Wideband waveform distortion and compensation techniques

Abstract

Range sidelobes sources, waveform modulation, and compensation techniques are summarized, with emphasis on implementation issues associated with large time-bandwidth product waveforms. Previous efforts have addressed specific wideband phased-array-radar design issues for linear frequency modulation and biphase coded waveforms. The authors extend these efforts to include system error characterization requirements and predistortion/postprocessing compensation technique tradeoffs. Hardware errors are modeled in terms of the corresponding error modulation superimposed on the desired radar waveforms. Deterministic and nondeterministic hardware error imposed by frequency-dependent interchannel gain/phase-delay variation and additive noise effects is examined. Performance measures are examined for specific waveform classes. The interaction between antenna pattern and error modulation is described along with the associated system-level impacts. It is shown that deterministic error components can be suppressed via compensation techniques.<>