Range Resolution and Unambiguous Range

Dr.V.R.S. MANI
Associate Professor (SG) / ECE
NEC
Introduction
• RADAR- Radio Detection and Ranging
• Theory of reflection, absorption and scattering
• Higher the frequency better the result
• Location parameters: Range, height, direction, direction
of motion, relative velocity
 Applications
• Maritime, Aviation and Land navigational aids
• Height measurement (radar altimeter)
• Instrument landing (in poor visibility)
• Space applications (planetary observations)
• Radars for determining speed of moving targets (Police
radars Law enforcement and Highway safety)
• Remote sensing (weather monitoring)
• Air traffic control (ATC) and aircraft safety
• Vessel traffic safety
 Applications
• Maritime, Aviation and Land navigational aids
• Height measurement (radar altimeter)
• Instrument landing (in poor visibility)
• Space applications (planetary observations)
• Radars for determining speed of moving targets (Police
radars Law enforcement and Highway safety)
• Remote sensing (weather monitoring)
• Air traffic control (ATC) and aircraft safety
• Vessel traffic safety
 Radar Block Diagram
A Monostatic Radar
Radar Display
Scan Pattern Waveform
Transmitter
Generator Generator

Radar
Antenna Duplexer
Display

Signal Data Data

Receiver
Processor Extractor Processor

TX RX
 Radar Block Diagram
• Antenna is highly directive with large gain
• Duplexer switches automatically
• Tx remains silent during Rx period
• Tx pulse is high power, short duration
• Rx has sensitivity to receive weak echo signals and is be
highly immune to noise
Radar Frequency Band Designations
Band Designation ITU Nominal Specific radar bands based
Frequency Range on ITU assignment
HF 3 – 30 MHz
VHF 30 – 300 MHz 138-144, 216-225 MHz
UHF 300 – 1000 MHz 420-450, 590-942 MHz
L 1 – 2 GHz 1215-1400 MHz
S 2 – 4 GHz 2300-2500, 2700-3700MHz
C 4 – 8 GHz 5250-5925 MHz
X 8 – 12 GHz 8500-10680 MHz
Ku 1 2– 18 GHz 13.4-14, 15.7-17.7 GHz
K 18 – 27 GHz 24.05-24.25 GHz
Ka 27 – 40 GHz 33.4-36 GHz
 Pulsed Radar
• Tx transmits a train of narrow rectangular shaped
pulses modulating a sine wave carrier
• The range to the target is determined by measuring
the time taken by the pulse to travel to the target and
return to the radar
Average Power
• In each cycle (Pulse Repetition Time), the radar only radiates for t sec
• The average transmitted power is
  
Pav  Pt    Pt . .PRF
 PRT 

where Pt = peak transmitted power and 1

PRF 
PRF = Pulse Repetition Frequency, PRT
Range Ambiguity
• The range that corresponds to the 2-way time delay is the radar
unambiguous range, Ru
• Consider detection of 2 targets,
Pulse 1 Pulse 2
Transmitted
Pulses


PRT

Received
echo 1 echo 2
Pulses

t delay t delay
(R )
1
R u

R 2
Range Ambiguity
• Echo 1 is the return from target at range R1,
ctdelay
R1 
2
• Echo 2 is the return from the same target at range R1,
from the 2nd transmission
ctdelay
R2  R1 
2
• Echo 2 can also be taken as an echo from a different
target from the 1st transmission

c  PRT  tdelay 
ERROR! R2 
2
 Range Ambiguity
• The maximum unambiguous range is
cPRT c
Ru ,max  
2 2 PRF
Range Resolution
• Range resolution, R, is the radar ability to detect targets in close
proximity as 2 distinct targets
• 2 close proximity targets must be separated by at least R to be
completely resolved in range
• Consider 2 targets located at ranges R1 and R2, corresponding to time
delays t1 and t2 respectively, the difference between the 2 ranges is

c c
R  R2  R1   t2  t1    t
2 2
 Range Resolution
• To distinguish the 2 targets, they must be separated by at
least 1 pulse width t,
c c
R  
2 2B
where B = radar bandwidth
R 1
R 2

c
Received return return

Pulses target 1 target 2

c c
target 1 target 2