Patent GB-1259360-A (GB)
IPC: G09B9/24
Filed: 1969-04-24
Abstract: 1,259,360. Radio navigation simulators; amplifiers. SINGER-GENERAL PRECISION Inc. 24 April, 1969 [1 May, 1968], No. 21131/69. Headings H3W and H4D. In VOR navigation a ground station transmits a reference signal and another signal phase varying with the angular bearings surrounding the station, for phase comparison in the aircraft to derive a voltage signal proportional to the bearing of the aircraft from the beacon displayed as its angular radial. In ILS a ground station radiates bilobal signals disposed in elevation and azimuth about a landing path, and by comparison in the aircraft deviations from the landing path can be detected. A simulator for VOR, ILS, and automatic DF radio navigation equipment for aircraft comprises modulator-filter units 31, 52, 76 (Fig. 4) having two pairs of transistorized sincos choppers; the elements of the pairs being excited 90 degrees out of phase in response to respective sin and cos squarewave drive signals. Modulator 31 receives direct voltages representing sin # and cos # on inputs 32, 35; # representing a VOR angle; to produce an output alternating signal of phase proportional to # and constant amplitude proportional to applied to contact 37 of D.P.S.T. switch having other contact 38; and arm 36 whose output is connected to chopper 43 whose output is controllably amplified at 44 to VOR indicator 45. The output signal is also quadrature shifted at 46 and squared at 47 to energize chopper 48, whose output is gated at 50 to TO-FROM indicator 51. The modulator also energizes phase-splitter 65 producing 4 outputs at 90 degree shift intervals energizing circular linear potentiometer 66, whose slider output is A.C. amplified to excite contact 38; the switch arm being controlled by coil 39 energizable over VOR/ILS terminal 41. Modulator-filter unit 52 receives the X A  and Y A  co-ordinates of the aircraft and the X S  and Y S  co-ordinates of the ground station, and its output signal representing distance is converted to D.C. at 61; energizing together with a maximum range signal a differential amplifier 62, which is applied over A.G.C. 63 to control gain of amplifiers 44, 49; while the output is also squared at 64 to control choppers 43, 48, and is further applied to summing amplifier 69 also receiving the amplified zero phase energization of phase splitter 65. The resultant is converted to D.C. at 68 to energize modulator-filter 76 and also chopper 72 whose output is amplified to energize gate 74, together with the VOR/ILS signal, and its output operates indicator 75 showing operation or inoperation of the glide slope equipment. Unit 76 receives signals representing altitude h of aircraft and h f  of the air field, and its output is squared at 82, chopped at 83, and applied to differential amplifier 84 together with an A.C. signal. The resultant is applied to gate 85 also receiving the VOR/ILS signal, followed by gate 86 also receiving the amplified output of chopper 72, and operating glide slope indicator 87 indicating the simulated vertical deviation from a predetermined glide angle for correct landing. Thus for simulation, when a VOR signal is applied to 41, contacts 36, 38 close, and chopper 42 compares phases of signals from modulators 31, 52 for null in indicator 45 adjustable by phase potentiometer 66, calibrated in radial bearing of aircraft from beacon. Similarly, chopper 48 compares the 90 degree phase shifted and A.G.C. amplified signal from the potentiometer slider with the signal from modulator 52 to indicate at centre zero meter 51 whether the aircraft is approaching or leaving the beacon; amplifier 49 being gain controlled from differential amplifier 62 to be cut off when the distance signal from 52 exceeds a preset maximum, simulating aircraft out of range, and otherwise to operate as described. An ILS signal at 41 closes contacts 36, 37, so that gates 74, 85 are enabled, and gate 50 is inhibited. If the airfield altitude is h f , the aircraft altitude is h, the aircraft co-ordinates are X A , Y A , and the runway localizer point 105 co-ordinates are X S , Y S , then touchdown must be at 110 along the runway heading with glide angle α (Fig. 2). The sine wave signal from 31 represents runway length in amplitude and runway heading in phase; the sine wave signal from 52 represents distance 108 in amplitude (the projection of the aircraft on touchdown line 104), and the output from differential amplifier 69 representing range from aircraft to touchdown is converted to D.C. for modulator 76 in combination with the aircraft and airfield altitude signals h and h f  to produce a sine wave output amplitude representing aircraft to touchdown distance 104 in amplitude and angle α in phase. The resultant signal from chopper 83 representing actual glide slope is compared with a signal representing the required glide slope at 84, amplified, and applied through gates 85, 86 to the up-down indicator 87 showing glide path error; gate 85 being enabled on ILS from input 41. Output from 69 is compared with 90 degree phase shifted signal from modulator 31 in chopper 72 to operate indicator 75 to show ILS "on". For ADF simulation (Fig. 3) a modulator filter 121 (Fig. 4) receives reference phase pulse signals at zero and quadrature phase on 122, 120 and voltage signals representing X A , Y A  the coordinates of the aircraft and Y A , Y S  the coordinates of the ground station at 123, 125. The output sine wave representing range and bearing in amplitude and phase, is applied directly and in quadrature to a further modulator-filter 131 together with a difference signal between distance and maximum range, and signals representing sin and cos of the aircraft heading angle; to produce output signals of constant amplitude representing in phase the difference between the bearing of the aicraft to the ground station and its heading. These are sampled alternately at 60 degree intervals by circuits 137, 138 controlled by zero phase pulse trains at 139, 141, and the outputs are applied to adjacent arms of a star connected P.M. phase meter 147. Energization of relay 148 switches the instrument to operate as a tuning indicator. Modulator 131 is blocked when aircraft distance exceeds the maximum range. The modulator-filter circuits of the simulator (Fig. 4) each comprises two separate pairs of switches comprising transistors 151, 152; 163, 164 having respective dual emitters 153, 154; 161, 162; 165, 166; 172, 173. The Squarewave reference signals representing sin n, cos n are transformer coupled to collector-base excite the pairs of transistors in opposition, and input signals representing e.g. X, Y co-ordinates of the aircraft and of a ground station are applied to respective emitters 153, 162; 165, 172 and outputs derived from emitters 154, 161; 166, 173 are combined over resistors 174, 175 at capacitor 178 to represent e.g. the aircraft distance from the ground station by amplitude and its bearing therefrom by phase angle. Harmonic filtration is performed by operational amplifier 182 in conjunction with a CR time constant impedance circuit comprising elements 179, 181; 182; 183 to 189; 191 to 198 defining a low pass filter. In operation of the simulator, a geographical area is defined identifying the ground stations to be approached, and voltages representing the starting point of the aircraft and the X-Y coordinates of successive stations are developed e.g. by potentiometers or computer storage and selectively and successively applied to the modulator inputs under control of an instructor. The inputs are notched square waves. The successive positional and directional voltages of the aircraft referred to selected ground stations are set in by the instructor or derived from the aircraft simulator computer.