A Digital Processor for Beacon-aided Distance Measuring Systems

ABSTRACT
Synchronized beacons and transponders are widely used in distance measuring systems for navigation and surveying purposes. As to the synchronized beacons , the LORAN-C and DECCA systems are typical examples and are used in hyperbolic navigation systems.The transponder type systems are found with avionics DME(Distance measuring equipment) and TACAN systems.For surveying applications, Tellurometers are synchronized frequency-locked systems allowing distance measurements. In all these systems, distance (or distance difference) are measured on the basis of finding the phase difference or the time delay between a reference signal and a -slaved- signal carrying the required distance information.
The present work introduces a microprocessor (or microcontroller)- based digital processor implementation for extraction and display of distance information. This implementation is conceived to be too versatile to be used (with minor modification in signal conditioning aspects)in all of the above systems and for similar applications requiring phase difference measurements . Actually it has been tested as a whole for Tellurometers and in parts for other navigation systems.