Effect of system noise on the performance of a noncoherent monopulse processor [radar]

An amplitude based angle (ABA) processor is a noncoherent monopulse processor operating at the output of a square-law detector. The performance of an ABA processor is insensitive to phase imbalances at the IF stage of a monopulse receiver and its glint performance is superior to that of the exact processor. The effect of system noise on the accuracy of the angle indicated by the ABA processor is analysed. Explicit expressions for the probability-density functions of the indicated angle are derived for steady and fluctuating (Swerling type-1) targets. The performance of the ABA processor is then compared with that of the exact processor using bias andstandard deviation in the indicated angle as the criteria. Computer simulations are presented to confirm the theoretical predictions