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Project # 95
Monopulse Antenna and Feed
| Team Lead: | Julia Mendoza |
| Other Team Members: | kien Nguyen | Jordan Nzeocha | Zuhayr Baig |
| Faculty Advisor(s): | David Wetz |
| Department: | EE |
| Project Type: | Senior Design |
| Title: | Monopulse Antenna and Feed |
| Abstract: | The Monopulse Antenna and Feed Project is a high-precision radar system designed for real-time azimuth and elevation tracking in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications. Operating at 5.8 GHz in the C-band, the system achieves 3° angular accuracy and can track objects up to 100 feet away without requiring mechanical scanning. The design incorporates a 2x2 square microstrip patch antenna array, which improves tracking precision by utilizing four quadrants for simultaneous angle detection. A rat-race coupler-based monopulse comparator processes incoming signals to generate sum and difference channels, allowing for precise phase-comparison monopulse calculations. An Analog Devices AD9361 transceiver, paired with an AD-FMCOMMS3-EBZ evaluation board and ZedBoard FPGA, handles RF signal processing and real-time digital computation. The system is powered by a 24V Li-ion battery, supporting 8 hours of continuous operation, managed by a battery management system (BMS) and voltage regulation circuitry. Following FCC compliance, the development process includes antenna simulation, fabrication, RF and digital system integration, testing, and validation. The 2x2 array enhances beamforming capabilities, improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), angular resolution, and detection reliability, making it highly effective for high-speed and dynamic tracking environments. |
| Poster: | View Poster #95 (PDF) |
| Judges Scoring: | Submit Evaluation (judges only) |