Direction Finding Systems
Communication Intelligence
Spectrum Monitoring & Management Systems
Broadcast & Communication Antennas

Technologies

Antennas


TCI designs, manufactures, installs and supports a broad family of DF and monitoring antennas designed to capture a wide range of signals from 9 kHz to 43 GHz. We build and optimize every TCI antenna for a specific application, including spectrum monitoring, direction finding, signal interception, radio broadcasting, and radio communications. Our best of class engineering skills, experience, and proprietary software modeling tools allow TCI to create antennas for most applications that can be installed rapidly, maintained easily, and which deliver outstanding performance.

The TCI Model 641 VHF/UHF Antenna is designed for applications requiring an accurate, multi-element, direction finding antenna, combined with a sensitive omni-directional monitoring antenna. The 641 antenna provides broad-band operations from 20 to 3000 MHz for both DF and signal monitoring. When used in TCI's Spectrum Monitoring System (SMS), typical DF accuracy is 2° rms. The 641 supports calibrated signal amplitude measurements over the full frequency range. The 641 antenna includes built-in slef-test (BIST) for automatic testing and verification of the operational status of the antenna.

The 641 antenna is available in two configurations: the 641F for fixed-site installations, and the 641M for mobile applications. Both configurations operate over the same frequency range and feature a 9-element directional UHF DF array, plus a single omni-directional monitoring antenna.

The TCI Model 643 VHF/UHF Antenna is designed for applications requiring an antenna capable of handling both vertical and horizontal signal polarizations. The Model 643 provides broadband operation from 20-3000 MHz for both DF and signal monitoring. Typical DF accuracy is 2 degrees (rms). The Model 643 supports calibrated signal amplitude measurements over the full frequency range and includes built-in self-best (BIST) for automatic testing and verification of the operational status of the antenna.

The DF array in the Model 643 consists of nine dual-polarization horn elements (vertical and horizontal) that are housed in a plastic radome. The radome includes a broadband monitoring antenna and a broadband RF switch. In a spectrum monitoring system, the RF switch commutes signals from the DF elements to an external two-channel receiver and generates test signals for DF calibration and automatic system test.

The TCI Model 645 VHF/UHF Antenna is designed for applications requiring a compact, accurate, multi-element, direction finding (DF) antenna, combined with a sensitive omni-directional monitoring antenna. The 645 provides broadband operation from 20 to 3000 MHz for both DF and signal monitoring, when used in TCI's Spectrum Monitoring System (SMS) or COMINT DF. Typical DF accuracy is 2 degrees rms. The 645 Antenna supports calibrated signal amplitude measurements over the full frequency range. The 645 includes built-in self-test (BIST) for automatic testing and verification of the operational status of the antenna.

The 645 Antenna features a nine-element directional DF array, plus a single omni-directional monitoring antenna. The DF array inthe 645 consists of nine vertically-polarized fan elements that are housed in a plastic radome. The radome also includes a broad-band biconical monitoring antenna and a broad-band RF switch. In SMS or DF systems, the RF switch commutates signals from the DF elements to an external multi-channel DF/Monitoring receiver and generates test signals for DF calibration and automatic system self-test.

The TCI Model 647 VHF/UHF/SHF Antenna is designed for applications requiring an antenna capable of handling a wide range of frequencies. The Model 647 provides broadband operation from 20-8000 MHz for both DF and signal monitoring. Typical DF accuracy is 2° (RMS). The Model 647 supports calibrated signal amplitude measurements over the full frequency range and includes built-in test equipment (BITE) for automatic testing and verification of the operational status of the antenna.

The DF array in the Model 647 consists of two arrays, each of nine fan elements, that are housed in a plastic radome. The radome includes a broadband monitoring antenna and a broadband RF switch. In a spectrum monitoring system, the RF switch commutes signals from the DF elements to an external two-channel receiver and generates test signals for DF calibration and automatic system test. A block converter is used for frequencies between 3GHz and 8GHz, converting these frequencies down to a range compatible with the standard TCI DF receiver (20 MHz to 3GHz).



RF Distribution

 

TCI produces a wide variety of computer- controlled RF distribution systems that simultaneously distribute and switch RF signals from multi-element antenna arrays to any combination of multiple communications receivers, spectrum monitoring systems and DF systems. TCI RF distribution systems are modular, non-blocking, and loss-less devices available for MF /HF or VHF/UHF coverage, and are expandable up to 31-input by 320-switched outputs.




Receivers


TCI makes specialized receivers for communications, DF/Monitoring and COMINT/SIGINT applications. Our receivers feature hybrid designs with high dynamic range analog RF front ends and high-resolution digital back ends. With digital control, they're ideal for distributed and remote computer-controlled radio systems in networked communications and monitoring/DF systems. In the LF /MF /HF and VHF /UHF bands, we offer both conventional narrowband and wideband receivers optimized for modem signal modulations and rapid detection, acquisition, and DF of wide band signals. TCI wideband receivers provide IF bandwidths up to 2 MHz at HF and 12 MHz at VHF/UHF with processed measurement resolution bandwidths as narrow as 10 Hz.


DSP Processing


TCI systems feature high-speed, 32-bit Digital Signal Processors with proprietary application-specific firmware that delivers high-performance measurement and signal analysis for a wide range of signal types and environments. By digitizing and analyzing the outputs from LF/MF/HF and VHF/UHF receivers, TCI DSP-based spectrum processors deliver fast, comprehensive signal analysis, simultaneously scanning, detecting, measuring and analyzing RF signals at scan rates up to 4 GHz per second. In addition, the same DSP hardware is used to extract signal metrics, classify signal types, make DF fixes and generate statistical data on signal activity.

 

System Software


TCI has expert in-house application software design and development capabilities. This allows us to create highly integrated and optimized application-specific software for embedded and real-time control, data processing, digital signal processing, database structures, graphical user interfaces and network management. Our software engineers also work closely with our hardware and system engineers to integrate operation of the complete system, including equipment control, signal analysis, and database management and network administration.