Microwave Frequency Agile Source for Coherent Radar Applications

The characteristics required of a microwave frequency agile source suitable for modern coherent radar applications are discussed. A design is presented for a source which is capable of generating a relatively large number of channels with minimum compromise to spectral purity. Based on what is believed to be a novel combination of direct and indirect frequency synthesis techniques, the design is shown to be highly flexible in nature, being readily adaptable to different types of reference signal source, and allowing performance to be traded against cost for a wide range of systems applications. The design, construction and performance of a prototype model are described.