Symbolic Modeling of a Tracking Radar Gimbal System of an Aircraft

Ahmed  Muktar Abubakar; Kassim  Shakiru Olajide; Alhassan  Muhammad Balarabe

Ahmed Muktar Abubakar Advanced Manufacturing Technology Programme, Jalingo, Taraba State
Kassim Shakiru Olajide Department of Electrical/Electronic Engineering, The Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Damaturu, Yobe State
Alhassan Muhammad Balarabe Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, Kaduna State

Keywords: Azimuth, Kinematics, MapleSim, Trajectory, Tracking radar gimbal

Abstract

In multibody mechanics with kinematics problems, the motion analysis for a platform can be classified into two cases: the forward kinematics and the inverse kinematics problems. For the forward kinematics problem, the trajectory of a point on a mechanism is computed as a function of the joint motions. In the inverse kinematics case, the goal is to compute the joint motions necessary to achieve a prescribed end effectors’ trajectory. A system for tracking a target comprises an acquisition sight used by a pilot of an aircraft to acquire and track the target using a tracking handle. The tracking device’s azimuth and elevation on sight, track handle, video tracking system or tracking radar coupled to an infrared display system is processed by a computer to provide azimuth and elevation angle signals to a gimbal mirror interface which steers the gimbaled mirror to the target. This paper presents a kinematics of a tracking radar gimbal using symbolic technique. The model was built and simulated using MapleSim and the obtained result signify that altitude and orientation angle is determinable when tracking a desired target.