Radio Frequency Seeker Modelling and Seeker Filter Design

Abstract

Radio frequency seeker model, including receiver angle error noise modelling and filtering of noise from seeker measurement, is presented in this paper. The effects of eclipsing, radar cross section fluctuation, etc on seeker sight-line rate measurement are highlighted. The formulation for colour noise modelling of sight-line rate noise is derived based on the knowledge of seeker receiver angle error noise model. Two Kalman filter configurations for filtering of noise from seeker output have been considered in this paper, based on sight-line rate kinematics and noise characteristic. It has been  observed from the simulation studies that sight-line rate signal varies slowly at higher interceptor-target ranges; with severe colour noise in sight line rate measurement, and therefore higher weightage for noise attenuation is beneficial in Kalman filter configuration. So, kinematic plus state augmentation for colour noise are considered for adequate filtering for higher interceptor-target ranges. Whereas for lower interceptor-target ranges, sight-line rate changes appreciably, which have been tracked by a simplified/modified spherical coordinate model, which uses knowledge of interceptor-target  engagement dynamics. For both the filters, benefits of colour noise modelling and process model augmentation through coloured noise states, for filtering severe colour noise of seeker, has been demonstrated.