On the Recycling of Random FM Radar Waveforms

Random frequency modulated (RFM) waveforms have been found to possess a number of useful radar properties such as high dimensionality, good spectral containment, and amenability to high-power transmitters. Moreover, RFM waveforms can be optimized according to a desired spectral template and/or to obtain relatively low range sidelobes. Here we examine a way to greatly reduce the need for the optimization/ storage of new waveforms by performing “recycling” of existing waveforms that have already been optimized. It is shown via hardware loopback capture that recycled versions can largely preserve characteristics of the original while still producing sufficiently distinct new waveforms.