A9.1 - Automated RF Attenuation Managing System
- Event
- ETTC 2026 - European Test and Telemetry Conference
2026-06-09 - 2026-06-11
Nuremberg - Chapter
- RF Spectrum III
- Author(s)
- F. K. Tut, I. U. Kandemir, M. M. Gecgel, M. K. Arpacioglu - Turkish Aerospace Inc., Ankara (Turkey)
- Pages
- 140 - 147
- DOI
- 10.5162/ettc2026/A9.1
- Price
- free
Abstract
During flight tests, sudden RF power spikes from close-range tracking or multipath effects risk saturating and permanently damaging sensitive receiver front-ends. To mitigate this without compromising longrange signal integrity, an automated RF protection system was developed. This architecture monitors dual telemetry channels using logarithmic RF detectors and a 16-bit DAQ module. Applying a calibrated voltage-to-dBm model, the system estimates RF power in real time. A deterministic control logic then automatically actuates RF switches to select between attenuated and direct signal paths, ensuring failsafe operation during network anomalies. Laboratory validation demonstrated a conversion accuracy of ±0.9 dBm across the −60 to 0 dBm range, with a protective response time under 300ms. This adaptive approach successfully prevents receiver saturation in close-proximity scenarios while preserving the critical link budget needed for extended-range telemetry operations.