Pulse Characteristics of a Direct Antenna Modulation Transmitter

Abstract

Direct antenna modulation (DAM) methods using time-varying matching networks offer the possibility to reduce the detrimental effects on broadband signal transmission from a narrowband antenna. We propose time- and frequency-domain models for the effects of a DAM scheme for the transmission of ON-OFF-keyed RF signals and test the validity of the proposed models through over-the-air measurements at 27.12 MHz. Random bit sequences are transmitted separately using both a switched-mode DAM transmitter and a conventional transmitter and received in the far field. Comparison of measured data with our frequency-domain models shows that the DAM transmission method partially removes the effects of narrowband filtering due to the transmit antenna. Models and measurements also demonstrate that the removal of this filter improves the signal quality as observed in eye diagrams of the demodulated received signals. Finally, a simple time-domain model of the DAM transmitter is shown to predict the radiated transient signal under varying synchronization conditions.