Advances in non-linear apodization

Selected new methods and applications of non-linear apodization for irregularly-shaped and parse coherent apertures and arrays are presented. The benefits include unproved impulse response performance, i.e., reduced peak sidelobes and integrated sidelobe power, along with improved mainlobe resolution, compared to classic windowing techniques. Nonlinear apodization (NLA) techniques can also serve as powerful engines for effective superresolution and bandwidth extrapolation of coherent data for filling sparse apertures. The sparse aperture filling property of superresolution algorithms for radar data forms the basis for a new concept which is introduced here: synthetic multiple aperture radar technology (SMART). Increased swath and/or reduced antenna size are some of the benefits postulated for SMART applied to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. The benefits of these new methods and applications for nonlinear apodization are then demonstrated for two specific applications: 1) sidelobe control for Y-type synthetic aperture radiometers, such as the European Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) system (Kerr et al.) and JPL's proposed GeoSTAR (Lambrigsten) concept; and, 2) filling of sparse synthetic aperture radar data by exploiting the bandwidth extrapolation properties of nonlinear apodization based superresolution techniques. The methods that have been developed and demonstrated herein have potential application to a wide range of passive and active microwave remote sensing and radar systems.     

Robust SVA method for every sampling rate condition

Linear apodization, or data weighting, is the traditional procedure to improve sidelobe levels in a finite sampled signal at the expense of resolution. New apodization methods, such as spatially variant apodization (SVA), apply nonlinear filtering to the signal in order to completely remove sidelobes without any loss of resolution. However, the results are strongly influenced by signal sampling rate. Some variations which improve results have been previously published, but sidelobe cancellation gets worse since sampling frequency is not settled at Nyquist (or a multiple). This paper presents a new and efficient technique based on SVA that drastically reduces sidelobe levels for every sampling rate condition. The algorithm is, essentially, a parameter optimization of a variant filter for each pixel of the image. A one-dimensional case and a two-dimensional generalization are presented, as well as some applications to target detection capability in a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system.     

RFI suppression for ultra wideband radar

An estimate-and-subtract algorithm is presented for the real-time digital suppression of radio frequency interference (RFI) in ultrawideband (UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems used for foliage- and ground-penetrating imaging. The algorithm separately processes fixed- and variable-frequency interferers. Excision of estimated targets greatly reduces bias in RFI estimates, thereby reducing target energy loss and sidelobe levels in SAR imagery. Performance is demonstrated on data collected with the Army Research Laboratory's UWB rail SAR.     

机载SAR成像对瞄准线运动补偿的要求

飞机偏离匀速直线运动的运动误差是机载合成孔径雷达成像的基本困难之一。通过详细的理论推导,给出了当飞机沿瞄准线方向同时存在恒定速度误差,恒定加速度误差和正确弦摆动速度误差时,以回波信号压缩波形的主瓣偏移,二次相位误差,三次相位误差以及积分旁瓣比等ＳＡＲ系统图像质量指标的最大允许值表示的机载正侧视ＳＡＲ运动补偿定量要求的解析式。并结合一例子进行了计算分析,所得结论可供有关人员参考。     

An extended chirp scaling algorithm for spaceborne sliding spotlight synthetic aperture radar imaging

A system impulse response with low sidelobes is critical in synthetic aperture radar（SAR） images because sidelobes contribute to noise and interfere with nearby scatterers. However,the conventional tricks of sidelobe suppression are unable to be exactly applied to the case of spaceborne sliding spotlight SAR due to great azimuth shifts in both time and frequency domains. In this paper, an extended chirp scaling algorithm is presented for spaceborne sliding spotlight SAR data imaging. The proposed algorithm firstly uses the spectral analysis（SPECAN） technique to avoid the azimuth spectrum folding effect and then employs the chirp scaling（CS） algorithm to achieve data focusing, i.e., the so-called two-step approach. To suppress the sidelobe level, an efficient strategy for the azimuth spectral weighting which only involves matrix multiplications and short fast Fourier transformations（FFTs） is proposed, which is a post-process executed on the focused SAR image and particularly simple to be implemented. The SAR image processed by the proposed extended CS algorithm is very precise and perfectly phase-preserving. In the end, computer simulation results verify the analysis and confirm the validity of the proposed algorithm.     

