Radar Principles & Systems

Two Basic Radar Types

Pulse Transmission Continuous Wave

Pulse Transmission
Pulse Width (PW) Length or duration of a given pulse Pulse Repetition Time (PRT=1/PRF) PRT is time from beginning of one pulse to the beginning of the next PRF is frequency at which consecutive pulses are transmitted. PW can determine the radars minimum detection range; PW can determine the radars ma imum detection range! PRF can determine the radars ma imum detection range!

Pulse Diagram
PRT
Listening Time Carrier Freq.

PW

PRT=1/PRF

Pulse Radar Components

Synchronizer Transmitter
RF t Ou

Dis !ay "nit

Recei#er

Antenna Control

Ech o

In

Po$er S% !y

D% !e(er

&'T.

Continuous Wave Radar

"mplo#s continual R$%$R transmission

&eparate transmit and receive antennas

Relies on the '%(PP)"R &*+FT,

Doppler Frequency Shi ts

Motion Away: Echo Frequency Decreases

Motion Towards: Echo Frequency Increases

Continuous Wave Radar Components

Transmitter CW RF Oscillator Antenna *"T

Discriminator

&)P

Mixer

+' Antenna

Indicator

Pulse !s" Continuous Wave

Pulse "cho
&ingle $ntenna -ives Range. usuall# $lt! as /ell &uscepti0le To 1amming Ph#sical Range %etermined 2# PW and PRF! Continuous Wave Re3uires 4 $ntennae Range or $lt! +n5o *igh &6R 7ore %i55icult to 1am 2ut "asil# %eceived $mp can 0e tuned to loo8 5or e pected 5re3uencies

R#D#R Wave $odulation

Amplitude Modulation

Vary the amplitude of the carrier sine wave Vary the frequency of the carrier sine wave Vary the amplitude of the pulses Vary the Frequency at which the pulses occur

Frequency Modulation

Pulse-Amplitude Modulation

Pulse-Frequency Modulation

$odulation Types

#ntennae
T/o 2asic Purposes9
Radiates RF Energy Provides eam Forming and Focus

7ust 2e 1/4 o5 the 5or the ma imum emplo#ed (%epends on 5 spectrum) Wide 2eam /idth pattern 5or &earch. 6arro/ 5or Trac8ing

Concentrating Radar %nergy or Beam& orming

)inear $rra#s
!ses the Principle of wave summation "constructive interference# in a special direction and wave cancellation "destructive interference# in other directions. $ade up of two or more simple half%wave antennas.

:uasi;optical
!ses reflectors and &lenses' to shape the beam.

Re lector Shape
Para0oloid ; Conical &can used 5or 5ire control ; can 0e CW or Pulse (range Peel Para0oloid ; <suall# CW and primaril# 5or 5ire control Para0olic C#linder ; Wide search 0eam ; generall# larger and used 5or long;range search applications ; Pulse

%'amples o #ntenna Types

Quasi-optical Arrays

Beam width !s" #ccuracy

Beamwidth vs Accuracy

Ship A

Ship B

2eam /idth= the arc /here signal strength varies 0# = > d2 5rom ma imum! (?@A) Wider 0eam /idth = lo/er accurac#! 2W / $ntenna dimension

#(imuth #ngular $easurement

Azimuth Angular Measurement
Relative Bearin ! An le from ship"s headin # $rue Bearin ! Ship"s %eadin & Relative Bearin '
Ship"s %eadin An le

$ar et An le

Determining #ltitude
Determining Altitude

Ran t n Sla

Altitude An le of Elevation

Altitude ! slant ran e ( sin) elevation

Wave )uides
<sed as a medium 5or high energ# shielding! <ses $ 7agnetic Field to 8eep the energ# centered in the /ave guide! Filled /ith an inert gas to prevent arcing due to high voltages /ithin the /ave guide!

Factors That # ect Radar Per ormance

&ignal Reception Receiver 2and/idth Pulse &hape Po/er Relation 2eam Width Pulse Repetition Fre3uenc# $ntenna -ain Radar Cross &ection o5 Target &ignal;to;noise ratio Receiver &ensitivit# Pulse Compression &can Rate
$echanical Electronic

Carrier Fre3uenc# $ntenna aperture

Radar Receiver Per ormance Factors

&ignal Reception &ignal;to;6oise Ratio Receiver 2and/idth Receiver &ensitivit#

Signal Reception

* +nly a minute portion of the RF is reflected off the tar et# * +nly a fraction of that returns to the antenna# * $he wea er the signal that the receiver can process, the greater the e!!ective range #

Signal&to&*oise Ratio
7easured in d2BBBBB $0ilit# to recogniCe target in random noise!
(oise is always present. )t some range* noise is greater that target+s return.

6oise sets the a0solute lo/er limit o5 the units sensitivit#! Threshold level used to remove e cess noise!

