IONOSPHERIC EFFECTS ON MODERN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

In this paper we provide a basic overview of ionospheric phenomenology, citing new sources of information that may be of use to the serious investigator. Following that, we will discuss some of the modern electronic systems of interest and the extent to which the ionosphere may place limits on design and operation. Modern electronic systems may be influenced by factors that are extraneous to the basic purpose for which they were designed. The importance of these factors is dependent upon the basic system architecture and its critical components, as well as the total environment within which the system must operate. Propagation factors in radiowave systems, for example, may be grouped into either those aspects which are embodied within the overall system concept or those which add no significant value to the accomplishment of the mission. In the former category we include system types operating at radio frequencies below VHF such as longwave and shortwave communication systems, longwave navigation systems, and shortwave surveillance systems. In the latter category, for which propagation factors are predominantly deleterious, noteworthy systems include satellite communication and navigation systems that operate in the earth-space regime. Special note is made of the fact that the solar maximum is to be reached in 1990-1991, and maximum ionospheric effects are anticipated during this period, which is predicted to be one of the most active epochs of the last 200 years. © 1990 IEEE