8.04 WHAT IS RADAR?

• RAdio (RA) Detection (D) And (A) Ranging (R).

• It is an instrument for locating the presence of objects at distances far
beyond our vision.
• It uses radio or electro-magnetic waves to locate the objects.
• It can also tell their distance or range from the observation point and
the speed with which these are moving.
• The measurements are not affected by darkness, clouds, fog, smoke
and many other obstacles that block an ordinary vision.
 8.04 Radar Principle
• The basic components of a radar are a transmitter T, a receiver R, an
antenna A and a Duplexer (DU) that permits the same antenna to be
used for transmission.
 8.04 Radar Principle
• The radar transmitter generates a high frequency electrical signal, for
a very short time duration (τ), which is applied to the radar antenna
via the Duplexer (DU). The antenna radiates this short duration
electromagnetic or radio wave in the direction of the target. The
target intercepts a portion of this energy and re-radiates the same in
all directions; a part of which is reflected back to the antenna. The
antenna receives the back-reflected signal and routes it via the
duplexer (DU) to the receiver. The receiver derives the necessary
information about the target i.e. its presence, its range and its speed
or velocity and presents it to a display system D for the radar operator
to know and take necessary action.
 8.04 RADAR TRANSMITTERS
• The purpose of the transmitter is to generate either the high power
RF pulses or high power c.w. signals. There are two ways to generate
these signals.
• The oldest method and the one that made radar a reality during the
World War II is to generate these waveforms using the Magnetron as
a power oscillator.
• The second method to generate transmit waveform is to first
generate low power RF signals using some RF source followed by a
klystron power amplifier, a Travelling Wave Tube amplifier or solid
state RF amplifiers.
8.04 Magnetron as a power oscillator
 8.04 Magnetron as a power oscillator
• Microwave magnetron or cavity magnetron is a self-excited oscillator
that converts DC power in to RF power.
• At the center there is an oxide coated cathode. Around the cathode
there are a number of RF resonant cavities defined by radial vanes.
• The cathode is applied a negative d.c. voltage and the anode is kept at
ground potential. The electrons emitted by the cathode interact with
the DC electric field and the static magnetic field which is
perpendicular to the electric field.
 8.04 Cavity Magnetron Construction
• Cathode
• Anode Cavities
• Permanent Magnets producing Magnetic field
• RF output using coupling probe
 8.04 Cavity Magnetron Construction
• Cathode at center with surrounded an Anode Cavities
• Magnets for producing Magnetic field perpendicular to electric field
• RF output coupled with coaxial cable
 8.04 Magnetron Working
• When only voltage is applied between anode and cathode and Absence of Magnetic
Field electron are moving straight
• By applying small magnetic field electron take curvature path (Bc= Cutoff magnetic
flux density)
 8.04 Magnetron Working
• When B=Bc, then electron taking longer distance and come back to Cathode means
more time in interaction space, this will help to create oscillation.
• When B>Bc electron taking shorter distance, not useful for oscillation causes
creating heat.
 8.04 Magnetron Working
• ‘e’ gives their energy to electric field , oscillation start in side cavities and
cavity oscillates at high frequency.
 8.04 Magnetron Working
• Favorable Such ‘e’ creates spoke
or Cloud.
• For alternate cavities one spoke
is form.
• Spoke rotates in interaction
space called phase focusing
effect.
Application
• This is a very useful device for civil marine radars because of their
reliable operation.
• The magnetrons used in marine radars are required to generate peak
powers of around 3-75 kW.
 8.04 The Amplifier Chain Transmitter
• The
 8.04 Klystron Power Amplifier
• It is a microwave tube amplifier used for High frequency
amplification.
• Klystron Amplifier Types
• Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
• Multi cavity Klystron Amplifier
8.04 Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
 8.04 Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
• It consist Cathode , Anode and Cavities
 8.04 Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
• Consist two Bunchers
• Drift Space: distance between two cavitys
 8.04 Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
• After giving supply electrons moves from Cathode to Anode
• These electron mix with RF in frequency and moved toward second bencher
 8.04 Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
• Electron between two cavities called reference electron.
 8.04 Two cavity Klystron Amplifier
• When electron reached at second bencher strong amplified output got from
second cavity.
• Electron after second bencher called later electron.
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• Traveling Wave tube is a microwave tube, it is use for amplification of
RF signal
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• It Consist of Vacuum Glass tube
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• On the Left side is electron gun
• Right Side Collector and Helix coil In middle
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• RF input is connected to one of end of Helix coil and RF output is
taken from another end of coil.
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• When tube is excited by external source, electron are emitted by gun
and moved toward collector.
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• Electron entered in Helix coil and interacted with magnetic field created by Helix.
• Electron between coil called reference electron.
• Due to this interaction amplified output got from helix
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• Electron between Helix and collector called later electron
 8.04 Traveling Wave Tube (TWT)
• RF amplified output using TWT
 8.04 Radar Receivers
• In the early radar systems the function of the receiver was to extract
the weak echo signals obtained from the antenna, amplify the same
and provide it to a display system for the radar operator to take a
decision whether a target was present or not, and if present what was
its range or angular position.
• In modern radar receivers the signals are further processed and the
decision about the presence or absence of a target and its related
parameters, is made automatically based on a signal threshold
detection i.e. if the signal is above a particular noise threshold the
target is taken to be present, otherwise not. Moreover modern radar
receivers have Doppler Processing Capability to determine the speed
of targets. These receivers also employ a matched filter at the IF stage
to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Almost all radar receivers are
invariably designed as super-heterodyne receivers.
 8.04 Radar Receivers
Figure shows different
stages in a radar
receiver. The first stage
after the Duplexer is
generally a Low Noise
RF Amplifier. However,
in some military radars,
the Mixer is used as the
first stage as it is less
vulnerable to
deliberate electronic
interference or
jamming.
 8.04 Radar Antennas
• A radar antenna is an interface between the radar system and
propagation of the electromagnetic waves in space. It concentrates
the transmitter energy in the direction of the target and collects the
echo energy scattered back from the target. It also gives the direction
of arrival of the received echo signal to provide target azimuth and
elevation. Because of its directional response it acts as a spatial filter
to look for targets in the desired direction and reject undesirable
noise from other directions. If a radar antenna can be large, the radar
performance is better for the same transmitter power. Radar
antennas have a provision for steering of the beam either by
mechanical means or electronically as in the phased array antennas. A
parabolic reflector antenna resembling a search light is one of the
very common antenna.
 8.04 Radar Antennas
• Figure 7.12 (a) depicts a parabolic
reflector antenna. A feed horn is
positioned at the focus F of the
parabolic reflector.
• The RF power from the transmitter
is fed to the feed horn.
• The feed horn illuminates the
parabolic dish as shown such a
way that the distances travelled by
the wave from the Focus to the
wave front are all equal, as for
example the distance
• FA + AB = FC + CE.