Delay Generated Offset: A Direction Sensitive Pulse-Coherent Doppler Detection Technique

An offset-frequency (heterodyne) direction sensitive coherentpulsed Doppler detection method requiring a single digitally synthesized phase-shiftable oscillator and a single mixer is described. Less stringent demands are imposed on hardware in obtaining offset-frequency stability and rejection of internally generated electrical clutter, as compared with the conventional offset method employing two oscillators. Simplification of hardware and postdetector signal processing as compared with the quadrature method (two parallel homodyne detectors) is anticipated. This technique has direct application in medical ultrasonics and is generally applicable to sonar and radar systems.     

Fiber-optic radar calibration

A simple fiber-optic radar calibration target is described. Its operation is based on a wideband fiber, a laser transmitter that is directly modulated by the down-converted radar signal and an optical diode receiver recovering said signal. Further up-conversion having a common local oscillator with the first mixer ensures fidelity of the calibration return. Measured useful bandwidth exceeds 200 MHz and practically any radar RF frequency can be handled when suitable mixers are employed. Amplifiers can be added to the down-converted path as desired to compensate for the fiber loss. Modulation and LO sweep provide easy ways of introducing artificial fluctuations and Doppler frequencies. Particularly pulsed radars are readily tested with the proposed scheme as no restrictions are posed by the radar's TR-switch delays.     

ECCM capabilities of an ultrawideband bandlimited random noise imaging radar

Investigated here is high-resolution imaging of targets in noisy or unfriendly radar environments through a simulation analysis of the ultrawideband (UWB) continuous-wave (CW) bandlimited random noise waveform. The linear FM chirp signal was selected as a benchmark radar waveform for comparison purposes. Simulation of the recovery of various types of target reflectivity functions (TRFs) for these waveforms were performed and analyzed. In addition, electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) capabilities for both types of systems were investigated. The results are compared using the error between the interference (jamming)-free recovered TRF and the recovered TRF under noisy conditions as a function of the signal-to-interference/jamming ratio (SIR/SJR). Our analysis shows that noise waveforms possess better jamming immunity (of the order of 5-10 dB improvement over the linear FM chirp) due to the unique radar correlation processing in the receiver.     

Ultrawideband microwave-radar conceptual design

This paper outlines the special considerations that characterize the design of an UWB radar for the detection of low-altitude missiles over the sea. It discusses the factors which enter into the choice of frequency, and the selection of the transmitter, antenna, and receiver. Reviewed are signal processing issues concerning detection of UWB signals in noise and clutter, nondoppler MTI based on the pulse-to-pulse change in range due to target motion, measurement of target height based on multipath time delay, and target recognition. As the investigation progressed, the authors became disappointed with the available UWB technology, but encouraged about the potential advantages of UWB for this application. The chief limitation of UWB radar that must be overcome before applications are viable is its poor electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)     

FOPEN SAR imaging using UWB step-frequency and random noisewaveforms

The detection and identification of targets obscured by foliage have been topics of great interest. Several synthetic aperture radar (SAR) experiments have demonstrated promising images of terrain and man-made objects obscured by dense foliage, by using either linear frequency modulation (LFM) or step-frequency waveforms. We present here the methodology and results of a comparative study on foliage penetration (FOPEN) SAR imaging using ultrawideband (UWB) step-frequency and random noise waveforms. A statistical-physical foliage transmission model is developed for simulation applications. The foliage obscuring pattern is analyzed by means of the technique of paired echoes. The results of the comparative study demonstrates the ability of a UHF band UWB random noise radar to be used as a FOPEN SAR. Advantages of the random noise radar system include covert detection and immunity to radio frequency interference (RFI)     

FM/AM Noise Test Set for a Pulsed Doppler Radar

A new test method to measure the amplitude noise and phase noise in both CW and pulsed CW signals of a Ku-band pulsed Doppler radar is described. These noises are measured in a simulated environment of radar operation; thus the test results may give direct information to determine radar subclutter visibility. In comparison with the conventional noise test method, this new method not only gives more meaningful results but also can obtain results much faster in testing. Actual test system design is described by block diagrams and theoretical analysis. A method to determine approximate frequency jitter in a transmitter signal is also described.     

