Notes 1 Basics of Radar

B.N.M.
Institute of Technology, Bengaluru-70

Department: Electronics & Communication Engineering
Course: RADAR Engineering (17EC833)
VIII sem B.E. (ECE) (CBCS)
Module -1-Basics of RADAR and Radar Equation
(Text: Chapter 1)
1.1 Introduction
1. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) is an electromagnetic system for the detection and
location of objects. It operates by transmitting a particular type of waveform, a pulse-
modulated sine wave for example, and detects the nature of the echo signal.
2. Radar cannot resolve detail as well as the eye, nor is it capable of recognizing the "color"
of objects to the degree of sophistication of which the eye is capable. However, radar can
be designed to see through those conditions impervious to normal human vision, such as
darkness, haze, fog, rain, and snow. In addition, radar has the advantage of being able to
measure the distance or range to the object. This is probably its most important attribute.
3. An elementary form of radar consists of a transmitting antenna emitting electromagnetic
radiation generated by an oscillator of some sort, a receiving antenna, and an energy-
detecting device. or receiver as shown in Figure 1.1
Figure 1.1 Basic Principle of RADAR

4. A portion of the transmitted signal is intercepted by a reflecting object (target) and is
reradiated in all directions. It is the energy reradiated in the back direction that is of prime
interest to the radar.
5. The reradiation directed back towards the radar is collected by the radar antenna, which
delivers it to a receiver. There it is processed to detect the presence of the target and
determine its location. A single antenna is usually used on a time-shared basis for both
transmitting and receiving when the radar waveform is a repetitive series of pulses.
6. The target's location in angle can be found from the direction the narrow-beamwidth radar
antenna points when the received echo signal is of maximum amplitude.
7. This frequency shift is proportional to the velocity of the target relative to the radar (also
called the radial velocity). The doppler frequency shift is widely used in radar as the basis
for separating desired moving targets from fixed (unwanted) "clutter" echoes reflected
from the natural environment such as land, sea, or rain. Radar can also provide
information about the nature of the target being observed.
Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

B.N.M. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru-70
(Text: Chapter 1)
Range to a Target: The most common radar waveform is a train of narrow, rectangular-shape
pulses modulating a sinewave carrier. The distance, or range, to the target is determined by
measuring the time TR taken by the pulse to travel to the target and return. Since electromagnetic
energy propagates at the speed of light c = 3 x 108 m/s, the range R is
𝐜𝐓𝐑
𝐑 = (1.1)
𝟐
The factor 2 appears in the denominator because of the two-way propagation of radar.
With the range in kilometers or nautical miles, and TR in microseconds, Eq. (1.1) becomes
𝟑 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝐱 𝟏 𝐱 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 𝐓
𝐑 𝟑 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝐱 𝟏 𝐱 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 𝐓
𝐑
R(Km) = = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟓𝑻𝑹 (𝝁𝒔) or R(nmi) = = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟖𝟏𝑻𝑹 (𝝁𝒔)
𝟐 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝟐 𝐱 𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟐
Each microsecond of round-trip travel time corresponds to a distance of 0.081 nautical mile,
0.093 statute mile, 150 meters, 164 yards, or 492 feet.
Figure 1.2 Plot of maximum

unambiguous range as a function
of the pulse repetition frequency
Maximum Unambiguous Range:

Once the transmitted pulse is emitted
by the radar, a sufficient length of
time must elapse to allow any echo
signals to return and be detected
before the next pulse may be
transmitted. Therefore, the rate at
which the pulses may be transmitted
is determined by the longest range at
which targets are expected. If the
pulse repetition frequency is too
high, echo signals from some targets
might arrive after the transmission of
the next pulse, and ambiguities in measuring range might result. Echoes that arrive after the
transmission of the next pulse are called second-time-around (or multiple-time-around) echoes.
Such an echo would appear to be at a much shorter range than the actual and could be misleading
if it were not known to be a second-time-around echo. The range beyond which targets appear
as second-time-around echoes is called the maximum unambiguous range and is
𝐜
𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒃 = (1.2)
𝟐𝒇𝒑
where, fp = pulse repetition frequency, in Hz. A plot of the maximum unambiguous range as a
function of pulse repetition frequency is shown in Fig. 1.2

