Patent GB-929487-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to radar, or sonar simulators
Inventor: CUTLER ALBERT ERNEST
IPC: G09B9/54
Filed: 1960-10-28
Abstract: 929,487. Radar or sonar training apparatus. COMMUNICATIONS PATENTS Ltd. Oct. 13, 1961 [Oct. 28, 1960], No. 37146/60. Class 40 (7). A radar or sonar training apparatus in which the positions of a number of simulated moving objects are represented, comprises pre-set input means providing initial position and motion data relating to each of the simulated objects, a computer for computing instantaneous object position data from said initial data, a digital computer including a first data store providing instantaneous position information relating to each object, a second store adapted to store instantaneous position information from the computer relating to one or more of the said objects, selected according to the instantaneous bearing thereof, scanning means for representing a radar scanning system, and a receiver responsive to signals derived from the selected instantaneous position information, the information to which the scanning means is sensitive being made available to the said second store in response to an input instruction derived from said scanning means. The said computer is preferably included within the digital computer. In the arrangement shown a number of control units for example 10, 11 and 12, one for each simulated object, each comprises four preset manual controls 13-16 representing respectively the position, 13, 14, the speed, 15, and the heading, 16, of a surface craft, for example a ship. The analogue to digital converter 17 converts voltages from these controls into a coded form and feeds the code to the digital computer 21 through the line 22, the line 23 being supplied with control signals. The computer 21 respectively investigates the coded information to derive therefrom instantaneous displacement X and velocity Y patterns of the simulated craft, this information being stored. Also stored in the computer is the polar co-ordinate function tan B (or tan 90 -B), this function being read sequentially to determine the quadrant in which the patterns lie, this information together with the co-ordinates X, Y being stored in the buffer and store 24 comprising a plurality of bi-stable elements before being reconverted to analogue form by the converter 30. Information from the converter 30 is supplied at predetermined intervals to the rotating scanner unit 29 comprising three pairs 37, 38, 39, 40; 41, 42 (one pair for each simulated object) of sin/cosine potentiometers driven together with the magnetic storage disc 43 by the shaft 45. Operating information from the scanner 29 to the computer 21 is by way of pick-up head 44 and " read-out " amplifier 46 which includes a buffer amplifier and an " and " gate. The output from the pairs of potentiometers in polar co-ordinate form is displayed on C.R.T.'s (not shown). In a further embodiment (Fig. 2, not shown) the range of the simulated craft which in this instance is an aircraft is computed within the digital computer (not shown in the Figure). " Height " and " rate of climb " simulators are included within the control unit 10.