Radio Telescope Antenna Control System Modelling for Antenna

Azimuth Position Using Simulink/Matlab

Fahmy Rinanda Saputri
Department of Nuclear Engineering and Physics Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada,
Jl. Grafika 2, Sleman, D.I. Yogyakarta, Indonesia
E-mail: fahmyrs@yahoo.com

Abstract—This paper discusses a control system modelling
for an antenna azimuth position using simulink in matlab. The
radio telescope antenna is applied based on control system
position. A position of control system converts the position
input command to the position output response. Response of
the system are drawn by using PID controller block in
simulink/matlab.
feedback. An open-loop control system utilizes an actuating
device to control the process directly witout using feedback
[3]. Meanwhile, a closed-loop control system uses a
measurement of the output and feedback of this signal to
compare it with the desired output [3]. Fig. 3 is the open-
loop system control.

Index Terms— PID, antenna, radio telescope, azimuth,

simulink, response system
Fig. 1 Process to be controlled
I. INTRODUCTION
Generally, the ideal system is integrated with control
system. Ranging from nature to social issues, electrical, Fig. 2 Open-loop control system [3]
communications and also mechanic system. The example is
controlling the flow of water from the tank and keep the
water, the temperature, the pressure are in a desired position
[1]. In this paper, the object which be controlled is a
parabolic antenna. The radio telescope antenna utilizes
position control system. The position of the antenna is Fig. 3 Closed-loop feedback control system [3]
controlled by using gears and feedback potentiometer.
Antenna azimuth is also controlled by a controller. B. Antenna
The simples method to control the parabolic antenna is Antenna is the instrument for transmitting and receiving
using modelling and simulating with Simulink in Matlab. the electromgnetic wave, named radio waves [1]. Antenna
Matlab is high-performance language for technical enables to resonance and can operate in the narrow
computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and frequency band. New antenna technology are being
programming in an easy-to-use environment where developed that allow an antenna to rapidly change its
problems and solution are expressed in familiar pattern in response to changes in directional of arrival of the
mathematical notation. received signal. One of the typical antenna is parabolic
To familiarize the reader about Simulink/Matlab, I antenna. The parabolic antenna has a fairly large size [8].
explore the utilized of this software. It can be applied for The parabolic antenna is the antenna that uses a parabolic
designing the system, optimization the system, controlling reflector. Each segment of surface of the parabolic antenna
the system, modelling and simulating the system, etc. independently reflects an electromagnetic wave, and
Specifically, the control system in Simulink/Matlab utilized therefore its position, its angle of inclination and rotation in
will be used in this research. the general frame surface is important. Fig. 2 is the example
This paper is organised as follows. Section II discusses of parabolic antenna.
basic concept of control system, antenna, and introduce the
Simulink/Matlab. The mathematic system modelling and
also simulink modelling are discussed in Section III.
Furthermore in this Section IV present the modelling system
and simulation result. Finally, Section V provides the
conclusions for the paper.

II. THEORITICAL BACKGROUND

A. Control System
A control system is an interconnection of components
forming a system configuration that will provide a desired
system response. A component or process to be controlled
can be represent by a block. Fig 1 is the input-output
relationships. Fig. 2 is the open-loop system without Fig. 4 Parabolic antenna [8]
C. Azimuth and Elevation of a system, like precision positioning, make a system is
The azimuth is the horizontal angle from true north in a easy to control, high performance, and speed settings within
clockwise direction, or bearing of the satellite from the wide limits. In this paper, the motor will run until the error
antenna. The azimuth of the antenna must match with the approach to zero.
azimuth of satellite. The azimuth of the satellite depend on
the satellite longitude and the position of vessel.
Elevation is the pointing angle from the horizon to the
satellite. The elevation and azimuth are calculated by the
antenna based on the GPS position of the vessel and the
satellite longitude.

D. Matlab and Simulink

Matlab is high-performance language for technical
computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and
programming in an easy-to-use environment where
problems and solution are expressed in familiar Fig. 6 A detail layout of position control system of antenna azimuth
mathematical notation.
Simulink is a block diagram environment for Functional block diagram of the antenna azimuth position
multidomain and simulation and model based design. It control system is shown in Fig. 7.
supports automatic code generation, simulation, and
continuous test and verification of embedded systems. The
graphical editor, customizable block libraries, and solvers
for modelling and simulating of the system is also provided
by simulink.