Receiver operating characteristics for the coherent UWB randomnoise radar

An ultrawideband (UWB) random-noise radar operating in the 1-2 GHz frequency band has been developed and held-tested at a 200 m range at the University of Nebraska. A unique heterodyne correlation technique based on a delayed transmitted waveform using a photonic delay line has been used to inject coherence within this system. The performance of this radar, assuming a point target, has been investigated from a statistical point of view by developing the theoretical basis for the system's receiver operating characteristics (ROC). Explicit analytical expressions for the joint probability density function (pdf) of the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of the receiver output have been derived under the assumption that the input signals are partially correlated Gaussian processes. The pdf and the complementary cumulative distribution function (cdf) for the envelope of the receiver output are also derived. These expressions are used to relate the probability of detection (P_d) to the probability of false alarm (P_f ) for different numbers of integrated samples, and the results are analyzed     

Multipath and ground clutter analysis for a UWB noise radar

An ultrawideband (UWB) random-noise radar operating in the 1-2 GHz frequency band has been developed and field-tested up to a 200 m range at the Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory (ERSL) of the University of Nebraska. A unique heterodyne correlation technique based on a delayed transmitted waveform using a photonic delay line has been used to inject coherence within this system. The performance of this radar in the presence of ground reflections is investigated analytically and experimentally, and the mitigating effects of UWB waveform on multipath-induced interference are analyzed. In addition, the ground clutter statistics, in a look-down mode, are theoretically established and experimentally verified. The performance of this radar in detecting clutter embedded targets with small radar cross section (RCS) is also experimentally examined.     

Low-voltage CMOS Folded-cascode Mixer

The folded-cascode structure is used to realize the low-voltage low-power consumption mixer, whose performance parameters have big influence on the navigation radio receiver's performance. Adopting the folded-cascode structure, the folded-cascode mixer (FCM) has a lower power supply voltage of 1.2 V and realizes the design trade-offs among the high transconductance, high linearity and low noise. The difficulties of realizing the trade-offs between the linearity and noise performance, the linearity and conversion gain, the conversion gain and noise performance are reduced. Fabricated in an radio frequency (RF) 0.18 μm CMOS process, the FCM has an active area of about 200 μm ×150 μm and consumes approximate 3.9 mW. The test results show that the FCM features a conversion gain (Gc) of some 14.5 dB, an input 1 dB compression point (Pin-1dB) of almost -13 dBm and a dual sideband (DSB) noise figure of around 12 dB. The FCM can be applied to the navigation radio receivers and electronic systems for aviation and aerospace or other related fields.     

Thinned spectrum ultrawideband waveforms using stepped-frequencypolyphase codes

An ultrawideband (UWB) radar can interfere with external RF sources because of the mutual occupancy of the same frequency band. A stepped-frequency polyphase code (SFPC) waveform is proposed as a generic UWB waveform whose interference with the external RF sources is significantly reduced. The subpulses of the individual stepped-frequency (SF) pulses are phase coded using small phase perturbations. This results in a waveform which places nulls at the frequency locations of the external RF sources. Because the phase perturbations are small, a mismatched filter which uses the unperturbed pulses (no phase modulation) as a reference signal results in a simple receiver design and a small mismatch loss on receive. Furthermore, the proposed methodology also has application to narrowband or wideband radars     

Some Results on Pulse-Burst Radar Design

Pulse-burst radar attempts to capitalize on the advantages of both low and high PRF radar while minimizing their disadvantages. Optimization procedures are applied to the choice of transmitter signal and receiver weighting. The results are compared to the use of Tschebyscheff transmitter weighting with an optimized receiver. The effects of various design and operational parameters are indicated. The performance of pulse-burst radar is qualitatively compared to that of conventional low and high PRF Doppler radar. It is concluded that pulse-burst radar offers the possibility of achieving a solution to the MTI problem under operational conditions where conventional Doppler radars fail.     

Rotating Blades Radio Interference in a Helicopter-Borne CW Doppler Radar

Radio interference generated in a helicopter-borne continuous wave (CW) Doppler radar system due to the rotating blades is analyzed. This problem has been previously treated for the case of pulse Doppler radar systems with very narrow (near zero) beamwidth. In this case the strong interference component returning directly from the blades (with no ground reflection) need not be considered as it reaches the receiver when it is still blinded. In the case of a CW Doppler radar, however, this interference component must be included. Numerical calculations show that the total blade interference power level, dominated by the direct component, is higher than that of the direct ground clutter in the radar clutter region. It decreases approximately as (f - fo)-4 in the radar clear region. It stays, however, well above the thermal noise level which might cause false alarm and degrade the radar performance.     