(Text: Chapter 1)
Radar Waveforms: The typical radar utilizes a pulse waveform, an example of which is shown
in Fig. 1.3. The peak power in this example is Pt = l MW, pulse width τ = 1μs and pulse
repetition period Tp =1 ms -=1000 μs. The pulse repetition frequency fp is 1000 Hz, which
provides a maximum unambiguous range of 150 km, or 81 nmi. The average power (Pav) of a
repetitive pulse-train waveform is equal to Pt,τ/ Tp = Pt τ fp, so the average power in this case is
106 X 10-6/10-3 = 1 kW. The duty cycle of a radar waveform is defined as the ratio of the total
time the radar is radiating to the total time it could have radiated, which is. τ/Tp = τfp, or its
equivalent Pav / Pt In this case the duty cycle is 0.001. The energy of the pulse is equal to Pt,τ,
which is 1 J (joule). If the radar could detect a signal of 10-12 W, the echo would be 180 dB
below the level of the signal that was transmitted. A short-duration pulse waveform is attractive
since the strong transmitter signal is not radiating. when the weak echo signal is being received.
Figure 1.3 Example of a pulse waveform, with "typical" values for a medium-range air-
surveillance radar. The rectangular pulses represent pulse-modulated sinewaves.
With a pulse width τ of 1 μs, the waveform extends in space over a distance CT = 300
m. Two equal targets can be recognized as being resolved in range when, they are separated a
distance half this value, or cτ /2. The factor of one-half results from the two-way travel of the
radar wave. For example, when τ = 1 μs, two equal size targets can be resolved if they are
separated by 150 m.
The pulse carrier might be frequency- or phase-modulated to permit the echo signals to
be compressed in time after reception. This achieves the benefits of high range-resolution
without the need to resort to a short pulse. The technique of using a long, modulated pulse to
obtain the resolution of a short pulse, but with the energy of a long pulse, is known as pulse
compression. Continuous waveforms (CW) also can be used by taking advantage of the doppler
frequency shift to separate the received echo from the transmitted signal and the echoes from

(Text: Chapter 1)
stationary clutter. Unmodulated CW waveforms do not measure range, but a range measurement
can be made by applying either frequency- or phase-modulation.
Pulse radars that extract the doppler frequency shift are called either moving target
indication (MTI) or pulse doppler radars, depending on their values of pulse repetition
frequency and duty cycle. An MTI radar has a low prf and a low duty cycle. A pulse doppler
radar, on the other hand, has a high prf and a high duty cycle.
1.2 THE SIMPLE FORM OF THE RADAR EQUATION
The radar equation relates the range of a radar to the characteristics of the transmitter,
receiver, antenna, target, and environment. It is useful not just as a means for determining the
maximum distance from the radar to the target, but it can serve both as a tool for understanding
radar operation and as a basis for radar design.
If the power of the radar transmitter is denoted by Pt, and if an isotropic antenna is used (one
which radiates uniformly in all directions), the power density (watts per unit area) at a distance R
from the radar is equal to the transmitter power divided by the surface area 4πR2 of an
imaginary sphere of radius R, or
𝑷𝒕
Power density from isotropic antenna = (1.3)
𝟒𝛑𝑹𝟐
Radars employ directive antennas to channel, or direct, the radiated power Pt into some
particular direction. The gain G of an antenna is a measure of the increased power radiated in the
direction of the target as compared with the power that would have been radiated from an
isotropic antenna. It may be defined as the ratio of the maximum radiation intensity from the
subject antenna to the radiation intensity from a lossless, isotropic antenna with the same power
input. (The radiation intensity is the power radiated per unit solid angle in a given direction.) The
power density at the target from an antenna with a transmitting gain G is
𝑷𝒕 𝑮
Power density from directive antenna = (1.4)
𝟒𝛑𝑹𝟐
The target intercepts a portion of the incident power and reradiates it in various
directions. The measure of the amount of incident power intercepted by the target and reradiated
back in the direction of the radar is denoted as the radar cross section σ, and is defined by the
relation
𝑷𝒕 𝑮 𝝈
Power density of echo signal at radar = (1.5)
𝟒𝛑𝑹𝟐 𝟒𝛑𝑹𝟐
The radar cross section σ has units of area. The power received by the radar is given as
the product of the incident power density [Eq. (1.5)] times the effective area Ae, of the receiving
antenna. The effective area is related to the physical area A by the relationship Ae = ρaA, where
ρa = antenna aperture efficiency and the power Pr, received by the radar is

(Text: Chapter 1)
𝑷𝒕 𝑮 𝝈 𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝑨𝒆𝝈
𝑃𝑟 = 𝟐 𝟐 𝑨𝒆 = 𝟐 (1.6)
𝟒𝛑𝑹 𝟒𝛑𝑹 (𝟒𝝅) 𝑹𝟒
The maximum radar range Rmax is the distance beyond which the target cannot be
detected. It occurs when the received echo signal power Pr, just equals the minimum detectable
signal Smin. Therefore
1/4
𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝑨𝒆𝝈
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 = [ 𝟐 ] (1.7)
(𝟒𝝅) 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏
This is the fundamental form of the radar equation. Note that the important antenna
parameters are the transmitting gain and the receiving effective area.
If the same antenna is used for both transmitting and receiving, as it usually is in radar,
antenna theory gives the relationship between the transmit gain G and the receive effective area
Ae, as
𝟒𝝅𝑨𝒆 𝟒𝝅𝝆𝒂 𝑨
G= 𝟐 = (1.8)
𝝀 𝝀𝟐
Since radars generally use the same antenna for both transmission and reception, Eq.
(1.8) can be substituted into Eq. (1.7), first for Ae, then for G, to give two other forms of the radar
equation
1/4
𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐 𝝈
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 = [ 𝟑 ] (1.9)
1/4
𝑷𝒕 𝑨𝟐𝒆 𝝈
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 = [ 𝟐 ] (1.10)
𝟒𝛑𝝀 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏
These three forms (Eqs. 1.7, 1.9, and 1.10) illustrate the need to be careful in the
interpretation of the radar equation. For example, from Eq. (1.9) it might be thought that the
range of a radar varies as λ1/2, but Eq. (1.10) indicates a λ-1/2 relationship, and Eq. (1.7) shows
the range to be independent of λ. The correct relationship depends on whether it is assumed the
gain is constant or the effective area is constant with wavelength.
These simplified versions of the radar equation do not adequately describe the
performance of practical radar. Many important factors that affect range are not explicitly
included. In practice, the observed maximum radar ranges are usually much smaller than what
would be predicted by the above equations, sometimes by as much as a factor of two.