III. MATHEMATIC AND MATLAB/SIMULINK MODELLING IN

THE SYSTEM
The gears and the feedback potentiometers perform the
position control of antenna. The position information is Fig. 7 Block diagram of control system for antenna azimuth position
converted to voltage using potentiometer. The output instant
position data of the antenna is also transmitted to the input The antenna azimuth position control system contains of
via feedback using a potentiometer. Antenna azimuth is also two potentiometers as an input and an output, a motor, a
controlled by some controller. load, a power amplifier, and a differential amplifier. The
As an input of the system is the angle of potentiometer modelling of system for controlling the position antenna is
ϴi(t). In other hand, the output of the system is the angle of shown in Fig. 8.
the antenna ϴo(t). I will check the response of the system
with and without controller. The controller that I used is
PID controller. Fig. 5 is the antenna position control system
concept.

Fig. 8 Block diagram system for controlling the position of tne antenna

The transfer function of the motor and load as

(1)
Fig. 5 Control system concept for antenna position

Fig. 6 is detail of the system layout. In input, there are The inertial and damping components of the antenna are
potentiometer that converts the angle input to the voltage. adjusted by gear rations.
Due to the feedback potentiometer, output angular
displacement convert to voltage. Differential amplifier (2)
check the different signal of the given signal and received
signal and calculate the error. The funciton of power
amplifier is increase the amplitude of control signal in order N1 and N2 are the gear teeth. The calculation of intertia
to get a suitable voltage value for the motor. and damping components are given as
DC Motor are motion element that is commonly used in
(3)
industrial. It has widely utilization for adding performance
 (4)

is the motor inertial constant (kg-m2), is the load

inertial constant (kg-m2), is the motor dampening
constant (N-m s/rad) and is the load dampening constant Fig. 9 The simulink modelling of the antenna azimuth position control
(N-m s/rad). The pole and zero of the motor and load is system
calculated as.
PID controller is possibly the very common controller.
(5) In this study I also use PID controller for comparing the
result of the system. Fig. 10 is the simuling modelling of the
antenna azimuth position control system with PID controller.
(6)

is the motor resistaance (ohm). and are back

EMF constant (V-s/rad) and motor torque constant (N-m/A).
The parameter of preamplifier, power amplifier and gears
are represented in Table I.
Fig. 10 The simulink modelling of the antenna azimuth position control
TABLE I system with PID controller
PARAMETERS OF ANTENNA BLOCK DIAGRAM
Parameters Configurations IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
K -
After simulating in simulink, the response of the system
Kpot 0.318
can be shown in graph.
100
K1 100
Kg 0.1

K represents the preamplifier an it is as a gain value. A

gain K is calculate by Routh-Hurwitz criterion. The range
value of K is 0 to 262.3. In this paper, the value of K is 100
in the limited range.
The close loop system will provide a good and stable
response. The close loop transfer function of system for
controling the position of antenna azimuth [5] is.

(7)
If the value of K is 100, so the equation will be
(8)
By uding PID, the close loop system transfer function of
position control system of antenna azimuth is
Fig. 11 Response system without PID controller
If the 1 turn is apply in input signal, closed loop system
response without controller is show in the Fig. . The system
has a percentage overshoot is about 35% and settling time
about 6.5 seconds. Also, little oscillation is observed is the
system response.

Assuming that the value of Kp=16, Kd=5 and Ki=2.

Fig. 11 Response system with PID controller

 Fig. 11 shows the close loop response of position control
system of radio telescope antenna azimuth using PID
controller. For getting best response of position control
system of antenna azimuth, I must use PID controller. After
using PID controller, the response more stable.

V. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, the antenna azimuth position of the radio
telescope antenna has been controlled by modelling using
Simulink/Matlab successfully. We can comparise the
control system with and without the PID controller block.
The result of the system is better using PID controller than
not.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to thank Engineering Analysis
Mathematical Course, Sensor and Telecontrol System
Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering
Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada
for supported the implementation and research.

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