一种提高距离分辨率的FMCW SAR RD成像算法

调频连续波合成孔径雷达（FMCW SAR）是一种新近提出来的成像雷达体制,它结合调频连续波与合成孔径成像技术,具有体积小、重量轻、成本低、分辨率高等一系列优点。从频谱的角度进行分析,FMCW SAR的距离分辨率取决于频率测量分辨率。文章研究了一种FMCW SAR高距离分辨率成像算法——利用FFT得到差频信号谱峰的粗略范围,再对这一范围进行ChirpZ变换,从而实现距离高精度估计,并且避免了大的计算量。仿真结果表明该方法的有效性。     

A New Class of Polyphase Pulse Compression Codes and Techniques

A new class of symmetric radar pulse compression polyphase codes is introduced which is compatible with digital signal processing. These codes share many of the useful properties of the Frank polyphase code. In contrast with the Frank code, the new codes are not subject to mainlobe to sidelobe ratio degradation caused by bandlimiting prior to sampling and digital pulse compression. It is shown that bandlimiting the new codes prior to pulse compression acts as a waveform amplitude weighting which has the effect of increasing the mainlobe to sidelobe ratios.     

A chirp scaling approach for processing squint mode SAR data

Image formation from squint mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is limited by image degradations caused by neglecting the range-variant filtering required by secondary range compression (SRC). Introduced here is a nonlinear FM chirp scaling, an extension of the chirp scaling algorithm, as an efficient and accurate approach to range variant SRC. Two methods of implementing the approach are described. The nonlinear FM filtering method is more accurate but adds a filtering step to the chirp scaling algorithm, although the extra computation is less than that of a time domain residual compression filter. The nonlinear FM pulse method consists of changing the phase modulation of the transmitted pulse, thus avoiding an increase in computation. Simulations show both methods significantly improve resolution width and sidelobe level, compared with existing SAR processors for squint angles above 10 deg for L-band and 20 deg for C-band     

A multiobjective optimization approach to determine the parameters of stepped frequency pulse train

Frequency stepping techniques are commonly used in modern radar system to get high range resolution with the disadvantage that its autocorrelation function (ACF) yield undesirable “grating lobes”. Wider mainlobe deteriorates the range resolution capability of the waveform and higher peak sidelobe either hides the small targets or causes the false target detection. Several techniques have been used to choose the parameters of linear frequency modulated (LFM) pulse train to suppress the grating lobes without paying much attention to the mainlobe width and peak sidelobe level. In this paper a multiobjective optimization (Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II)) approach is proposed to optimize the parameters of the LFM pulse train to achieve reduced grating lobes, low peak sidelobe level and narrow mainlobe width. The optimization problem has been studied in two different ways: first one is associated with the reduction of grating lobes and the minimization of peak sidelobe level of the ACF with constraints and second one is related to the minimization of the peak sidelobe level and mainlobe width of the ACF with constraints. Simulation studies have been carried out to justify the potentiality of the proposed approach.     

VSAR: a high resolution radar system for ocean imaging

The velocity synthetic aperture radar (VSAR) is a conceptual synthetic aperture radar (SAR)-based sensor system for high resolution ocean imaging. The VSAR utilizes data collected by a multielement SAR system, to extract information not only about the radar reflectivity of the observed area, but also about the radial velocity of the scatterers in each pixel. This is accomplished by making use of the phase information contained in multiple SAR images, and not just the magnitude information as in conventional SAR. Using this velocity information, the VSAR attempts to compensate for the velocity distortion inherent in conventional SAR and to reconstruct the ocean reflectivity. We present the basic theory of the VSAR system and its performance. We also provide an analysis of the VSAR imaging mechanism for a statistical model of the radar returns, designed to capture the effects of speckle and of resolution degradation due to the decorrelation of the radar returns     

