UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA IMPROVEMENT OF WEAPON LOCATING RADAR CONTROL SYSTEM WITH VISION-BASED TARGET VERIFICATION SRI LANKA K.V.P. DHAMMIKA 03/8041 Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering A proposal submitted in partial fulfillment Of The requirement for the degree of Master of Philosophy Supervisor: Dr. E.C. Kulasekere Department of Electronic and Telecom Engineering, University of Moratuwa March 2010 ii DECLERATION The work submitted in this dissertation is the result of my own investigation, except where otherwise stated. It has not already been accepted for any degree, and is also not being concurrently submitted for any other degree. ………………………….. Major K.V.P. Dhammika Sri Lanka Signal Corps [Candidate] I endorse the declaration by the candidate ………………………… Dr. E.C. Kulasekere Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering University of Moratuwa [Supervisor] iii ABSTRACT Weapon locating radar control system with vision - based target verification is an important apparatus in real-time battle planning. It provides present situation of the battle field to the field commanders, so that they can make most accurate decisions. In the radar control system for vision base military fire finding, the most important feature is the presentation of live video taken by UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to help locate potential targets such as heavy weapons of the enemy. During the war, weapon locating radar played a vital role by locating ballistic weapons of the enemy and helping out ground forces to destroy them before they could make significant casualties on our troops. Radar control system with vision-base target verification has been designed to achieve better accuracy of target detection by verifying the effect of metrological parameters for the accuracy of target acquisition. In that, the main focus was to develop a user interface, which is capable of efficiently indicating targets. The study was focused to discover the impact prediction and back-track extrapolation methods of radars, metrological effects on projectile calculation, variation of refractive index of air, and effect of Earth’s rotation in determining the target. A raster map has been designed to show targets on screen. This raster map has been found very useful, and it was extensively used during the war. A GPS radar interface was also built, and real-time video taken by UAVs were incorporated to the system. A secure data networks have been developed to transmit real-time video. Sri Lankan military had to undergo casualties and major setbacks due indirect enemy weapons. In fact, it was one of the most needed requirements for the Sri Lanka Army to improve techniques and devices to counter these enemy weapons. For this cause, Sri Lankan government invested a large amount of foreign exchange in recent times. However, the success was limited. Therefore, this development project was launched to augment the available AN/TPQ-36 weapon locating radar adding to it the features mentioned above. Effects of metrological data were acquired and applied to the artillery fire units and a significant improvement of accuracy was achieved for 122mm rocket and 130mm artillery. Refractive index variation of the atmosphere was calculated up to 20Km altitude and feed into the radar to improve accuracy of height calculation of the targets. Real-time videos of surveillance UAV were incorporate to the system so that artillery impact sites could have been identified accurately, without need of forward observation officers. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dr. E.C. Kulasekere, Prof. (Mrs.) I. J. Dayawansa, late Dr. D. A. I. Munindradasa, and Dr S. R. Munasinghe deserve many thanks for spending their invaluable time and paying great attention in supervising this project while giving all necessary advices, solutions and directions to make it successful. I am deeply indebted to the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering of University of Moratuwa and Sri Lanka Signals Corps, Sri Lanka Artillery, Sri Lanka Army and Centre for Research and Development Ministry of Defence for providing me all hardware, software and all infrastructure facilities to implement this project. My special thanks go to Maj. Gen. S. A. P. P. Samarasinghe, Brig E. P. De Z. Abeysekara, Brig. T. F. Meedin, Brig. K. R. P. Rowel, Group Capt. J. Amarasena, Lt. Col. K. A. W. S. Rathnayake, Maj. (Dr) R. M. Monaragala, Capt. A. M. T. Amarakoon and Mr. Rathnayake for their support and advices in testing and developing this work. I am also grateful to Prof (Mrs.) D. Dias, Mr. A. T. L. K. Samarasinghe, Dr A. Pascual, and the non academic members of the Department of Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering who helped me to implement this development work. A Lot of individuals including friends who helped me in numerous ways are also acknowledged. Finally I offer my deep gratitude for my parents and spouse for their encouragements and help extended to me right throughout this period. