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PAT: RADAR SYSTEMS

Radar is basically a means of gathering information about distant objects, or targets, by sending electromagnetic waves at them and analysing the echoes. At first, it was used as an all-weather method of detecting approaching aircraft and later for many purposes. The word itself is an acronym, coined in 1942 by the U.S. Navy, for the words RAdio Detection And Ranging. The range, altitude, direction or azimuth, and/or speed of moving and fixed objects can be precisely determined with radar, such as aircrafts, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. Radar was originally called RDF or Radio Direction Finder in the United Kingdom.

In a radar system, a signal is transmitted toward the target. The reflected signal is picked up by a receiver in the radar unit. The reflected or returned radio signal is called echo.

BASIC RADAR SYSTEM

A master timer controls the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) or pulse repetition rate (PRR). These pulses are transmitted by a highly directional parabolic antenna at the target, which can reflect some of the energy back to the same antenna. This antenna has been switched from a transmit mode to a receive mode by a duplexer. The reflected energy is received, and time measurements are made, to determine the distance of the target.

The pulse energy travels at 186,000 statute miles per second (162,000 nautical miles per second). For convenience, a radar mile (2000 yd or 6000 ft) is often used, with as little as 1 percent error being introduced by this measurement. The transmitted signals takes 6.16 s to travel 1 radar mile; therefore the round trip is equal to 12.36 s. With this information, the range can be calculated by applying the formula below.

Where t = time from transmitted to receiver in microseconds

For higher accuracy and shorter ranges, the equation above can be utilized. A radio signal travels 328yd/s ( ( ) )

After the radar pulse has been transmitted, a sufficient rest time (receiver time) must be allowed for the echo to return so as not to interfere with the next transmit impulse. This PRT, or pulse repetition time, determines the maximum distance to the target to be measured. Any signal arriving after the transmission of the second pulse is called second return echo and give an ambiguous indication.

The range beyond which objects appear as second return echoes is called the maximum unambiguous range (mur) and can be calculated in the equation below.

Range in miles; PRT in s If a large reflective object is very close, the echo may return before the complete pulse can be transmitted. To eliminate ambiguity, the receiver is blocked, or turned off. Blocking of the receiver during transmit cycle is common in most radar systems.

A second problem arises with large objects at close range. The transmitted pulse may be reflected by the target for one complete round trip. It may then, because of its high energy level, be reflected by the transmitter antenna and bounced back to the target for a second round trip. This condition is called double range echoes. To overcome this form of ambiguity, the equation below is used to determine the minimum effective range. Minimum Range = 164 PW Where Range = yards and PW = s In order to obtain a strong reflection or echo from a distant object, the wavelength of the radar signal should be small compared to the size of the object being observed. If the wavelength of the radar signal is long with respect to the distant object, only a small amount of energy will be reflected. At higher frequencies, the wavelength is shorter and, therefore, the reflected energy is greater. Ideally, the size of the target should be one-quarter wavelength for more at the transmitted frequency for the optimum reflected signal.

Other terms sometimes discussed in conjunction with the radar transmitter are duty cycle, peak power, and average power.

The ratio of peak power and average may also be expressed in terms of duty cycle.

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