Target detection using space-time adaptive processing (STAP) and a multi-band, multi-channel software defined passive radar

The use of passive radar for detection of targets of different type has gained considerable popularity in recent times. This radar uses the so-called the “signals of the opportunities” which are already in the environment. These opportunistic signals can be of different types, both in terms of frequency and modulation type. Therefore, instead of designing a separate hardware receiving system, a better approach will be design a single software defined receiver having capability to capture any signal of interest by just changing antenna system. This paper presents the development of a state of the art multi-channel, multi-band software defined passive radar. The complete hardware system with multi-channel receiver, and different antenna system has been designed, to give the system software-defined radio capability. The full chain of the signal processing algorithms for target detection will be presented. The algorithms include beamforming, space-time adaptive processing (STAP), and constant false-alarm rate (CFAR) detector framework. More emphasizes will be on the STAP algorithm and CFAR detector. Actual experimental data captured with a circular array is used to validate the system design and signal processing algorithms.