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。     

Properties of Dolph-Chebyshev Weighting Functions

Dolph-Chebyshev amplitude weighting is used with FFT signal processors and array antennas when a low sidelobe response is required. This particular weighting minimizes the width of the mainlobe response while forcing all of the sidelobes to a specified sidelobe level. As the specified sidelobe level is reduced, the mainlobe width increases, as does the loss in signal-to-noise ratio. This correspondence describes how the Dolph-Chebyshev weights may be easily calculated, and gives design data showing how signal-to-noise loss and mainlobe width vary with the specified sidelobe level.     

机动目标的逆合成孔径雷达成像

 逆合成孔径雷达(ISAR)和合成孔径雷达 (SAR)都是利用目标 (场景)与雷达的相对运动,提高横向分辨率,实现对目标 (场景 )的成像。SAR的运动方是雷达平台,可控制作平稳飞行,且用仪器测校其偏离误差;ISAR的运动方通常是非合作目标,运动不受控制,且难以精确测量。当目标作机动飞行时,以目标作固定基准,雷达等效地在空间形成流形复杂的逆合成孔径 (阵列 ),对这种情况下成像的问题进行了系统的研究。     

Removing autocorrelation sidelobes by overlaying orthogonal coding on any train of identical pulses

A coherent train of identical linear FM (LFM) pulses is used extensively in radar because of its good range and Doppler resolution. Its relatively high autocorrelation function (ACF) sidelobes are sometimes reduced through spectrum shaping (e.g., nonlinear FM, or intrapulse weighting on receive). We show how to completely remove most of the ACF sidelobes about the mainlobe peak, without any increase to the mainlobe width, by diversifying the pulses through overlaying them with orthonormal coding. A helpful byproduct of this design is reduced ACF recurrent lobes. The overlaid signal also results in reduced Doppler tolerance, which can be considered as a drawback for some applications. The method is applied to several trains of identical pulses (LFM and others) using several orthonormal codes. The effect on the three important properties of the radar signal: ACF, ambiguity function (AY), and frequency spectrum is presented. The effect on Doppler tolerance is studied, and implementation issues are discussed. The new design is also compared with complementary and sub-complementary pulse trains and is shown to be superior in many aspects.     

一种新颖的超高分辨率SAR频率域反投影成像算法

超高分辨率条件下,机载合成孔径雷达（SAR）发射信号带宽大,合成孔径时间比较长,对成像处理算法的精度和效率要求较高。现有近似频率域处理和时间域滤波反投影（FBP）算法聚焦SAR数据时均存在诸多问题。基于微局部分析方法,提出了一种新颖的频率域滤波反投影（FD-FBP）成像处理方案。首先,利用Keystone变换简化了数据距离多普勒（RD）域徙动表达式。然后,在RD域进行反投影操作,对参考位置处反投影数据进行移位、相位补偿和FFT等操作即可以得到图像,从而在保证算法精确性的前提下有效降低了运算效率,实现了频率域方法的高效率和时间域方法的精确性特点的结合。最后,点目标仿真和实测数据处理以及与FBP等算法的对比验证了该方法的有效性。     

Adaptive digital beamforming for angle estimation in jamming

A radar digital beamforming (DBF) architecture and processing algorithm is described for nulling the signal from a mainlobe electronic jammer and multiple sidelobe electronic jammers while maintaining monopulse angle estimation accuracy on the target. The architecture consists of a sidelobe jamming (SLJ) cancelling adaptive array (AA) followed by a mainlobe jamming (MLJ) canceller. A mainlobe maintenance (MLM) technique or constrained adaptation during the sidelobe cancellation process is imposed so that the results of the SLJ cancellation process do not distort the subsequent mainlobe cancellation process. The SLJ signals and the MLJ signals are thus cancelled sequentially in separate processes. This technique was developed for improving radar processing in determining the angular location of a target, and specifically for improving the monopulse technique by maintaining the accuracy of the target echo monopulse ratio in the presence of electronic jamming by adaptive suppression of the jamming signals before forming the monopulse sum and difference beams     