Receiver Bandwidth
The 5re3uenc# range the receiver can process Receiver must process man# 5re3uencies
Pulse are generated by summation of sine waves of various frequencies. $ust receive with frequency shifts from ,oppler

Reducing the 0and/idth

-ncreases the signal%to%noise ratio% less broadband component "good# ,istorts the transmitted pulse"bad#

Receiver Sensitivity
&mallest return signal that is discerni0le against the noise 0ac8ground
m. range

$n important 5actor in determining the units ma imum range )o/est return strength that can 0e detected is denoted &min or 7in! %etecta0le &ignal

Pulse % ects on Radar Per ormance

Pulse &hape Pulse Width Pulse Compression Pulse Po/er

Pulse Shape
%etermines range accurac# and minimum and ma imum range! +deall# /e /ant a pulse /ith vertical leading and trailing edges!
/ery clear signal 0 easily discerned when listening for the echo 1ome receivers reduce rain clutter on displays by discarding pulses that do not change rapidly

Pulse Width
%etermines the range resolution! %etermines the minimum detection range
Rhmin* unambig2 "c P.# 3 4

Can also determine the ma imum range o5 radar! The narro/er the pulse. the 0etter the range resolution!

Pulse Compression
+ncreases 5re3uenc# o5 the /ave /ithin the pulse! $llo/s 5or good range resolution /hile pac8ing enough po/er to provide a large ma imum range!

Pulse Power
The means to get the signal out a long /a#!
5igh pea6 power desirable to achieve maximum ranges. Low power results in more compact radar units with less power required to operate.

$verage po/er is the time;averaged transmission po/er 5or a pulse radar %ut# c#cle; the ratio o5 pea8 po/er to average po/er 5or pulsed radar
,72 P. 3 PRT2 Pave 3 Ppea6

+ther Factors # ecting Per ormance

&can Rate and 2eam Width
(arrow beam require slower antenna rotation rate

Pulse Repetition Fre3uenc#

,etermines radar+s maximum range"tactical factor# Rhmax2 "c PRT# 3 4

Carrier Fre3uenc#
,etermines antenna si8e* beam directivity and target si8e.

Radar Cross&section ,)
Radar Cross &ection (What radar can see(re5lect)) Function o5 target9
1i8e shape $aterial )spect 7arrier frequency

Theoretical $a'imum Range %quation

Rhma =DPt-eE1/F/D(F)2&min]1/4
Pt= Transmitted po/er -= $ntenna gain (5unction o5 0eam5orming e55icienc# G po/er e55icienc#) e= aperture (receive area o5 antenna)

Summary o Factors and Compromises

"ummary o! Factors and #ompromises
Factor
-ulse Shape

Desired
Sharp a rise as possi.le $all as possi.le Short as possi.le

$hy
Better ran e accuracy /ore power 0lon er ran e 2loser minimum ran e /ore accurate ran e Better ran e accuracy Better an ular resolution Better detection pro.a.ility 4reater ran e Shorter minimum ran e 4reater ma(imum ran e 4reater an ular accuracy 4reater tar et resolution Detects smaller tar ets Smaller equipment /a(imi6es detection ran e Better si nal7to7noise ratio

Trade-o!! %equired
Require infinite .andwidth, more comple( Requires lar er equipment0more power Reduces ma(imum ran e

-ulse 1idth

-ulse Repetition Freq#

Short

Reduces ma(imum ran e

-ulse 2ompression

3ses technique

/ore comple( circuitry

-ower Beam 1idth 2arrier Frequency

/ore 'arrow %i h

Requires lar er equipment 5 power Slow antenna rate, Detection time Reduces ma(imum ran e

Receiver Sensitivity Receiver Bandwidth

%i h 'arrow

/ore comple( equipment Distorts pulse shape

$ &can (amplitude v! range)

!sed for gunfire control )ccurate Range information

Types o Radar +utput Displays

2 &can
!sed for airborne fire control Range and earing* forward loo6ing

" &can
!sed for )ltitude

PP+
$ost common type !sed for surface search and navigation ,isplays target bearing and range

Speci ic Types o Radar

Pulse %oppler
7arrier wave frequency of return compared with that of orignal pulse in mixer to detect moving targets.
9ives bearing* range* and relative motion. Limited by blind speeds% occurs when range changes by : from pulse to pulse.

Fre3uenc# $gile &#stems

,ifficult to ;am.

Speci ic Radar Types

7oving Target +ndicator (7T+) &#stem
1ignals compared with previous return to enhance moving targets. "search radars#
1tationary targets exhibit no phase shift and can be cancelled in a component 6nown as a canceller. $oving radar receivers send the platforms speed as a correction to the phase comparator.

F$CW Radar
<ses F7 pulse to determine range in CW s#stem
!se for radar altimeters and missile guidance. Rh2 "cTf# 3 "4"f4%f<#

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