机载单通道雷达实波束扫描的前视探测

针对机载单通道雷达采用合成孔径雷达(SAR)技术、多普勒波束锐化(DBS)技术等途径难以实现载机飞行路线正前方高分辨率成像问题,研究了一种利用方位实波束重叠扫描的新型机载单通道雷达前视探测方法,讨论了提高方位分辨率的可行性和适用条件。该方法根据目标回波强度受到波束扫描增益调制的特点,通过计算修正的Capon空间谱来实现方位超分辨。模拟实验表明,所提方法能够实现机载单通道雷达的前视成像,可以显著提高波束主瓣区域内强弱临近目标的分辨能力。     

Synthetic Aperture Radar

The general theory of side-looking synthetic aperture radar systems is developed. A simple circuit-theory model is developed; the geometry of the system determines the nature of the prefilter and the receiver (or processor) is the postfilter. The complex distributed reflectivity density appears as the input, and receiver noise is first considered as the interference which limits performance. Analysis and optimization are carried out for three performance criteria (resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and least squares estimation of the target field). The optimum synthetic aperture length is derived in terms of the noise level and average transmitted power. Range-Doppler ambiguity limitations and optical processing are discussed briefly. The synthetic aperture concept for rotating target fields is described. It is observed that, for a physical aperture, a side-looking radar, and a rotating target field, the azimuth resolution is ?/? where ? is the change in aspect angle over which the target field is viewed, The effects of phase errors on azimuth resolution are derived in terms of the power density spectrum of the derivative of the phase errors and the performance in the absence of phase errors.     

Stability Measurement Problems and Techniques for Operational Airborne Pulse Doppler Radar

In the deployment of pulse Doppler (PD) radar, determination of phase and amplitude stability is the most difficult measurement problem. Unique requirements are placed on pulse and carrier stability so that the radar can perform in strong clutter. Because of subclutter visibility and sensitivity specifications, coherent noise, which is insignificant for noncoherent pulse radars, becomes extremely important. In solving the measurement problem, special support equipment was developed which is considered to have reached such a degree of refinement that it is probably one of the most technically advanced pieces of field test equipment supporting any operational radar. This paper discusses stability requirements, sources of instability, and the combination of techniques selected for verification of compliance of the PD radar with the stability requirements. The results of a program to develop special field support equipment to satisfy the measurement requirements are emphasized. Results of field experience and the special training required of military field personnel to enable them to effectively use this relatively complex support equipment are discussed.     

Imperfect Carrier Recovery Effect on Filtered PSK Signals

Coherent demodulation of a PSK signal requires the generation of a local carrier phase reference. Methods are given to determine the detection loss caused by noisy phase recovery and its use in the coherent detection of filtered BPSK and QPSK signals. It is assumed that the phase noise can have a static part and a random component with a Tikhonov-type distribution. The static part is mostly due to offset frequency tracking of the PLL used to recover the carrier, while the random component is due to thermal noise present in the carrier recovery loop and is also due to the random nature of the phase modulation. It is shown that the probability of error of BPSK and QPSK can be expressed as a finite sum of a set of strictly alternating converging series when the number of ISI terms is finite. Upper and lower bounds on the probability of error have been derived when this number becomes infinite and we show how this error rate can be computed with any desired accuracy. Numerical results are presented for various values of static error and phase noise variance when the transmit and receive filters are 4-pole Butterworth filters. For filtered PSK signals and for a bit error rate of 10-6, our results show that the additional degradation in presentday receiver systems due to imperfect carrier recovery can be less than 0.1 dB for BPSK and less than 1 dB for QPSK.     

Clutter rejection and transmitter-receiver requirements in anairborne radar

Ground clutter rejection requirements imposed on the exciter transmitter-receiver units of multirole airborne radar are examined. Methods are given to determine the characteristics of the units, such as noise, spurious spectral lines level, and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) dynamics, in both high- and medium-pulse-repetition-frequency modes of operation. It is shown that the spectral noise does not depend on either the wave form or the Doppler bandwidth. The reference oscillator spectral noise must be about -155 dB_c/Hz. The level of spurious lines generally depends only on the duty cycle, and the requirement is -80 dB_c for each line. ADC requires 12 to 14 b. The high-frequency mode is the most promising for detecting targets with very low radar cross sections in head-on configuration (free clutter domain)     

Performance of Doppler Radar in the Presence of Random Fading

This paper deals with the performance of pulse Doppler radar in the presence of random fading. The behavior of this radar is studied as a statistical problem to bring out the limiting bounds of the ambiguity diagram and the nature of variance with respect to the Doppler frequency. The performance of the radar insofar as the first sidelobe is concerned, is shown to be better in the presence of fading than in the normal case. In a particular case where 75 pulses out of an aggregate of 250 pulses are missing, the first sidelobe level is 20.0 dB down from the main lobe with a probability of 23 percent.     

Two Methods of Ambiguity Resolution in Pulse Doppler Weather Radars

A comparison is made of the performance of a weather Doppler radar with a staggered pulse repetition time and a radar with a random (but known) phase. As a standard for this comparison, the specifications of the forthcoming next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) are used. A statistical analysis of the spectral moment estimates for the staggered scheme is developed, and a theoretical expression for the signal-to-noise ratio due to recohering-filtering-recohering for the random phase radar is obtained. Algorithms for assignment of correct ranges to pertinent spectral moments for both techniques are presented.