(Text: Chapter 1)
1.3 RADAR BLOCK DIAGRAM AND OPERATION
Figure 1.4 Block diagram of a pulse radar
The operation of a typical pulse radar may be described with the aid of the block diagram
shown in Fig. 1.2.
The transmitter may be an oscillator, such as a magnetron, that is pulsed" (turned on and
"
on) by the modulator to generate a repetitive train of pulses. The magnetron has probably been
the most widely used of the various microwave generators for radar. A typical radar for the
detection of aircraft at ranges of 100 or 200 nmi might employ a peak power of the order of a
megawatt, an average power of several kilowatts, a pulse width of several microseconds, and a
pulse repetition frequency of several hundred pulses per second.
A power amplifier is indicated in Fig. 1.4. The radar signal is produced at low power by a
waveform generator, which is then the input to the power amplifier. In most power amplifiers,
except for solid-state power sources, a modulator turns the transmitter on and off in synchronism
with the input pulses. When a power oscillator is used, it is also turned on and off by a pulse
modulator to generate a pulse waveform.
The output of the transmitter is delivered to the antenna by a waveguide or other form
of transmission line, where it is radiated into space. Antennas can be mechanically steered
parabolic reflectors, mechanically steered planar arrays. or electronically steered phased arrays
(Chap. 9). On transmit the parabolic reflector focuses the energy into a narrow beam, just as

(Text: Chapter 1)
does an automobile headlight or a searchlight. A phased array antenna is a collection of
numerous small radiating elements whose signals combine in space to produce a radiating
plane wave. Using phase shifters at each of the radiating elements, an electronically steered
phased array can rapidly change the direction of the antenna beam in space without
mechanically moving the antenna.
The duplexer allows a single antenna to be used on a time-shared basis for both trans
mitting and receiving. The duplexer is generally a gaseous device that produces a short circuit
(an arc discharge) at the input to the receiver when the transmitter is operating, so that high
power flows to the antenna and not to the receiver. On reception, the duplexer directs the echo
signal to the receiver and not to the transmitter. Solid-state ferrite circulators and receiver
protector devices, usually solid-state diodes, can also be part of the duplexer.
The receiver is almost always a superheterodyne. The input, or RF stage can be a low-
noise transistor amplifier. The mixer and local oscillator (LO) convert the RF signal to an
intermediate frequency (IF) where it is amplified by the IF amplifier. The signal bandwidth of a
superheterodyne receiver is determined by the bandwidth of its IF stage. The IF frequency, for
example, might be 30 or 60 MHz when the pulse width is of the order of 1 μs. (With a l-μs
pulse width, the IF bandwidth would he about 1 MHz,) The IF amplifier is designed as a
matched filter; that is, one which maximizes the output peak-signal-to-mean-noise ratio. Thus,
the matched filter maximizes the detectability of weak echo signals and attenuates unwanted
signals. With the approximately rectangular pulse shapes commonly used in many radars,
conventional radar receiver filters are close to that of a matched filter when the receiver
bandwidth B is the inverse of the pulse width τ, or Bτ = 1.
The IF amplifier is followed by a crystal diode, which is traditionally called the second
detector, or demodulator Its purpose is to assist in extracting the signal modulation from the
carrier. The combination of IF amplifier, second detector, and video amplifier act as an envelope
detector to pass the pulse modulation (envelope) and reject the carrier frequency. The
combination of IF amplifier and video amplifier is designed to provide sufficient amplification,
or gain, to raise the level of the input signal to a magnitude where it can be seen on a display,
such as a cathode-ray tube (CRT), or be the input to a digital computer for further processing.
At the output of the receiver a decision is made whether or not a target is present. The
decision is based on the magnitude of the receiver output. If the output is large enough to
exceed a predetermined threshold, the decision is that a target is present. If it does not cross the
threshold, only noise is assumed to be present.
A radar usually receives many echo pulses from a target. The process of adding these pulses
together to obtain a greater signal-to-noise ratio before the detection decision is made is called
integration. The integrator is often found in the video portion of the receiver.
The signal processor is that part of the radar whose function is to pass the desired echo
signal and reject unwanted signals, noise, or clutter. The signal processor is found in the
receiver before the detection decision is made. The matched filter, mentioned previously, is an
example of a signal processor.
Some radars process the detected target signal further, in the data processor, before dis-
playing the information to an operator. An example is an automatic tracker, which uses the

