Radar Basics

RAdio Detection And Ranging

Simple in Concept – Complex in Reality
- Primary radar is very simple in principle
- However:
- high RF-energy is needed
- useful signals (echo or return) are very small
- interferences are very large
- useful signals contain significant information
- analysis and signal processing is quite complex
Primary Radar Basics Principle

- pointing direction gives bearing of target

- time delay in received signal gives range of target
Co-ordinates

•Range and bearing describes a position in 2D-radar

•Range, bearing and elevation describes a position in 3D-radar
• Polar co-ordinates
• Cartesian co-ordinates
Radar Set Layout
Radar Set Layout (animated)
Radar Range Measurement

tdelay  c0
R
2
• tdelay is the time taken for the signal to travel to the
target and return to radar site
• (therefore a half of this time is taken in account only)
• c0 is the speed of light (approximately 3·108 m/s)
 c0    
Unambiguous Range

Runamb 
2

The expected time for receiving backscattered signal

must be smaller than the pulse repetition time!
If not, there are ambiguous returns!
• weak echo of actual period?
• strong echo of previous period?
Staggered PRF

• Previous period is not constant

• Ambiguous returns haven't a stable position
• Modern digital radars can “unfold” the range
Ambiguous return on PPI

• Staggered PRT: ambiguous return is dotted:

Range Resolution

• The range resolution depends on the geometric dimension

of a range cell
• the (possibly compressed) pulse width therefore

c0 
R 
2
Resolution Oscillogram
Example 1

• Distance between two targets is to small

Pulse width 1 microsecond
Distance less than 150 meters
= 300 meters
Example 2

• Distance between two targets is large enough

Pulse width 1 microsecond
Distance more than 150 meters
= 300 meters
Bearing Resolution


S A  2 R  sin
2
Spacing in azimuth depends on range R and beamwidth θ
Radar Resolution Cell

• The resolution cell depends on:

• Range resolution (function of time)
• Bearing resolution
(function of antenna’s beam width)
Radar coverage

• Cone of Silence: 2…3 times the height

Line of Sight

• Influence of the curvature of the earth

Rmax  rearth  2 H aim  2 H antenna 

Radar Horizon
• Influence of refraction

Rmax  4.12  H aim  H antenna  [km] ( H in Meters)

Rmax  1.23  H aim  H antenna  [NM] ( H in Feet)

 Radar Service Availability

Sensor network provides overlapping cover – en route case

Closely located sensors mutually limit low coverage

Operational Availability

• Ratio of radars operational time

– in hours, or (e.g.: 1000 h)
– in percent (e.g.: 99.9 %)

in relation to the
• Non-operational time
– needed maintenance time
– probability of hardware faults
Time Scheduling
Transmitters Duty Cycle

P 
Duty Cycle  
Pi T
Dwell Time

 AZ  60
TD 
360 n
Hits Per Scan

TD  AZ  60
m 
T 360 n  T

m= 1...4 m=15...25