THE ECLIPSING ZONE PROBLEM IN THE CHIRP RADAR

Bojan M. Zrnic1, Aleksa J. Zejak2, Igor S. Simic3

1
Military Technical Academy, Ratka Resanovica 1, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
2
Institute IMTEL, Bul. Lenjina 165b, 11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia, E-mail: zejak@zormi.com
3
Ericsson,Vladimira Popovica 6, 11070 Belgrade, Yugoslavia, igor.simic@eyu.ericsson.se

Abstract effects have not been discussed in detail. This paper

Eclipse effect analysis is performed for the chirp
radar using the chirp signal ambiguity function. A new
approach to sidelobe suppression for the radar
compression filter response is proposed, which enables
better detection and tracking of the targets within the
eclipsing zone.
1. INTRODUCTION
In the case of optimal signal processing, with a
given spectral noise density, the radar range depends
solely on the total signal energy which is the product of
the radar pulse duration T and the peak transmitter
power P. Moreover, uniqueness in the range
measurement for pulse radars is directly determined by
the pulse repetition interval Ti, according to: D j = c ⋅ T i ,
2 increasing the nominal instrumental range to some range
where Dj stands for the unambiguous range, and c is the
speed of light. It is obvious that the reduction of the
pulse repetition interval induces the reduction of the
unambiguous range.
Ratio of the radar pulse duration T and the pulse
repetition interval Ti is designated as a duty factor. In
long range radar design a large duty factor radar pulse is
usually chosen. The long radar pulse then enables a
sufficiently high energy so that the designed range can
be accomplished with a limited peak power. In order to
preserve the radar performance when the resolution by
range is considered, interpulse phase modulation or
frequency modulation is used; the method spreads the
transmitted signal spectrum and enables pulse
compression at the receiver side.
An undesired consequence of transmitted pulse
spreading is the spreading of the so-called blind zone
Dz. Namely, at ranges less than the value of Dz , where
presents the analysis and the interpretation of the eclipse
effects using the radar ambiguity function of the chirp
signal.
In the original paper [1] the sidelobe suppression in
the compression filter response is carried out by
amplitude weighting of the pulse response; the
Hamming window function is used. The main
disadvantage of the method is widening of the filter
response mainlobe, which means the range resolution
degradation. In this paper a new sidelobe suppression
method is proposed, based on the Iterative Reweighted
Least Squares (IRLS) algorithm [2]. The IRLS
utilization leads to better sidelobe suppression and less
degradation of the range resolution.
A possibility of enhancing the detection and
tracking of the targets within the first eclipsing zone has
been analyzed, together with the possibility of
within the second eclipsing zone.
2. THE ECLIPSING EFFECT
In pulse radars, the echo from the target can be
completely or partially eclipsed, depending on the
relative moment of its return (relative to the transmission
pulse). The eclipse is defined as a situation when the
echo (the replica signal) has returned, but the receiver is
off, since the transmitter is on [3]. In Fig 1 the effect of
eclipsing the replica signal is shown (figure is partially
taken from [1]). The front and rear part of the
transmission pulse and the received pulse are designated
by F (front) and R (rear), respectively.
P u ls e n o . 1 P u ls e n o . 2
a) T R A N SM IT T E R
O U TPU T
F F R
Ti
T

c ⋅T
Dz = (1) b) T A R G E T S
2 P O SIT I O N S A B C

a partial eclipse of the signal’s echo is encountered,

c) R E P L IC A S O F
because the transmitter is on and the receiver is off. This P U L SE N O . 1 A T
IN P U T T O T H E
F R F R F R

zone is designated as the first eclipsing zone. In [1] the C O M P R E SSIO N

F IL T E R
T eA T eC

existence of the second eclipsing zone has been noted; it d) R E FLE C TE D 1.0
POW ER
is placed beyond the nominal instrumental range, in (N O R M A L IZ E D )

connection with the moment of emitting the next N o m in a l in st r u m e n t e d r a n ge

1.0
transmission pulse. Those targets which echoes of the e ) E C L IP SIN G
FACTOR
previous transmission pulse return during the 0 T Ti- T Ti t im e
transmission of the next pulse are eclipsed. I E C L I P SIN G Z O N E II E C L IP SI N G
In [1] an example of the long range chirp radar has ZONE

