Computer Simulation of Synthetic Aperture Radar Images of Three-Dimensional Objects

A digital simulation of coherent synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of three-dimensional objects is described. The simulation is intended to produce representative SAR images that would be suitable for image analysis and pattern recognition studies. The procedure involves a modeling of the object using a combination of three-dimensional quadratic shapes yielding a smooth surface representation. The radar images of these models are then computed using physical optics scattering theory. Finite resolution both in range and cross-range direction is incorporated via a theoretical analysis which results in a simple Fourier transform representation of an equivalent "offset" window filter. Examples of the computer simulation for both infinite resolution and blurred or finite resolution are given for a KC-135 aircraft model.     

An efficient 3-D near-field ISAR algorithm

This paper presents a new three-dimensional (3-D) near-field inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging technique. A 3-D ISAR image can be obtained by processing coherently the backscattered fields as a function of the frequency and two rotation angles about axes which are mutually orthogonal. Most of the existing ISAR algorithms are based on the Fourier transform and as such can tolerate only small amounts of wavefront curvature. Wavefront curvature must be taken into account when imaging an object in the near-field. Near-field ISAR imaging of large objects using a direct Fourier inversion may result in images which are increasingly unfocused at points which are more distant from the center of rotation. An algorithm based on an azimuth convolution between a near-field focusing function and the frequency domain backscattered fields is discussed. This convolution is efficiently implemented by using fast Fourier transform (FFT) techniques. Furthermore, in order to further alleviate the computational load of the algorithm, the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the focusing function is evaluated by means of the stationary phase method. Experimental results show that this technique is precise and virtually impulse invariant     

方位维逆合成孔径雷达(ISAR)运动补偿成象中的预加处理

在方位维逆合成孔径雷达（ISAR）运动补偿成象中,为了获得方位维的高分辨力,需要处理的数据量很大。预加处理首先对原始数据进行频移和滤波,然后由滤波后的数据进行抽取,从而大大压缩了所需处理的数据,减小了运动补偿和成象的计算量,提高了成象处理速度。电磁仿真数据和外场实测数据的处理结果验证了预加处理的有效性。     

High Range-Resolution Monopulse Tracking Radar

High range-resolution monopulse (HRRM) tracking radar which maintains wide instantaneous bandwidth through both range and angle error sensing channels provides range, azimuth, elevation, and amplitude for each resolved part of the target. The three-dimensional target detail can be used to improve and extend radar performance in several ways: for improved precision of target location, for target classification and recognition, to counter repeater-type ECM, to improve low-angle multipath tracking, to resolve multiple targets, as a miss-distance measurement capability, and for improved tracking in chaff and clutter. These have been demonstrated qualitatively except for the ECCM to repeater ECM and low-altitude tracking improvement. Initial results from an experimental HRRM radar with 3-ns pulse length show resolution of aircraft into its major parts and precise location of each resolved part accurately in range and angle. Realtime closed-loop tracking is performed on aircraft in flight using high-speed sampled, digitized, and processed HRRM range and angle video data. Clutter rejection capability is also demonstrated.     

A new algorithm for the formation of ISAR images

A new technique for implementing the enhanced image processing (EIP) algorithm for the formation of inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) images is presented. The EIP algorithm is required when, during the formation of an image, scattering centers on a target move out of range and/or Doppler resolution cells. This phenomenon is common for high resolution imagery of practical-sized targets. The method presented is based entirely on the fast Fourier transform (FFT) and therefore does not require the interpolation schemes that are prevalent in the standard EIP implementation. A brief review of the theory of radar imaging is presented to establish the notation for the work. Following the presentation of the new algorithm, a simple example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new technique. In addition work is presented that demonstrates the processing required to reduce the sidelobes in imagery generated by the EIP technique     

基于全零点FIR前向滤波网络的超分辨成像方法研究

距离多普勒成像的距离分辨率和横向分辨率,分别取决于发射信号的有效带宽和目标相对于雷达在相干积累时间内的转角。采用的方法可以突破上述的限制,其方法是采用全零点FIR 前向滤波网络,在成像处理前进行线性预测滤波,仿真结果表明,这是一种改善距离多普勒成像雷达分辨率的有效方法。     

