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Graphical visualization of missile–target air‐to‐air engagements: An educational tool for designing and evaluating missile guidance and control systems
Author(s) -
Rodriguez Armando A.,
Aguilar Ricardo
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
computer applications in engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.478
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1099-0542
pISSN - 1061-3773
DOI - 10.1002/cae.6180030103
Subject(s) - missile , autopilot , graphical user interface , visualization , graphics , computer science , process (computing) , matlab , control (management) , macro , human–computer interaction , computer graphics , simulation , control engineering , engineering , computer graphics (images) , programming language , artificial intelligence , aerospace engineering
This article describes a user‐friendly C/C++/Windows‐based program which simulates and graphically displays a Bank‐to‐Turn (BTT) missile in pursuit of an evading target. Traditionally, students and practicing engineers must conduct extensive simulations to develop insight about such a complex “system.” In this article, an educational PC graphics program which significantly expedites this process is described. The program is organized into three modules: (1) A program‐user interface provides interactive mouse‐keyboard‐driven pull‐down menus to adjust engagement parameters. (2) A simulation module generates engagement data from a system of nonlinear differential equations modeling the missile, the autopilot, various guidance laws, and target maneuvers. (3) A graphics module uses the data to update the encounter on the screen. The program can be linked with MATLAB macros for purposes of analysis. A help/instruct facility assists users with program features and concepts. Sample missile‐target engagements are presented to demonstrate the utility of the program as an educational tool and as a tool for the analysis, design, and evaluation of missile guidance and control systems. In short, the program has proven itself as a useful educational tool for students studying feedback and control systems and as an excellent vehicle for introducing students to modeling, simulation, and graphical visualization of dynamical systems.