(Text: Chapter 1)
locations of the target measured over a period of time to establish the track (or path) of the target
A typical radar display for a surveillance radar is the PPI, or plan position indicator (the full term
is seldom used). An example is shown in Fig. 1.5. The PPI is a presentation that maps in polar
coordinates the location of the target in azimuth and range. The PPI in the past has been
implemented with an intensity-modulated CRT. The amplitude of the receiver output modulates
(turns on or off) the electron-beam intensity (called the z-axis of the CRT) as the electron beam
is made to sweep outward (the range coordinate) from the center of the tube. The sweep of the
electron beam rotates in angle in synchronism with the pointing of the antenna beam.
.
Figure 1.5 Example of a PPI (plan position indicator) display
1.4 RADAR FREQUENCIES
Conventional radars generally have been operated at frequencies extending from about
220 MHz to 35 GHz, a spread of more than seven octaves. The place of radar frequencies in the
electromagnetic spectrum is shown in Fig. 1.6.
Early in the development of radar, a letter code such as S, X, L, etc., was employed to
designate radar frequency bands. Although its original purpose was to guard military secrecy, the
designations were maintained, probably out of habit as well as the need for some convenient
short nomenclature. This usage has continued and is now an accepted practice of radar engineers.

(Text: Chapter 1)
Figure 1.6 Radar frequencies and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Table 1.1 lists the radar-frequency letter-band nomenclature adopted by the IEEE. These
are related to the specific bands assigned by the International Telecommunications Union for
radar. For example, although the nominal frequency range for L band is 1000 to 2000 MHz, an
L-band radar is thought of as being confined within the region from 1215 to 1400 MHz since
that is the extent of the assigned band.

(Text: Chapter 1)
1.5 Origin of RADAR
1. The basic concept of radar was first demonstrated by the classical experiments
conducted by the German physicist Heinrich Hertz from 1885 to 1888. Hertz
experimentally verified the predictions of James Clerk Maxwell's theory of the
electromagnetic field published in 1864. Hertz used an apparatus that was similar in
principle to a pulse radar at frequencies in the vicinity of 455 MHz. He demonstrated
that radio waves behaved the same as light except for the considerable difference in
frequency between the two. He showed that radio waves could be reflected from
metallic objects and refracted by a dielectric prism .
2. In 1903 a German engineer by the name of Hulsmeyer experimented with the detection of
radio waves reflected from ships. He obtained a patent in 1904 in several countries for an
obstacle detector and ship navigational device.
3. During the 1920s other evidence of the radar method appeared. S. G. Marconi, the
well-known pioneer of wireless radio, observed the radio detection of targets in his ex-
periments and strongly urged its use in a speech delivered in 1922 before the Institute
of Radio Engineers (now the IEEE). Apparently unaware of Marconi's speech, A. Hoyt
Taylor and Leo C. Young of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
accidentally observed, in the autumn of 1922, a fluctuating signal at their receiver
when a ship passed between the receiver and transmitter located on opposite sides of a
river. This was called a CW wave-interference system, but today it is known as bistatic
CW radar.
4. In the 1930s, radar was rediscovered and developed almost simultaneously and es -
sentially independently in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Soviet Union,
France, Italy, Japan, and Netherlands. These radars operated at frequencies much lower
than those generally used in modern radar. Most early radars employed frequencies in
the vicinity of 100 to 200 MHz; but the British Chain Home radars operated at 30
MHzThe first detection of aircraft using the wave-interference effect was made in June
1930, by L. A. Hyland of the Naval Research Laboratory.' It was made accidentally
while he was working with a direction-finding apparatus located in an aircraft on the
ground. The transmitter at a frequency of 33 MHz was located 2 miles away, and the
beam crossed an air lane from a nearby airfield. When aircraft passed through the
beam, Hyland noted an increase in the received signal.
5. The U.S. Army initiated pulse-radar development in the spring of 1936. At the time
of Pearl Harbor, it had developed and deployed overseas several 200-MHz SCR-268
antiaircraft searchlight-control radars. The Army also received 112 production units
of the 100-MHz SCR-270 long-range air-search radar, one of which detected the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. (Radar did its job at Pearl Harbor, but the command-
and-control system to utilize the information was lacking.)
6. United Kingdom In the mid-1930s, the British felt the urgency of the approaching war
far more than did the United States. Although the United Kingdom started later that the
United States, they turned on their first operational radar system, the 30-MHz. By

