A light-weight Q-band millimeter wave radar master oscillator

The usability of millimeter wave frequencies in mobile radar systems is largely dictated by the stability characteristics of the system´s master oscillator. The oscillator also has to meet the system specific tactical requirements in terms of the tunable band and tuning speed. In this paper the demands the desired system performance sets on the radar´s master oscillator are discussed. In the discussion the emphasis is on how the oscillator instabilities restrict radar´s signal processing capabilities. The paper also describes one possible solution suitable as the radar´s millimeter wave carrier oscillator. The practical prototype comprises of a Ku-band oscillator and diode multiplier that generates the desired Q- band output. The oscillator uses dielectric resonator stabilization and it has only one GaAs FET as an active element.