Detection, identification and localization of R/C electronic devices through their unintended emissions

The accurate and reliable detection of unintended emissions from radio receivers has a broad range of commercial and security applications. This thesis presents detection, identification, and localization methods for multiple RC electronic devices in a realistic environment. First, a Hurst parameter based detection method for super-regenerative receivers (SRR) has been used for detection. Hurst parameter based detection method exploits a self-similarity property of the SRR receiver emissions to distinguish it from background noise. Second paper presents a novel detection and localization scheme of multiple RC electronic devices called Edge-Synthetic Aperture Radar (Edge-SAR). It employs cost-effective, mobile antenna-array detectors. Two types of RC devices are considered: SRR with H parameter method and super heterodyne receivers (SHR) with peak detection method. Third paper improves detection of multiple devices by proposing a dynamic antenna-array processing method called VIVEK-MVDR-GA. It combines multi-constrained genetic algorithm (GA) and minimum variance distortion-less response (MVDR) method to increase accuracy of detection and localization of multiple devices. Finally, a 4-element array mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proposed to overcome multipath and reflection due to environmental surroundings and improve the response time in compromised scenarios. Also, a time based correlation method is proposed for array detectors to identify the line of sight (LOS) and non-line of sight (N-LOS) signals. A normalized error correlation function has been implemented to improve the estimation of angle of arrival (AOA) in the presence of strong non-line of sight (N-LOS) signals --Abstract, page iv

Detection of Super Regenerative Receiver using Amplitude Modulated Stimulation

Super regenerative receivers (SRRs) are utilized in a number of electronic devices and detecting their presence from extended distances is critical for many applications. This paper describes a new technique to detect such devices from extended distances by utilizing the fact that the frequency of the SRR quench oscillator is dependent on the power of the stimulating signal. This technique is a coherent active detection technique, based on modulated stimulation. The SRR is stimulated with an amplitude modulated signal which causes the emissions to become frequency modulated. The recorded emissions are then frequency demodulated and match-filtered with the modulating signal for robust detection. This detection technique is a coherent technique that is not affected by other noncoherent signals in the spectrum, and as such outperforms amplitude detection techniques in terms of success of detection and range