(Text: Chapter 1)
1939, the British also developed a 200-MHz airborne-intercept radar for the detection
and intercept of hostile aircraft, especially at night and during conditions of poor
visibility. This radar was later modified to detect surface ships and submarines. A
highly significant advance in radar technology was made with the British invention of
the high-power microwave magnetron in 1940, which opened the higher frequencies to
radar.
7. The first attempt with pulse radar at NRL was at a frequency of 60 MHz. According to
Guerlac, the first tests of the 60-MHz pulse radar were carried out in late December 1934,
and early January, 1935. These tests were "hopelessly unsuccessful and a grievous
disappointment." No pulse echoes were observed on the cathode-ray tube. The chief reason
for this failure was attributed to the receiver's being designed for CW communications rather
than for pulse reception. The shortcomings were corrected, and the first radar echoes
obtained at NRL using pulses occurred on April 28, 1936, with a radar operating at a
frequency of 28.3 MHz and a pulse width of 5 μS. The range was only 24 miles. By early
June the range was 25 miles.
8. It was realized by the NRL experimenters that higher radar frequencies were desired,
especially for shipboard application, where large antennas could not be tolerated.
However, the necessary components did not exist. The success of the experiments at 28
MHz encouraged the NRL experimenters to develop a 200-MHz equipment. The first
echoes at 200 MHz were received July 22, 1936, less than three months after the start of
the project. This radar was also the first to employ a duplexing system with a common
antenna for both transmitting and receiving. The range was only 10 to 12 miles.
9. In 1939 the Army developed the SCR-270, a long-range radar for early warning. The attack
on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, was detected by an SCR-270, one of six in Hawaii at the
time.' (There were also 16 SCR-268s assigned to units in Honolulu.) But unfortunately, the
true significance of the blips on the scope was not realized until after the bombs had fallen.
A modified SCR-270 was also the first radar to detect echoes\ from the moon in 1946.
10. By June 1935, the British had demonstrated the pulse technique to measure range of an
aircraft target. This was almost a year sooner than the successful NRL experiments with
pulse radar. By September, ranges greater than 40 miles were obtained on bomber aircraft.
The frequency was 12 MHz. Also, in that month, the first radar measurement of the height
of aircraft above ground was made by measuring the elevation angle of arrival of the
reflected signal. In March, 1936, the range of detection had increased to 90 miles and the
frequency was raised to 25 MHz..
11. The Germans deployed several different types of radars during World War 11. Ground based
radars were available for air search and height finding so as to perform ground control of
intercept (GCI). Coastal, shipboard, and airborne radar were also employed successfully in
significant numbers. An excellent description of the electronic battle in World War I1
between the Germans and the Allies, with many lessons to offer, is the book
"Instrumentation of Darkness" by Price.
12. The Italians did not believe in the importance of radar until their decisive naval de-
feat in March 1941 by the British Navy in the night Battle of Cape Matapan, where British

(Text: Chapter 1)
radar found and fired upon the surprised Italian ships during darkness. This defeat led to the
Italian production of a series of 200-MHz shipboard radars, called the Owl. A significant
number were installed on Italian ships.
13. The French investigated CW wave-interference (bistatic) radar in the 1930s. They carried
the bistatic method further than other countries and installed a system early in the war. It
was deployed as a triple fence laid out in a Z-pattern so as to obtain the direction of travel,
speed, and altitude of an aircraft target.
14. The Japanese discovered and developed the microwave magnetron before the British.
Although they had a number of different microwave magnetron configurations, they never
were able to convert this capability to microwave radars that were comparable to those of
the Allies. The Japanese explored bistatic radar in 1936 and deployed it for the defense of
their homeland during the war. They initiated pulse radar in 1941, much later than other
countries, after the Germans disclosed to them the British use of VHF pulse radar.
15. Thus, radar developed independently and simultaneously in several countries just prior to
World War 11. It is not possible to single out any one individual as the inventor; there were
many fathers of radar.
1.6 APPLICATIONS OF RADAR

Radar has been employed on the ground, in the air, on the sea, and in space. Ground-
based radar has been applied chiefly to the detection, location, and tracking of aircraft or space
targets. Shipboard radar is used as a navigation aid and safety device to locate buoys, shorelines,
and other ships. as well as for observing aircraft. Airborne radar may be used to detect other
aircraft, ships, or land vehicles, or i t may be used for mapping of land, storm avoidance, terrain
avoidance, and navigation.
The major areas of radar application, in no particular order of importance are described
below.
1. Air Traffic Control (ATC). Radars are employed throughout the world for the purpose of
safely controlling air traffic en route and in the vicinity of airports. Aircraft and ground
vehicular traffic at large airports are monitored by means of high-resolution radar. Radar has
been used with GCA (ground-control approach) systems to guide aircraft to a safe landing in
bad weather.
2. Aircraft Navigation: The weather-avoidance radar used on aircraft to outline regions of
precipitation to the pilot is a classical form of radar. Radar is also used for terrain avoidance
and terrain following.
3. Ship Safety. Radar is used for enhancing the safety of ship travel by warning of potential
collision with other ships, and for detecting navigation buoys, especially in poor visibility. In
terms of numbers, this is one of the larger applications of radar, but in terms of physical size
and cost it is one of the smallest.
4. Space: Space vehicles have used radar for rendezvous and docking, and for landing on the
moon. Some of the largest ground-based radars are for the detection and tracking of
satellites. Satellite-borne radars have also been used for remote sensing as mentioned below.