been taken to note the effects that occur in the Figure 1. Eclipse effect
compression filter response when the target is in one of Targets A and C are partially eclipsed, while target
the two eclipsing zones; however, the causes of the B is not eclipsed. Target A is within the first eclipsing
zone (corresponding to the “blind zone”); it is eclipsed For a majority of analyses the absolute value of the
because the front end of the pulse no. 1 (of duration TeA) complex envelope |χ(t,f)| is important; in the case of a
after the reflection from A, appeared at the input of the linear chirp signal it is given by [4]:
inactive receiver, since the transmission of the rear end ⎡ ⎛ τ ⎞⎤
is still on. Target C is within the second eclipsing zone; sin ⎢πT ( f d + kτ ) ⎜ 1 − ⎟ ⎥
it is eclipsed because the rear end of the pulse no. 1 (of ⎢⎣ ⎝ T ⎠ ⎥⎦
χ (τ , f d ) = za τ ≤ T . (6)
duration TeC) after the reflection from C appeared at the πT ( f d + kτ )
input of the inactive receiver, since the transmission of
the front end of the pulse no. 2 has already started.
Eclipsing factor is given by: According to this equation, Figure 2 shows the
T ambiguity function of the linear chirp signal in the time-
E= e (2) frequency domain. As it can be seen in Figure 2, the
T
where Te is the duration of the eclipsed part of the echo. following features of the linear chirp ambiguity function
Responses of the filters to echoes from the first and the can be enumerated [5]:
second eclipsed zone are symmetrical for the same 1. mainlobe is shifted in time
eclipsing factor value E (like the mirror reflections). The 2. mainlobe has a decreasing value of amplitude
eclipsing factor variation within a pulse period is given 3. mainlobe gets wider
in Figure 1.e, while the reflected power variation is given The time shift of the mainlobe is characteristic for
in Figure 1.d. all chirp types. If a frequency shifted chirp signal is fed
to the input of the compression filter, the response will
3. AMBIGUITY FUNCTION OF THE CHIRP be shifted in time, as shown in Figure 3. This feature is
SIGNAL undesirable, because it introduces ambiguity in ranging
and velocity estimation.
One of the first waveforms implemented in spread-
spectrum radar, which is still in frequent use, is the f=0
chirp autocorrelation function -
linear frequently modulated signal, or the chirp signal. 1 matched filter response

The complex envelope of the linear chirp signal is given autocorrelation function of
by: f=-2B/3 the input signal envelope

1 2 T
µ( t ) = ⋅ e jπkt za t < . (3)
T 2
where T is the duration of the signal, and k is the constant f =-B/3 f =B/3

that determines the slope of the chirp signal, given by:

