ECE 5635 Radar Systems

Solutions to HW #1

Fall 2010

ECE 5635 Radar System Analysis and Design Fall 2010 Homework Assignment #1 A C-band surveillance radar has the following parameters: Frequency 5500 MHz Receiver IF Bandwidth 2.0 MHz Pulse duration 0.5 microsecond Prf 500 pps Antenna Gain 40 dB Transmit pulse power 250 kW Later parts of each question use the parameters of earlier parts, unless otherwise stated. Use the constants given at the end of the problem sheet to answer these questions. Ignore any losses in the radar and atmosphere. Problem #1 a. A target is at a distance of 100 km from the radar. Determine the power flux density at the target when the antenna points directly at it, in W/m2 and in dBW/m2. Answer: F = Pt Gt / 4 R2 W/m2 = 250 103 104 / (4 1010) = 2.0 10-2 W/m2 Converting to dB, F = -17.0 dBW/m2 b. The target has a backscatter RCS of 2 m2. Find the maximum received power at the input to the radar receiver in watts and dBW. Answer: Pr = Pt G2 2 / [( 4 )3 R4] = 250 103 108 (0.0546)2 2 / [(4 )3 1020] = 1.491 1011 / 1.984 1023 = 7.51 10-13 W -121.2 dBW Using decibel units Pr = 54 + 80 25.3 + 3 33 200 = -121.3 dBW c. The radar receiver has a system noise temperature of 800 K. Find the noise power referred to the receiver input in watts and in dBW. Answer: N = k Ts Bn = -228.6 + 29.0 + 63.0 = -136.6 dBW d. The detection threshold is set 15 dB above the rms noise floor of the receiver. Find the power level of the threshold in dBW. Answer: Threshold level = N + 15 dB = -121.6 dBW

ECE 5635 Radar Systems Roblem #1 continued

Solutions to HW #1

Fall 2010

e. Using your answers from parts (b) and (d) above, determine whether this target will be detected by the radar. If the target is detected, how many decibels is the signal above the threshold? Answer: The received signal power is -121.3 dBW. The threshold is at 121.6 dBW, so the target is detected, but only by a margin of 0.3 dB. In practice, the target return will fluctuate, so sometimes the received signal will be above the threshold and sometimes below. We will study fluctuating targets they are identified by their Swerling case. See Section 2.8 of the class text for details. f. What is the maximum unambiguous range for this radar? What is the smallest target RCS that can be detected at this range (i.e. where received Power Pr = threshold level). Answer: Runambiguous = c / 2 fp = 3 108 / 2 500 = 3 105 m or 300 km. The 2 m2 target in part (b) was at a range of 100 km and returned a signal power 0.3 dB above threshold. A 2 m2 target exactly at threshold would have a range 0.075 dB ( = 0.3 dB /4) Greater than 100 km, or 101.7 km. A target at 300 km must be (300 / 101.7)4 larger than 2 m2 to return a signal at threshold. Hence target RCS = 75.7 x 2.0 ~ 151 m2.

Problem #2 The radar in Problem #1 is used to detect aircraft. a. What is the maximum range at which a target with RCS = 5 m2 can be detected, in km? Hint: You do not need to recalculate the entire radar equation. Consider the range at which the 2 m2 target was detected in problem #1 and see what has changed in the radar equation. Make sure you are working in dB units. Answer: In Problem #1, a 2 m2 RCS target (RCS = 3 dBm2) was detected at a range of 100 km with a margin of 0.3 dB above a 15 dB threshold level. If we increase the target RCS to 5 m2 7.0 dBm2, the extra RCS increases the received signal by 4 dB, and the maximum detection range is increased by 4.3 dB or .08 dB, a ratio of 1.28. Hence the maximum detection range is 128 km. Note that this sets the target return exactly at the threshold level. b. If the threshold is lowered to 12 dB, what is the maximum range for the 5 m2 target? Answer: The lower threshold gives us a further 3 dB increase in received power above the threshold, at constant range. The increase over 100 km range is 7.3 dB = 1.83 dB 1.52. The new detection range is 100 1.52 = 152 km

ECE 5635 Radar Systems Problem #2 continued

Solutions to HW #1

Fall 2010

c. What is the average RF power of the radar transmitter, in watts? Answer: The transmitter duty cycle is fp = 500 0.5 10-6 = 2.5 10-4 The average transmit power is Pt duty cycle = 62.5 W. d. A hostile aircraft radiates noise into the radar receiver so that the apparent noise temperature of the receiver is increased to 2000 K. The detection system uses a technique known as Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) which always sets the detection threshold 15 dB above the rms noise floor. What is the maximum range at which the 5 m2 RCS target can be detected now? Answer: In problem #2, part (a), we found that the maximum range for the 2 m2 RCS target with a 15 dB threshold was 128 km. When the noise temperature of the receiver increases to 2000 K, the threshold increases by 4 dB. The maximum detection range is then multiplied by a factor of -4dB = -1.0 dB 0.794. Hence Rmax = 102 km. e. A target with a RCS of 200 m2 flies very close to the radar, such that its minimum range is 1 km. What is the maximum received power level? Answer: Referring to Problem #1, at a range of 100 km a 2 m2 RCS target gave a received power level of -121.3 dBW. At a range of 1 km, the R4 factor decreases 80 dB (1004). The RCS is increased by 20 dB (100). Hence received power increases by 100 dB to 21.3 dBW (about 7.4 mW). If the aircraft got even closer, to 400m, the received pulse power would increase by (2.5)4 = ratio of 39.1, to 39 mW. However, the pulse is short, so the receiver would not be damaged by this power level. Leakage through the T-R switch is a more serious problem. k = 1.38x10-23 J/K = -228.6 dBW/K/Hz

Constants: 1 statute mile = 1609.3 m To = 290K