Calibration overview of the AMRFC test bed

The AMRFC (advanced multi-function radio frequency concept) phased array test bed is a joint effort to demonstrate the latest technologies to concurrently perform several Navy's shipboard RF functions (e.g., communications, electronic warfare, and radar) including a calibration function through a common, shared software and RF architecture. The calibration function involves monitoring the drifts and misalignments of each subsystem as they vary over time and temperature. The main goal of calibration is to ensure that all interconnected components and subsystems perform as expected in terms of amplitude, and phase alignment. Key features of the calibration procedure are the method by which test and reference signals are generated, and how test data are collected and analyzed. The transfer functions of various subsystems in the test bed are measured via software control of these subsystems. A total of 22 calibration modes have been developed. In this paper, a single mode is described.