B f =-B
k = , (4)
T
where B is the signal bandwidth.
0
|χ(t,f)| -T 0 T

Figure 3. Matched filter response to input signals with

varying frequency shifts. Frequency shift is normalized
by the matched filter bandwidth - B.
f =B
The mainlobe value decrease is the second
f=0 important feature of the chirp ambiguity function.
Namely, the compression filter output, for various cases
-T 0
T
f=-B of frequency shift, is limited by the triangle function.
Figure 2. Ambiguity function of the linear chirp signa This function is the autocorrelation function of the
rectangular signal envelope signal at the matched filter
Properties of the radar signal dependent upon the input. The amplitude decrease is caused by the (1-|τ|/T)
target radial velocity (the Doppler frequency shift) and factor in Eq (6). Relative delay τ shortens the effective
upon the target range (delay in time) are described by signal duration from the original value T to T-|τ|, thereby
the ambiguity function. The radar ambiguity function is proportionally decreasing the output signal amplitude
the complex envelope of the compression filter response [4[. The decrease in the mainlobe amplitude affects the
to a signal replica shifted in frequency and delayed in signal to noise ratio, which in turn decreases the radar
time, defined by: maximum range.
∞
χ( τ , f ) =
∫ µ( t ) µ ( t − τ ) ⋅ e
∗ j 2 πft
dt . (5)
−∞
 B Dependence between the eclipsing effect duration
(a)
f1 f0 f2
B The impact of the eclipsing effect to the radar
(b)
f1+fd f0+fd f1+fd
’
B <B
(c)
f1+fd f0+fd/2 f2
Figure 4. Output signal spectrum modified by the
compressive filter bandwidth compression filter
bandwidth B, input signal spectrum shifted in frequency
by fd , resulting spectrum at the compression filter output
B’(shifted by fd/2).
The mainlobe gets wider because the spectrum is
limited by the compression filter bandwidth, which is
shown in Figure 4 [5]. The mainlobe widening results in
degradation of the resolution by range.
4. EFFECT OF THE ECLIPSING TO THE RADAR
COMPRESSION FILTER RESPONSE
A compression filter (both matched and
mismatched) can be implemented in the transversal
form; the weight coefficients of such a filter are
proportional to the complex conjugate of equispaced
samples of the transmitted signal. The filter length is
equal to the duration of the transmitted signal T. When
there is no eclipsing, the reflected signal at the filter
input has the same duration as the transmitted signal.
With the eclipsing effect present, when the target is
within the first eclipsing zone, the duration of the
reflected signal is shortened. If the eclipsing effect lasts
for TeI the original duration is shortened to TI=T-TeI.
Equivalently, if the target is within the second eclipsing
zone, and the eclipsing effect lasts for TeII, the original
duration is shortened to TII=T-TeII.
The eclipsing effect affects the frequency contents
of the reflected chirp signal as well. Shortening of the
reflected pulse is manifested by the reduction of the
signal replica bandwidth. Namely, if the starting
frequency of the transmitted chirp pulse is f1, and the
stop frequency is f2, then the starting frequency of the
signal reflected from the target within the first eclipse
zone will be f1+ feI and the stop frequency will be f2 (the
leading part of the pulse is eclipsed). The starting
frequency of the signal reflected from the target within
the second eclipse zone will be f1 and the ending
frequency will be f2-feII (the ending part of the pulse is
eclipsed).
and the corresponding frequency shift which causes
shortening of the signal replica bandwidth is given by
the equations:
I eclipsing zone: feI= k TeI (7)
II eclipsing zone: feII= k TeII (8)
compression filter response is possible to be explained
with the chirp radar ambiguity function. The
modification of the signal replica spectrum and time
duration causes changing in the compression filter
response given by ambiguity function of chirp signal.
The simulation results of compression filter output
with the eclipsing effect given in [1], show the decrease
of magnitude and the increase of the mainlobe width. In
this paper the precise explanation of the effects
mentioned above is not presented, i.e. there is no
connection with the features of the chirp signal
ambiguity function.
The eclipsing effect inherently shortens the effective
signal replica duration, thereby proportionally
decreasing the output signal amplitude (factor 1-|τ|/T in
the expression (6)). Shortening of the effective signal
replica duration cause limiting in its spectrum bandwidth
(BEI and BEII ) compared to the compression filter
bandwidth B (Fig. 5). The resulting spectrum at the
compression filter output decreases from B to BEI or BEII
and it causes the mainlobe to get wider.
B B
f1 f0 f2 f1 f0 f2
BEI BEII
f1+feI f2 f1 f2-feII
I eclipsing zone II eclipsing zone
Fig. 5 Compression filter bandwidth and the eclipsed
signal spectrum.
In Fig. 6 the effect of eclipsing on the compression
filter output is shown. It can be noted that the
compression filter outputs for different frequency shifts
of the input chirp signal are constrained by the triangle
function representing the cross-correlation of the
rectangular envelope signal replica and the compression
filter impulse response. If the target eclipsing occurs, the
outputs of the compression filter for different frequency
shifts of the input chirp signal would be constrained by
the trapezoid function placed inside of the basic triangle
function.
The eclipsing effect can be considered as a fictitious
Doppler frequency shift of the signal replica (the
instantaneous frequency shift of the input chirp signal
shown in Fig. 6).
 f2 f1
T

TRANSMITTER

DISPLAY
DUPLEXER

SIGNAL
PROCESSOR T-TeI T T-TeII
f1+feI f2 f1 f2 f1 f2-feII

Target A Target B Target C

f2
Instantaneous frequency shift
Instantaneous A of the pulse response of the
feII
frequency shift of B compression filter.
the signal at the
input of the
compression filter C feI
f1

TeII TeI

B
0 T I eclipsing II eclipsing
zone zone

C
A

f2 feI f1 feII f2

T T eI 0 TeII T
Fig 6. Effect of eclipsing on the output of the compression filter.

CONCLUSION [2] A. J. Zejak, E. Zentner, P. V. Rapajic, “Doppler

The partial or total eclipsing of the reflected radar
signal is defined for a situation when the echo has
returned at the receiver input while the transmitter is on
and the receiver is off.
Eclipsing in chirp radars produces certain effects
that can be explained by the features of the chirp radar
ambiguity function. In this paper the analysis and the
interpretation of the eclipse effects using the radar
ambiguity function are presented.
REFERENCES
[1] E.R.Billam, “Eclipsing effects with high-duty-factor
waveforms in long-range radar”, IEE Proceedings,
Vol.132, No.7, pp.598-603, Dec. 1985
optimized mismatched filters”, Electronic letters, Vol.
21, No.7, 1991, pp.558-560
[3] S.A.Hovanesian , “Radar System Design and
Analysis”, Artech House, Dedham, 1984
[4] A.W. Rihaczek, “Principles of High-Resolution
Radar”, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969
[5] C. Cook, M. Bernfeld, “Radar Signals - An
Introduction to Theory and Application”, Academic
Press, new York,1967
[6] J.B.Y. Tsui, “Microwave receivers with electronic
warfare applications”, Krieger publishing company,
1992 (reprint orig. edition 1986)
[7] I. Simic, A.J. Zejak, B. Zrnic A. Petrovic,
"Compressive receiver sidelobes suppression based on
mismatching algorithms", IEEE ISSSTA '98, pp. 990-
993, South Africa, Sept. 1998

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