A comparison of several algorithms for SAR raw data compression

Proposes new algorithms for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) raw data compression and compares the resulting image quality with the quality achieved by commonly used methods. The compression is carried out in time and frequency domain, with statistic, crisp, and fuzzy methods. The algorithms in the time domain lead to high resolution and a good signal-to-noise ratio, but they do not optimize the performance of the compression according to the frequency envelope of the signal power in both range and azimuth directions. The hardware requirements for the compression methods in the frequency domain are significant, but a higher performance is obtained. Even with a data rate of 3 bits/sample, a satisfactory phase accuracy is achieved which is an essential parameter for polarimetric and interferometric applications. Preliminary analysis concerning the suitability of the proposed algorithms for different SAR applications shows that the compression ratio should be adaptively selected according to the specific application