Performance analysis of pulse radar target probing based on non-ideal interrupted transmitting and receiving in RFS

When pulse radar signal is applied in a range limited anechoic chamber for target probing, the transmitted and reflected signal are coupled at the receiver. Interrupted transmitting and receiving (ITR) method can be used to solve this problem. However, the ideal rectangle ITR control signal is difficult to be generated by radio frequency simulation (RFS) system and the period of ITR is unstable in the RFS system. To model the ITR control signal precisely, the trapezoidal pulse is considered to analyze the property of target echo. Besides, the simulations and anechoic chamber experiments are conducted when the ITR period jitters. It shows that the range compression obtained by non-ideal ITR control signal is almost identical with that obtained by the ideal ITR control signal after compensation, which indicates that the ITR method is effective and practical in engineering.

I. Introduction

Field experiment is an important method to evaluate the performance of radar system, analyze target signature and verify the signal processing techniques with the electromagnetic environment (EME) being more and more complex. In field experiment, clutter and coherent interferers such as deceptive electronic countermeasure and radio frequency interference should be included. Because the motion of aerial target is difficult to control, the controllability and reproducibility of field experiment is poor and the cost is high. However, hardware in-the-loop (HWIL) simulation [1] can simulate the whole process of signal generation, radiation, transmission, target reflection and reception in anechoic chamber [2]. Radio frequency simulation (RFS), a typical HWIL simulation, can radiate radar signal to simulate target probing, detection and imaging in anechoic chamber. With the advantage of good controllability and high reproducibility, RFS becomes an important supplement for radar performance evaluation.