the N5194A UXG Vector Adapter to create even more advanced threats by importing custom files and applying IQ modulation to the pulses. The digital IQ baseband system in the UXG Vector Adapter enables you to create more complex pulses with variable rise/fall times and arbitrary modulation within the pulse, including non-linear chirps.

Kinematics and angle of arrival

With the use of multiple coherent UXG’s, MESG supports Angle of Arrival (AoA) simulations for multi-port SUTs. The MESG option supporting AoA and kinematics provides dynamic environments by simulating the SUT or threat’s route based on waypoints, which can be imported or set in the software.

The route is simulated by changing power levels, Doppler frequencies, and signal phases between ports, which are based on geometric physics-based models. Keysight’s multi- source calibration software automates calibration and correction of the UXG’s relative phase, amplitude, and timing for highly accurate AoA simulations.

Legacy compatibility

EW labs often have extensive threat simulation libraries that have been developed over the years and still serve as important benchmarks for EW SUT performance. However, some of these libraries were developed for threat simulation systems that may have been discontinued or are no longer supported. MESG software’s translation capability allows Pulse Builder files to be imported into MESG for use with UXGs. MESG software also offers an optional threat simulation import (TSIm) capability that converts AMES DIF files into the closest equivalent signals using PDWs for the N5194A UXG signal generator. This TSIm technology makes it possible to:

• Playback an instantaneous static scenario using low-level parameters
• Create a PDW representation of the transmit signal with the ability to:
• Turn beams on and off
• Change start times and mode period
• Change power level
• Make signal amplitude constant
• Show low-level parameters
• Synchronize all beams