Signal processing algorithms for FMCW moving target indicator synthetic aperture radar

The combination of frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technology and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) leads to lightweight, cost-effective imaging sensors of high resolution. In FMCW SAR applications the conventional stop-and-go approximation used in pulse radar algorithms cannot be considered valid anymore, so the motion within the sweep needs to be taken into account. Analytical development of an FMCW SAR algorithm starting from the deramped signal and without using the stop-and-go approximation is presented in this paper; it is then validated processing simulated and real data. Furthermore, the effects of a moving target as they appear in an FMCW SAR image are described and the results can be used to assist moving target indicator (MTI) capabilities.