基于位置信息的高分辨雷达角闪烁抑制方法

角闪烁误差是导引头寻的制导的主要误差来源,基于高分辨力雷达的单脉冲测角算法可有效改善角闪烁现象。现有的研究大多基于幅度加权的思想,利用距离单元的幅度信息进行加权平滑处理。本文在现有高分辨测角算法的基础上,结合高分辨一维距离像的位置信息,提出了一种新的角度信息处理方法。该算法充分利用了距离像有效单元的目标信息,提高了角度测量精度。仿真实验表明该算法对角闪烁有较好的抑制作用。     

方位扫描SAR区域成像研究

研究在SAR区域成像中,通过天线波束方位扫描扩大成像区方位宽度的机理以及信号处理方法。首先描述天线波束扫描的几何关系,推导出为达到要求的成像分辨率以及成像区方位宽度所需的天线波束扫描角速度和扫描角度的计算公式。分析了成像区位置与载机航迹的几何关系。然后讨论方位扫描SAR区域成像信号处理方法,并给出系统点目标响应仿真结果。最后,用试飞实测数据成像做了验证。     

Limitations on SAR Image Area Due to Motion through Resolution Cells

Range-Doppler imaging systems are degraded by the motion of an object through its resolution cells during image formation. Given the range resolution dR, the cross-range (azimuth) resolution dA, and the wavelength ?, the image's range extent DR and cross-range extent DA must be constrained by ?DR ? 4d2A; ?DA ? 4dAdR to avoid significant image degradation. By implication, we can image a rectangular area A ? DADR. We show that, in general, the acceptable image area is a parallelogram which becomes a rectangle only in the special case of unsquinted, broadside operation. Furthermore, the actual useful image area within a rectangular map of range extent DR and crossrange extent DA decreases as the squint angle measured from broadside increases.     

Velocity Estimation from Position Outputs of a Three-Dimensional Radar

Kalman filtering equations to obtain estimates of velocity from radar position information are defined. In a track-while-scan operation, a three-dimensional radar sensor measures range, bearing, and elevation (r, ?, ?) of an airborne target at uniform sampling intervals of time T. The noisy position measurements are converted to x, y, z coordinates and put through a Kalman filter to obtain x, y, z velocity components. The filtering equations together with steady-state error estimates are given.     

High-resolution SAR imaging with angular diversity

We propose to use the APES (amplitude and phase estimation) approach for the spectral estimation of gapped data and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging with angular diversity. A relaxation-based algorithm, referred to as GAPES (Gapped-data APES), is proposed, which includes estimating the spectrum via APES and filling in the gaps via a least squares (LS) fitting. For SAR imaging with angular diversity data fusion, we perform one-dimensional (1-D) windowed fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) in range, use the GAPES algorithm to interpolate the gaps in the aperture for each range, apply 1-D inverse FFTs (IFFTs) and dewindow in range, and finally apply the two-dimensional (2-D) APES algorithm to the interpolated matrix to obtain the 2-D SAR image. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm     

A technique for enhanced slant range resolution for SAR systems inknowledge-based environment

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an airborne (or spaceborne) radar mapping technique for generating high resolution maps of surface target areas including terrain. High resolution is achieved by coherently combining the returns from a number of radar transmissions. The resolution of the images is determined by the parameters of the emissions, with more data giving greater resolution. A requirement of the Microwave Radar Division's SAR radar is to provide classification of targets. This paper presents a technique for enhancing slant range resolution in SAR images by dithering the carrier centre frequency of the transmitted signal. The procedure controls the radar waveforms so they will optimally perform the classification function, rather than provide an image of best quality. It is shown that a Knowledge-Based engineering approach to determining the waveform of the radar gives considerably improved performance as a classifier of targets (of large radar cross-section), even though the corresponding image is degraded     

机载脉冲多普勒雷达DBS技术

 本文从多普勒谱分辨理论出发,分析了DBS成象的基本原理,实现DBS成象的实时信号处理过程,提出了DBS实时数字信号处理方案。通过计算机模拟试验表明,在雷达天线保持匀速扫描状态时,系统的多普勒波束锐化比可达17.4:1左右,并可对载机前方±15°—60°方位范围内提供一幅大面积的,高分辨力的扇形雷达图象。     

Radar beamwidth reduction techniques

It is essential and desirable to get a high resolution echo in a radar image without using a large antenna. On scanning a radar antenna, the target's distribution is smoothed by the antenna beam and a smeared echo appears on the radar display. This paper describes three different types of beam compression radars: subsurface SAR; correlation array radar; and inversion processed radar. The experimental results show that the beamwidth on display was effectively compressed by the signal processing     

Bistatic Synthetic-Aperture Radar Imaging of Rotating Objects

The imaging properties of a focused radar aperture synthesized by object rotation are considered. The ring-shaped aperture synthesized by the object rotation can provide high-resolution two-dimensional imaging using only monochromatic irradiation. The case of monochromatic irradiation is extended to the polychromatic case and to equivalent bistatic geometries. These techniques offer practical methods for radar imaging of rotating objects with scattering centers visible over large angular extents.     