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Declaration ii Abstract iii Acknowledgement iv Table of Content v List of Figures viii List of Tables x Nomenclature xi Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Literature Survey 5 2.1 The Current Weapon Locating Radar Systems in with the Sri Lanka Army 5 2.1.1 AN/TPQ-36 Weapon Locating Radar 6 2.1.2 SLC -2 Long Range Weapon Locating Radar 6 2.2 Overview of the Software Platform 7 2.3 GPS Localization for Fire Finder Radar 8 2.3.1 GPS Location Indication 8 2.3.2 NMEA 0183 Sentence 9 2.4 Projectile Path Prediction 9 2. 4.1 α,β Filtering 9 2. 4.2 Metrological Effects for Projectile Path Prediction 9 2. 4.3 Coordinate Transformations 10 2.5 Network Design for System Integration 10 2.5.1 Microwave Path Profile Calculation 11 2.5.2 Network Security 11 2.5.3 Video Multicasting 12 vi Chapter 3. Proposed System Design 13 3.1 Overall System Architecture 13 3.1.1 Operational Decision Making and Battle Management Room 14 3.1.2 Fire Finder Radar 14 3.1.3 Intelligent and Other Surveillance Networks 15 3.1.4 Acoustic Ranging System 15 3.1.5 Direction Finding Network 15 3.1.6 Metrological Data Acquisition Network 15 3.1.7 GPS Localization 15 3.1.8 UAV Real Time Image Connectivity 16 3.2 Project Stage 16 Chapter 4. Project Implementations 17 4.1 Development of Graphical User Interface(GUI) 17 4.2 Implementation of Java Base Raster Map Indicator 18 4.3 Acquiring of GPS Position for Self-Localization 19 4.4 Development of Java Base Applications 19 Chapter 5. Data Collection Analysis and Implementations 21 5.1 Exciting Radar Control Interface and UAV Image Interface 21 5.2 Metrological Data Collection 27 5.2.1 Calculation of Variation of Refractive Index of the Air. 31 5.2.2 Effect of Wind Velocity and Drag Coefficient 33 5.2.3 Test Firing for Radar AN/TPQ-36 after Apply Metrological data 33 5.3 Target Detection 34 5.3.1 Process of Target Tracking 35 5.3.2 Acquiring of Projectile Path Data from the Radar 35 5.3.3 Projectile Path Data Estimation 37 5.3.4 Effects Due to Earth’s Rotation 42 vii Chapter 6 UAV Video Interface 50 6.1 Nature of Video Data and Suggested Execution Plans 50 6.2 Implementation of the Network 50 6.2.1 Calculation of Path Profile. 51 6.2.2 Limitations and Challenges 51 6.3 Significance of Video Data 52 Chapter 7 Conclusion and Discussion 53 References 55 Appendix A Trailer Status Word Detail Description 57 Appendix B PIC Microcontroller Program Used for Transmitter Unit 63 Appendix C PIC Microcontroller Program Used for Receiver Unit 65 Appendix D Router Configuration Commands Used for UAV Data Network 67 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.1 AN/TPQ-36 Radar shelter, weapon location unit 3 3.1 Proposed system block diagram 13 4.1.1 Loading a map from a drop down list 17 4.2.1 Coordinate conversion scheme selecting two locations 18 4.4.1 Loading map from a file 20 5.1.1 Trailer status word 23 5.1.2 Six status data shift gates recorded using “Memory Hicorder” 24 5.1.3 Trailer (Antenna group) status words recoded using “Memory Hicoder” 24 5.1.4 Universal electrical interface circuitry 26 5.1.5 Universal electric interface developed using PIC microcontrollers and RF transceiver modules. 27 5.2.1 The metrological data acquisition system 28 5.2.2 Equipment installed at during military operation at Wakarei 29 5.2.3 Metrological view at Mankerni atmosphere 30 5.2.4 Metrological view at Panagoda atmosphere 30 5.2.5 Refraction index (n) variation in air vs. height 32 5.3.1 Tracking Process of AN/TPQ-36 35 5.3.2 Projectile path range (R) estimation 38 5.3.3 Projectile path azimuth angle (A) estimation 38 5.3.4 Projectile path elevation angle (E) estimation 39 5.3.5 Coordinate system of main projectile plane of motion 39 5.3.6 Motion in O”X”Y”Z” 41 5.3.7 Spherical and Cartesian coordinates 42 ix 5.3.8 Rotational effects on range 43 5.3.9 Projectile lag 44 4.3.10 Latitudinal effect 45 5.3.11 Deviation in southern direction (x) as t and u varies 47 5.3.12 Deviation in east word direction (y) as t and u varies 47 6.1.1 The Sri Lanka Army UAV data network 49 6.2.1 Path profile drawing using Global Mapper 51 x LIST OF TABLES Table Page 5.2.4 Test Firing results after applying metrological data to 34 radar AN/TPQ -36 5.3.1 Projectile track data 36 xi NOMENCLATURE Following symbols and abbreviations are used in this document A/D - Angle of departure φ - Angle of elevation BSU - Beam Steering Unit. E1 - 2MB data stream g - Gravitational force (9.8ms-2) Hv - Horizontal component of velocity h - Projectile height at time t. HV - High Voltage. LSB - Lower Side Bit MV - Muzzle velocity m/s - Meters per second P - Air pressure R - Range to the level point ToF - Time of flight to the level point T - Any given time/ absolute temperature. U - Humidity Vv - Vertical component of velocity WLR - Weapon Locating Radar WLU - Weapon Location Unit.