(Text: Chapter 1)
5. Remote Sensing. All radars are remote sensors; however, as this term is used it implies the
sensing of geophysical objects, or the "environment." For some time, radar has been used as
a remote sensor of the weather. It was also used in the past to probe the moon and the
planets (radar astronomy).
6. Law Enforcement: In addition to the wide use of radar to measure the speed of automobile
traffic by highway police, radar has also been employed as a means for the detection of
intruders.
7. Military: Many of the civilian applications of radar are also employed by the military. The
traditional role of radar for military application has been for surveillance, navigation, and for
the control and guidance of weapons. It represents, by far, the largest use of radar.
Problems:
1. A Radar transmitter operates at 10GHz and transmits 250KW of peak pulse power. If the
antenna has a gain of 4000 and power received from target at 50 Km is 10-11 watts, find
the radar cross section area of the target. (VTU Nov 2020)
Sol: f = 10 GHz Pt = 250 KW G = 4000 Smin = 10-11 watts Rmax = 50Km
λ = c/f = 3 x 108 / 10 x 109 = 0.03 m σ=?
𝟐 1/4
𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝟐 𝝀 𝝈
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 = [ 𝟑
]
4 𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐 𝝈
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
(𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏
𝑹𝟒𝒎𝒂𝒙 (𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏
Radar Cross section area σ =
𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐
𝟒
(𝟓𝟎 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟑 ) 𝒙 (𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟏
σ=
𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒙 𝟒𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒙 𝟒𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒙 𝟎.𝟎𝟑𝟐
= 34.45 m2
2. A ground-based air-surveillance radar operates at a frequency of 1300 MHz (L band). Its
maximum range is 200 nmi for the detection of a target with radar cross section of one
square meter (σ = 1m2). Its antenna is 12m wide by 4m high and the antenna aperture
efficiency is ρa = 0.65. The receiver minimum detectable signal is Smin = 10-13 Watts.
Determine the following: (VTU June/July 2019)
i) Antenna effective aperture Ae (square meters) and antenna gain G in
numerically and decibel.
ii) Peak transmitter power.
iii) Pulse repetition frequencies to achieve a maximum unambiguous range of
200nmi.
iv) Average transmitter power if pulse width is 2μS.

(Text: Chapter 1)
v) Duty cycle.
vi) Horizontal beam width (in degrees)
Sol: f = 1300 MHz Rmax = 200 nmi = 200 x 1.852 = 370.4 Km σ = 1m2
A = 12 x 4 = 48 sq.m ρa = 0.65 Smin = 10-13 Watts.
λ = c/f = 3 x 10 / 1300 x 10 = 0.23 m
8 6
i) Antenna effective aperture Ae (square meters) and antenna gain G in numerically and decibel.
Ae = ρaA
= 0.65 x 12 x 4 = 31.2 sq.m
𝟒𝝅𝑨𝒆 𝟒𝝅𝒙 𝟑𝟏.𝟐
Antenna Gain G = 𝟐 = = 7411.54
𝝀 𝟎.𝟐𝟑𝟐
Gain in dB = 38.69
ii) Peak transmitter power
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑅4𝑚𝑎𝑥 (𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏
𝑃𝑡 =
𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐 𝝈
(𝟑𝟕𝟎.𝟒 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟑 )𝟒 𝒙(𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟑
𝑃𝑡 = = 1285.4 KW
(𝟕𝟒𝟏𝟏.𝟓𝟒)𝟐 𝒙 𝟎.𝟐𝟑𝟐 𝒙𝟏
iii) Pulse repetition frequencies to achieve a maximum unambiguous range of 200nmi
𝑐 3 𝑥 108
𝑃𝑅𝐹 = = = 404.96 Hz
2𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 2𝑥370.4𝑥103
iv) Average transmitter power if pulse width is 2μS.

