Radar equation

Parameters
Transmitted power (CW radar and pulsed radar)

Target range:
As the target range increase, the received signal power
decrease due to the spreading over a greater and greater
area of the transmitted waves.
( )
2
/ density power m w
area
power
=
Parameters
Antenna gain
Directivity of a transmitting antenna is a measure
of how much the antenna concentrates the
transmitted signal into a narrow beam.
Gain: is the ratio of the power radiated by the
antenna in the direction of max radiation, to the
power that would have been radiated by a
lossless (isotropic antenna).
Parameters
Radar Cross Section : RCS
The target intercepts a portion of the transmitted signal and
reflects it in various direction.
How much of the signal is intercepted, how well the target
reflects radar waves and how much of the reflected signal is
actually directed back towards the radar determines the size
of the target as seen by the radar. The measure of this size
is radar cross section RCS denoted by o (units area)
o varies from one target to another and even from one
orientation to another of the same target
Parameters
Antenna Effective Area
The reflected signal by the target, is intercepted
by the reception antenna. The area of the
antenna is high the power of received signal is
high
exp: Power density at the received antenna is
10mw/m2, if Ae=0.5 m2, and if Ae=5 m2.
Derivation of the radar equation
Review:
Power density
Isotropic antenna radiation
Case of CW, and case of pulsed radar
Derivation of the radar equation
Target at range R in the
direction of maximum
radiation
Power received by the
target at a range R is:

Power density of the
reflected signal at the
antenna:

o
t

2
4 R
G P
t
( )
2
2
4 R
G P
t
t
o
Derivation of the radar equation
At the receiver, not all the
reflected power is
intercepted by the radar,
only a portion due the
effective area:

Find the value of the
displacement % R to have
a decreasing of 3 dB.

2 2
) 4 ( R
G P
A P
t
e r
t
o
=
Derivation of the radar equation
For a given noise level at
the input of the receiver, the
minimum signal to noise
ratio depends on the
minimum detectable signal
power Smin, A signal
weaker than Smin, would be
covered by noise and would
probably not be detected.

( )
( )
4 1
min
3
2 2
max
4
1
min
2
max
4
4
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
S
G P
R
S
A G P
R
t
e t
t
o
t
o

Derivation of the radar equation with
losses