一种孔径和频率二维稀疏的步进频SAR成像方法

 步进频率信号(SFWs)在不增加雷达系统瞬时带宽的情况下能够获得高的距离向分辨率的同时,也存在着抗干扰能力较差及其等效重复频率较低的问题,并且在方位向积累时间内由于雷达载机工作状态的变化,会导致方位向的数据录取不完整。针对上述问题,提出一种孔径和频率二维稀疏的步进频合成孔径雷达(SAR)成像方法。首先,分析了稀疏步进频率信号(SSFWs)的SAR成像模型,然后基于压缩感知理论完成距离向成像处理。其次,针对稀疏孔径的回波数据,通过构造成像算子和压缩感知重建模型的方法实现其距离徙动校正和方位压缩处理,进而获得二维成像结果。相比于传统的步进频率信号SAR成像,利用所提方法能够在少量的频率资源和雷达回波数据情况下实现准确的SAR成像。最后,通过对仿真和实测的步进频率雷达数据进行成像处理,验证了所提方法的有效性和可行性。     

Coherent Doppler tomography-a technique for narrow band SAR

Some concerns regarding a technique of narrowband synthetic aperture radar (N-SAR) imaging called coherent Doppler tomography (CDT), which may be a good candidate for spaceborne applications, are addressed. Using a single-frequency signal, are addressed. Using a single-frequency signal, resolution of two tenths of a wavelength can be achieved in the point spread function if the radar platform circles the ground path to be imaged. However, the high sidelobe level of -8-dB in the point spread function results in an unacceptable dynamic range. To reduce the sidelobe level, two approaches are presented: coherent processing using multiple discrete frequencies and noncoherent subaperture processing. Simulation results demonstrate that the sidelobe level is substantially reduced by both methods. However, the resolution is degraded and the computational overhead is greatly increased for noncoherent subaperture processing. Also presented is a possible satellite geometry configuration that could utilize N-SAR processing to provide high-resolution global mapping capability     

Multichannel whitening of SAR imagery

The presence of speckle in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery makes image interpretation more difficult and worsens the performance of algorithms designed to detect objects in the imagery. Image processing techniques to reduce speckle usually do so at the expense of spatial resolution. Multichannel whitening is one image processing technique that reduces image speckle while maintaining spatial resolution. Multichannel whitening is applied to imagery recorded during a foliage penetration experiment undertaken by MIT Lincoln Laboratory using the NASA/JPL UHF, L-, C-band fully polarimetric SAR in July 1990. In this experiment, a 50 km² forested area near Portage, Maine was imaged. Twenty-seven 8 ft trihedral corner reflectors were arrayed throughout the imaged area beneath the foliage in order to measure foliage attenuation. The detection performance for corner reflectors under foliage is compared for the raw data and whitened data, and the predictions of a product model for the degree of speckle reduction are compared with the data     

Modeling and a Correlation Algorithm for Spaceborne SAR Signals

A mathematical model of a spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) response is presented. The associated SAR system performance, in terms of the resolution capability, is also discussed. The analysis of spaceborne SAR target response indicates that the SAR correlation problem is a two-dimensional one with a linear shift-variant response function. A new digital processing algorithm is proposed here in order to realize an economical digital SAR correlation system. The proposed algorithm treats the two-dimensional correlation by a combination of frequency domain fast correlation in the azimuth dimension and a time-domain convolver type of operation in the range dimension. Finally, digitally correlated SEASAT satellite SAR imagery is used in an exemplary sense to validate the SAR response model and the new digital processing technique developed.