Pa = Pt tp fr= 1285.4 x 103 x 2 x 10-6 x 404.96 = 1041 watts
v) Duty cycle
Duty cycle = pulse width x PRF
= 2 x 10-6 x 404.96 = 809.92 μs
vi) Horizontal beam width (in degrees)
70𝜆 70 x 0.23
Azimuthal beamwidth (degrees) = = = 1.34°
D 12

(Text: Chapter 1)
3. A pulsed radar operating at 8 GHz has an antenna with a gain of 10 dB and a transmitter
power of 1 KW. If it is defined to detect a target with a cross-section of 12 square meters,
and the minimum detectable signal is Smin = − 80 dBm. What is the maximum range of
the target?
Sol: Pulsed radar frequency = 8 GHz = 8 × 109 Hz
λ = c/f = 3 x 108 / 8 x 109 = 37.5 x 10-3 m
Antenna gain G = 10 dB = 10
Peak power 1kw = 1 × 103 W
Radar cross-section of target = σ = 12 sq.m
Minimum detectable signal (Smin) = − 80 dBm.
-80 = 10log10(Smin)/1mW
Smin/1mW = 10-8
Smin = 10-8 x 10-3 = 1 x 10-11 W
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
4 𝟏 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒙𝟏𝟎 𝒙 𝟏𝟎 𝒙 (𝟑𝟕.𝟓𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟑 )𝟐 𝒙 𝟏𝟐
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
(𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝐱 𝟏 𝐱 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟏
= 8.50 x 1010 m
Rmax = 540 m
4. Find the maximum range of a radar whose transmitted power is 200 kw. Cross-sectional
area of the target is 10 sq.m. The minimum power received is 1 mw. The power gain of
the antenna used is 2000, and the operating frequency is 3 GHz.
Sol: Given radar Transmitted power Pt = 200 kW = 200 ×103 W
Radar cross-section area of target, σ = 10 m2
Minimum detectable signal (Smin) = 1 mW = 1 x 10−3 W
Power gain of antenna Gt = 2000
Transmitted frequency f = 3 GHz =3 x 109
λ = c/f = 3 x 108 / 3 x 109 = 0.1m
4 𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐 𝝈 𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟑 𝒙 (𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟎)𝟐 𝒙 (𝟎.𝟏)𝟐 𝒙 𝟏𝟎
𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 = =
(𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏 (𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟑
= 4.03 x 1010
Rmax = 448 m
5. A radar is required to have an unambiguous range of 500 km; what is the maximum PRF
that may be used? If the pulse length is 5 ns, what is the duty cycle for the transmitter?
𝑐 3 𝑥 108
Sol: 𝑃𝑅𝐹 = = = 300 Hz
2𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 2𝑥500𝑥103
Inter-pulse Period (PRT) = 1/PRF = 3 ms

(Text: Chapter 1)
𝑃𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 5 𝑥 10−9
𝐷𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 = = = 1.67 μs
𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 3 𝑥 10−3
6. a) What is the peak power of a radar whose average transmitter power is 200 W, pulse
width of 1 μs, and a pulse repletion frequency of 1000 Hz?
b) What is the range (nmi) of this ground-based air surveillance radar if it has to detect a
target with a radar cross section of 2 m2 when it operates at frequency of 2.9 GHz, with a
rectangular shaped antenna that is 5m wide, 2.7 m high, antenna aperture efficiency ρa of
0.6, and minimum detectable signal Smin equal to 10-12 W.
Sol: a) Average transmitter power Pa = Pt tp fr
Peak power Pt = Pa / (tp fr) = 200 / (1 x 10-6 x 1000) = 200 KWatts
, σ = 2 m2 f = 2.9 x 109 Hz ρa = 0.6 Smin = 10-12 W.

λ = 3 x 108 / 2.9 x 109 = 0.1m
A = 5 x 2.7 = 13.5 m2
Ae = ρaA = 0.6 x 13.5 = 8.1 m2
𝟒𝝅𝑨𝒆 𝟒𝝅 𝒙 𝟖.𝟏
G= 𝟐 = = 10178.76
𝝀 𝟎.𝟏𝟐
4 𝑷𝒕 𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐 𝝈 𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝒙 (𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟕𝟖.𝟕𝟔)𝟐 𝒙 (𝟎.𝟏)𝟐 𝒙 𝟐
b) 𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = = 2.1 x 1023
(𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏 (𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝒙 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟐
Rmax = 676 Km = 364.97 nmi
7. Compute the following related to radar:

i) What should be the pulse repetition frequency of a radar in order to achieve
maximum unambiguous range of 60 nmi?
ii) How long does it take for the radar signal to travel out and back when the target
is at the maximum unambiguous range?
iii) If the radar has a peak power of 800 kW what is its average power? Choose pulse
width 1.5μS. (VTU June-July 2019)
Sol: i) Rmax = 60 nmi = 60 x 1.852 km = 111.12 km.
𝑐 3 𝑥 108
𝑃𝑅𝐹 = = = 𝟏𝟑𝟒𝟗. 𝟖𝟗 𝑯𝒛
2𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 2𝑥 111.12 𝑥103
𝟑 𝐱 𝟏𝟎𝟖 𝐱 𝟏 𝐱 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 𝐓𝐑
ii) R(nmi) = = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟖𝟏𝑻𝑹 (𝝁𝒔)
𝟐 𝐱 𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟐
𝑹𝒎𝒂𝒙 𝟔𝟎
→ 𝑻𝑹 (𝝁𝒔 ) = = = 𝟕𝟒𝟎. 𝟕𝟒 𝝁𝑺
𝟎.𝟎𝟖𝟏 𝟎.𝟎𝟖𝟏
iii) Average power Pavg = Pt τ fr = 800 x 103 x 1.5 x 10-6 x 1349.89 = 1619.86 Watts

