A Pseudo Noise Modulated CW-Radar with Saw-Convolver for Signal Processing

An important restriction to a broader application of continuous wave radar systems for long-range measurement is their inherent sensitivity against strong nearby reflections. These often cause a receiver saturation and thus make target detection impossible. One approach to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and to improve the system performance of CW radar is the use of spatial filtering techniques /1,2/. The advantageous implementation of frequency hopping of the transmitter carrier signal was demonstrated /3/. In combination with a pseudo noise binary phase shift keying (PNBPSK) of the RF carrier a CW radar with high range resolution is possible. A suitable correlation receiver is realized by a surface acoustic wave (SAW) convolver. The dynamic capabilities of such a system are analysed. The results show that the limits of the system are given by the physical data of the convolver.