The Direct Antenna Control system from Swiss firm Quattro identifies any type of malfunctioning, even partial damage, in antenna array systems used for radio and television broadcasting.
Comprising a series of a series of sensors that are placed on each branch of an antenna’s array, the DAC system, measures the direct and reflected power values of the relevant coaxial supply line compared to its standard levels.
Any deviations from the standard supply values of the direct power measurement indicate a problem above the sensor, explains the company. While the deviation of reflected power reveals a problem below the sensor, it says. A combination of these signals identifies the part of the antenna that has malfunctioned.
The system converts the corresponding signals (power transmitted and power received) into lines with low sensitivity to radiation fields. The lines, which are protected from external interference, are transmitted by a unit that collects all of the signals arriving from the individual sensors of the various antennas. The unit also collects the pre-processing and formatting information in order to allow for the transmission — through a network supply — to a router that then renders the data available both locally and remotely.
