Enhanced angle resolution in scanning beam systems

The angular resolution of scanning systems can be improved by using equalizers to deconvolve the effect of the aperture on the input data. It was shown by Berenstein et al. (1990) that the deconvolution problem is inherently ill posed, but stable solutions can be obtained if two or more apertures, with a specified relationship, are employed. The paper presents a practical technique for designing the equalizers and demonstrates by simulation the effect on the performance when the detailed structure of the sensor sidelobe pattern is unknown. The technique can be applied to monopulse systems where the sum and difference beams can serve as the two apertures. Moreover, the typical monopulse beams satisfy the requirement that the Fourier transforms of the beam responses cannot exhibit coincident nulls. Simulation results are presented for a monopulse system example showing that an order of magnitude improvement in angle resolution over an unequalized system can be attained