Course: Radar System Design

林 昇 洲 博士
輔仁大學 電子工程系所

Radar System Design

Chapter 1
Introduction to Radar
 Radar System Design

Applications of Radars

Civil Applications Military Applications

• Weather Avoidance • Navigation

• Navigation • Early Warning and See
Surveillance
• Maritime Uses
• Fighter/Interceptor Mission
• High Resolution Area
Mapping • Air-to-Ground Operations
• Sounding • Air-to-Surface Naval
Applications
• Space Flight
• Proximity Fuses
• Countermeasures
Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 1 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

SAR MAP

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 2 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Airbone Radar

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 3 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Fighter/Interceptor

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 4 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

F-15 Multimode APG-63 Radar

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 5 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

F-20 Multimode APG-67 Radar

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 6 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Phase Array Radar

愛國者飛彈射控雷達 神盾雷達系統

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 7 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Surface-to-Air Radar

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 8 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Missile (AMRAAM)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 9 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Missile Guidance

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 10 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Missile Guidance

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 11 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Basic Element of Radar

RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging)
Transmitter
• RF amplifier
• TWT
Antenna
• Parabolic Reflector
• Phase-array
Receiver
• Crystal detector
• RF amplifier
• homodyne
• Superheterodyne
Indicator
• PPI (position)
• Speaker or earphone
(Doppler)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 12 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Basic Radar Operation

• Radar derives target information by correlating the received signal with the transmitted signal.
Target information  Table 1-1.

Size -> strength

Range -> time delay
Angular -> Antenna beam
Velocity -> Doppler

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 13 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Radar Equation
• Transmit Power
• Range
• Power
• Radar Cross Section (RCS)
density at
• Frequency Range R
• Antenna Gain
- Effective Receiving
Aperture (area)
- Wave length
• Other aspects for equation
- Prop. Medium & Path
- Atmospheric noise
- System losses (Nonideal
components)
- Thermal noise
- Signal process losses
(nonideal)
- Other Losses with
particular configurations
and applications

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 14 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Radar Cross section (RCS)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 15 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Noise Factor and Noise Figure

• Noise Factor: account for noise effects of the receiver
 SNR  S i  Ni No  N
F n = -------------------i- = ---------------- = ----------------i  No = A 
Fn Ni 
 SNR  o So  No So  Si
While antenna is matched to the receiver circuit, the thermal noise input to
the receiver is N i = kTB , k = 1.38 10 –23 ,often
T = T o = 290 k  kT o = 4 10 –21 . B : Bandwidth

• Noise Figure: NF = 10 Log(Fn) in dB

Si S o = AS i Si
Loss = L
So = Si 
L
A
FN i No = A 
Fn Ni  Ni No = Ni
kTB is the minimum level for
Equivalent input noise Thermal noise

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 16 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Maximum Detection Range

1 S o 

R max  = --- 
P t  + 2 
G dB + 2 
dBcm + 
 dBm 2 –
BdBMHz –
F n  –
LdB – ------
- + 71dB
dBm 4 dBW dB N o min dB

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 17 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Other Factors for Radar Equation

Hidden in the radar equation is the fact that the signal received
is not fixed rather the signal is usually considered be random.
The target return is corrupted by
• Atmospheric &Thermal noise
• EMI, ECM
• Undesired returns from other targets (clutter)
• Propagation medium anomalies (irregularity)
The target RCS often changes in an unknown way due to a change
of position

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 18 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

Radar Detection
Detection Statistical Process
• Single Pulse Probability of False Alarm
• Atmospheric, thermal noise,
• Probability of Detection electromagnetic interference,
• Output SNR background clutter, propagation
medium anomalies, electronic
countermeasures.
• Target ’
sRCS

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 19 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

pdf of Detection Output (No Target)

False Alarm
• Due to Random Signals
• SNR = 0, no Target is present
• Rayleigh Distribution Approach
• Threshold

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 20 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

 Radar System Design

pdf of Detection Output (Target)

Probability of Detection Maximum Detection Range

• SNR= 1, 2, 3... with target • Single Pulse Probability of False
• Rican Distribution -> Direct ray + Rayleigh Alarm (Pfa)
• Threshold • Probability of Detection (Pd)
• Output SNR

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 21 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin

Radar System Design

Other Factors of Pd
• Effects of unmatched receiver
— Receiver frequency response relative to a matched filter
• Effects of target signal (Steady or Fluctuating)
— Target reflexivity characteristics
• Effects of antenna pattern (scan modulation, multipath)
• Interference other than noise (clutter, electromagnetic
interference, electronic countermeasures)
— Propagation medium and path
• Number of samples included in decision
— Coherent or Noncoherent
— Independent or dependent

Chapter 1: Introduction to Radar 1 - 22 Dr. Sheng-CHou Lin