(Text: Chapter 1)
8. A ground-based air surveillance radar operates at a frequency of 1.3 gigahertz (L Band).
Its maximum range is 200 kilometre for the detection of a target with a RCS of 1m2. e.
Its antenna is a horn of 12 metre wide by 4 metre high; its gain is 17dB. The receiver
sensitivity is -100 dBm. The minimum detection range is required to be 300 metre.
Determine the a) the peak transmitter power b) p.r.f to achieve a maximum unambiguous
range of 200 km c) average transmitter power d) range resolution and e) Azimuthal
beamwidth.
Sol: f = 1.3 gigahertz Rmax = 200 km σ = 1m2 Antenna = 12 x 4 m2
G = 17 dB = 10logG → logG = 17/10 = 1.7 → G = 101.7 = 50.12
receiver sensitivity = -100 dBm = 10log10(Smin)/1mW
Smin/1mW = 10-10
Smin = 10-10 x 10-3 = 1 x 10-13 W
Rmin = 300 m λ = c/f = 3 x 108 / 1.3 x 109 = 0.23 m
a) the peak transmitter power

𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑅4𝑚𝑎𝑥 (𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒏 (200 𝒙 𝟏𝟎𝟑 )𝟒 𝒙(𝟒𝝅)𝟑 𝒙𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟑
𝑃𝑡 = = = 2.38 x 109 watts
𝑮𝟐 𝝀𝟐 𝝈 (50.12)𝟐 𝒙 𝟎.𝟐𝟑𝟐 𝒙𝟏
b) p.r.f to achieve a maximum unambiguous range of 200 km

𝑐 3 𝑥 108
𝑃𝑅𝐹 = = = 𝟕𝟓𝟎 𝑯𝒛
2𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 2𝑥 200 𝑥103
c) average transmitter power

𝑐𝜏 2 x Rmin 2 x 300
Rmin = → τ= = = 2 μs
2 c 3 x 108
Pavg = = Pt τ fr = 2.38 x 10 x 2 x 10 x 750 = 3.57 Mw
9 -6
d) range resolution ≈ Rmin = 300 m
70𝜆 70 x 0.23
e) Azimuthal beamwidth (degrees) = = = 1.34°
D 12
9. A radar is tasked with detecting and tracking the moon. Assume that the average distance
to moon is 3.844 x 105 Km and its average radar cross section is 6.64 x 1011 m2.
a) Compute the delay to the moon.
b) What is the required PRF so that the range to the moon is unambiguous?
c) What is moon’s radar cross section in dBSm?
d) What pulse width you will choose to resolve craters of 1km diameter?
Sol:

(Text: Chapter 1)
a) Compute the delay to the moon.
Δt = 2R/c = (2 x 3.844 x 105 Km)/ 3x 108 = 2.56 sec
b) required PRF so that the range to the moon is unambiguous?

𝑐 𝑐 3 x 108
Runamb = → fr = = = 0.39 Hz
2fr 2 x Runamb 2 x 3.844 x 105 km
c) Radar cross section in dBSm = σ = 10log(6.64 x 1011) = 118.22 dBsm
d) Pulse width to resolve craters of 1km diameter

Range Resolution = 1 Km
2𝜋Rmin 2𝜋 x 103
𝜏 = = = 20.94 μS
c 3 x 108

Notes 1 Basics of Radar

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B.N.M.

Institute of Technology, Bengaluru-70

Figure 1.1 Basic Principle of RADAR

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Figure 1.2 Plot of maximum

Maximum Unambiguous Range:

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

1.2 THE SIMPLE FORM OF THE RADAR EQUATION

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Figure 1.4 Block diagram of a pulse radar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Figure 1.5 Example of a PPI (plan position indicator) display

1.4 RADAR FREQUENCIES

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Figure 1.6 Radar frequencies and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

1.6 APPLICATIONS OF RADAR

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

iii) Pulse repetition frequencies to achieve a maximum unambiguous range of 200nmi

iv) Average transmitter power if pulse width is 2μS.

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

, σ = 2 m2 f = 2.9 x 109 Hz ρa = 0.6 Smin = 10-12 W.

7. Compute the following related to radar:

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

a) the peak transmitter power

b) p.r.f to achieve a maximum unambiguous range of 200 km

c) average transmitter power

d) range resolution ≈ Rmin = 300 m

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

b) required PRF so that the range to the moon is unambiguous?

c) Radar cross section in dBSm = σ = 10log(6.64 x 1011) = 118.22 dBsm

d) Pulse width to resolve craters of 1km diameter

Dr. Basavaraj Neelgar

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