Synthetic aperture radar image formation from compressed data usinga new computation technique

A convolution technique is proposed that allows direct reconstruction of the processed synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) image from the digitally-sampled, block-encoded raw data. This computational compression technique reduces the number of arithmetic operations from that required by fast Fourier transform (FFT) convolution for SAR processing. SAR phase histories are block encoded and directly processed into an image where only arithmetic additions are required for the processing. For SAR data previously block encoded, the processing time is reduced by a factor of 100 or more. A speed-up of three times over SAR processing by FET convolution has been demonstrated when both computation of the block encoding and subsequent direct processing are included in the time. SAR image quality measurements for a method of block encoding called vector quantization at compression ration ranging from 5:1 to 50:1 show image degradation proportional to the compression ratio. For a 5:1 compression radio, image quality measurements show minimal degradation     

单脉冲成像算法性能分析

单脉冲技术通过比较单个脉冲多路回波信号的信息实现对目标角度位置的精确测量,广泛运用于跟踪雷达中。在雷达成像中引入单脉冲技术可以显著提高前视这一合成孔径雷达(SAR)与多普勒波束锐化(DBS)成像盲区雷达图像的清晰度。本文着重对单脉冲成像算法的成像效果分析方法进行研究。从单脉冲和差比的概率密度函数出发,提出了目标图像位置失真、分辨率以及图像信噪比3个对图像质量进行衡量的指标。分析了决定这3个指标的系统及外部环境参数,并给出了相应的计算方法。最终通过数值积分以及Monte-Carlo仿真实验对理论分析结果进行了验证。     

Hard Limiting in Synthetic Aperture Signal Processing

In synthetic aperture radar a large linear phased array is formed from the rapid movement of a single element through each position in the array. Storage and coherent combining of the successive radar echoes are central to the array-forming process. Optical processing is the most common technique because of the efficiency with which Fourier transformation may be accomplished with simple optics. Real-time operation, however, requires all-electronic processing, which is difficult to accomplish because of the huge quantity of data to be manipulated. Dynamic range compression by hard limiting may ease the problem by reducing the number of bits per frame. The effects of hard limiting are analyzed in this paper. It is shown that large targets simultaneously illuminated by the radar antenna will produce image targets or ghosts displaced in angle. Statistically homogeneous clutter will "linearize" the hard-limited receiver and suppress the ghosts without loss in contrast, as does thermal noise if it is larger than the target echoes. Pulse compression reduces the probability of images from prominent targets. Judicious choice of the pulse-compression waveform is a powerful tool for destroying coherent buildup of images from all large targets not in the same range resolution cell. Linear FM, the most common choice, unfortunately does not exhibit this desirable property.     

基于小波变换的单脉冲雷达目标RCS测量方法研究

随着现代信号处理技术的发展,对非平稳信号分析和处理的小波分析技术已成功应用于雷达目标特性分析领域,大功率单脉冲雷达作为我国航天测控网的主干设备,具有一定的目标特性识别能力。本文主要针对脉冲雷达RCS测量原理,讨论了基于小波变换的单脉冲雷达空间目标RCS测量方法,提出应发挥窄带低分辨率雷达在未来空间目标识别中的作用。     

Space-time-frequency processing of synthetic aperture radar signals

The subject of this work is the detection and high resolution microwave imaging of objects moving on the ground and observed by an airborne radar. The proposed approach is based on a combined space-time and time-frequency processing. The space-time processing makes use of a linear array antenna and exploits the radar motion for filtering the received echoes in order to improve as much as possible the signal-to-disturbance ratio. The signal is then mapped onto the time-frequency domain, by computing its Wigner-Ville distribution, for a further filtering and for estimating its instantaneous frequency, necessary for the formation of a high resolution image of the moving object