Empirical Comparison of Chirp and Multitones on Experimental UWB Software Defined Radar Prototype

This paper proposes and tests an approach for an unbiased study of radar waveforms' performances. Using the ultrawide band software defined radar prototype, the performances of Chirp and Multitones are compared in range profile and detection range. The architecture was implemented and has performances comparable to the state of the art in software defined radar prototypes. The experimental results are consistent with the simulations

Velocity Dealiased Spectral Estimators of Range Migrating Targets using a Single Low-PRF Wideband Waveform

Wideband radars are promising systems that may provide numerous advantages, like simultaneous detection of slow and fast moving targets, high range-velocity resolution classification, and electronic countermeasures. Unfortunately, classical processing algorithms are challenged by the range-migration phenomenon that occurs then for fast moving targets. We propose a new approach where the range migration is used rather as an asset to retrieve information about target velocitiesand, subsequently, to obtain a velocity dealiased mode. More specifically three new complex spectral estimators are devised in case of a single low-PRF (pulse repetition frequency) wideband waveform. The new estimation schemes enable one to decrease the level of sidelobes that arise at ambiguous velocities and, thus, to enhance the discrimination capability of the radar. Synthetic data and experimental data are used to assess the performance of the proposed estimators

An evolutionary algorithm approach to simultaneous multi-mission radar waveform design

It would be beneficial with today’s cluttered electromagnetic spectrum to be able to perform multiple radar missions simultaneously from a single platform. The design of a waveform for this application would greatly benefit the radar community. Radar systems are used to perform many missions, some of which include the detection and tracking of airborne and ground moving targets as well as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging. There are many systems that can operate in multiple modes to perform these missions, although there is no one radar that can simultaneously perform multiple missions using the same waveform [1]. Each mission can be mathematically reduced to an objective or set of objectives that can be used to evaluate their success. These objectives are functions of numerous radar and spatial parameters such as pulse repetition frequency (prf), center frequency, bandwidth, antenna beamwidth, and azimuth look angle, among others. In this thesis, an evolutionary multi-objective optimization technique known as the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2 (SPEA2), developed by Zitzler and Thiele [2], was applied to the simultaneous multi-mission radar waveform design problem. Several of the radar parameters mentioned above were varied to produce diverse waveforms that were manipulated using SPEA2. Due to computational constraints, the problem was approached by using two different scaled down real world scenarios to evaluate the performance of the evolutionary waveform design on a multi-objective moving target indication (MTI) mission and a multi-objective SAR mission, respectively. Multiple experiments showed that SPEA2 can select a set of Pareto optimal waveforms that accomplish these multi-objective missions effectively according to the objective functions that were developed for these missions. Finally, a procedure is outlined to combine these multi-objective MTI and SAR missions into one scaled experiment in which a distributed computing environment could be used to provide more computational resources