Tags:antenna pattern, isosurface, real-time graphics and visualization
Abstract:
The Ohio University NAVAID Performance Prediction Model (OUNPPM) is a widely used tool for certification of navigational aid compliance and safety at commercial, private, and military airports. The main purpose of OUNPPM is to calculate multipath errors from structures near the navigational aids and generate traditional error plots expected by certifying authorities, but users often leverage the rapid situational awareness provided by OUNPPM's virtual world component to aid in engineering judgements before running a complete analysis. This paper introduces a new isosurface-based approach of visualizing useful aspects of the OUNPPM output, focusing on the localizer array, with examples such as: nominal antenna array patterns, antenna array patterns deformed by hardware fault, antenna array patterns deformed by scatterer-induced multipath error, as well as scattered field visualization by itself. These new visualization capabilities can expedite the development of a new user’s intuition into the nature of antenna array multipath in professional work or as a teaching aid. The paper concludes with recommendations for future work to improve the overall usefulness for users.
Dynamic Antenna Pattern Visualization for Aviation Safety Incorporating Multipath and Situational Awareness