Rapid Antenna Setup and the role of DMC-pico

Quick orientation and alignment are important

In military and field deployments, time is often critical. Whether setting up a tactical communication terminal or other directional antenna systems, a fast and reliable alignment directly influences system availability and operational performance.

The Ultisense DMC-pico Digital Magnetic Compass provides accurate heading and inclination measurements to quickly determine the orientation of an antenna system. Integrated into the overall system alignment architecture, the DMC-pico allows fast and accurate pointing before the system performs the final RF-based alignment.

DMC-Assisted SATCOM Antenna Alignment

For example, in a SATCOM application, the terminal first determines its position using GNSS. Based on the terminal location and the known satellite position, the required antenna azimuth and inclination are calculated.
The DMC-pico provides highly accurate magnetic heading with an accuracy of 0.25° and inclination data with an accuracy of 0.1°, giving the antenna controller an accurate reference for the antenna’s current orientation. Then the antenna can be rotated towards the calculated azimuth and properly adjusted to the required inclination. Once the antenna is close to the target direction, the RF-system takes over for final fine alignment.

Why use DMC-pico for antenna alignment?

The main benefit is speed. Without a predefined area, an antenna system needs to perform a relatively long azimuth search before the desired direction is found. As the DMC-pico quickly provides accurate azimuth data for the initial orientation reference, it significantly reduces the search area, helping the system achieve its final alignment faster.
Additionally, the DMC-pico provides accurate inclination measurements, enabling easy and precise inclination alignment towards the satellite.

Summary: The DMC-pico combines:

• Ultra-fast start-up: Heading data is available within 75 ms, supports rapid system readiness.
• High Accuracy: Northfinding accuracy with 0.25°and inclination accuracy with 0.1°
• Compact and lightweight integration: At only 9 g, the module has minimal impact on system size and payload.
• GNSS-independent heading: Magnetic heading remains available when GNSS is unavailable or affected by jamming or spoofing.
• Complementary operation: In systems equipped with a more sophisticated north-finding solution, the DMC-pico can provide rapid orientation during start-up or serves as a backup reference.

For system integrators, this means a small, low-power component like the DMC-pico can contribute directly to faster deployment, reduced search time and improved overall system performance.