Course syllabus adopted 2024-02-06 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).
Overview
- Swedish nameRadarsystem och tillämpningar
- CodeRRY081
- Credits7.5 Credits
- OwnerMPWPS
- Education cycleSecond-cycle
- Main field of studyElectrical Engineering, Engineering Physics
- DepartmentSPACE, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
- GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail
Course round 1
- Teaching language English
- Application code 29141
- Maximum participants48 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
- Block schedule
- Open for exchange studentsYes
Credit distribution
Module | Sp1 | Sp2 | Sp3 | Sp4 | Summer | Not Sp | Examination dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0124 Laboratory 1.5 c Grading: UG | 0 c | 0 c | 0 c | 1.5 c | 0 c | 0 c | |
| 0224 Examination 6 c Grading: TH | 0 c | 0 c | 0 c | 6 c | 0 c | 0 c |
In programmes
- MPEES - EMBEDDED ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DESIGN, MSC PROGR, Year 1 (elective)
- MPICT - INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, MSC PROGR, Year 1 (compulsory elective)
- MPWPS - WIRELESS, PHOTONICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING, MSC PROGR, Year 1 (compulsory elective)
Examiner
Lars Ulander- Head of Division, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Space, Earth and Environment
Eligibility
General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.
Specific entry requirements
English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.
Course specific prerequisites
Basic knowledge in electromagnetic fields, Fourier analysis, and mathematical statistics.
Aim
This course describes the main properties of radar systems, and how these are selected in designing and optimizing radar systems. System performance is analyzed based on electromagnetic wave propagation, sub-system characteristics, digital signal processing, and statistical detection theory, where different radar systems are used to illustrate the practical applications of the theory.
Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)
* describe how radars can be used to measure range with time-of-flight and radial velocity with Doppler shift
* define and calculate resolution in time, Doppler frequency, and angle
* understand the Nyquist sampling theorem and describe the effects of undersampling
* define and compare coherent and non-coherent radar systems
* draw a simple block diagram for a radar system and describe the roles of the different components
* derive the radar equations (single and multiple pulses, search radar equation)
* use the radar equations to calculate signal-to-noise ratios and received powers for various radar systems
* use simple formulas to calculate radar cross-section from different objects
* derive for simple metallic radar retro-reflectors the effective area with the high-frequency approximation
* describe qualitatively the backscatter from a metallic sphere as a function of frequency, polarization and size
* use surface and volume backscattering coefficients in calculations of received power, signal-to-clutter ratio and clutter-to-noise ratio
* describe how the atmosphere affects the propagation of radar waves
* calculate the distance to the Earth's radio horizon
* describe the effect of multi-path and calculate the received power for simple geometries relative to its free-space value
* understand the use of random variables to describe noise in radar systems
* derive the matched filter
* derive the probability density function of Rayleigh fading
* calculate required signal-to-noise ratio for a given probability of detection and probability of false-alarm, and for different signal models (Swerling cases)
* describe what is meant by pulse compression
* calculate the output after pulse compression for simple waveforms
* understand how waveform design can improve detection performance
* choose appropriate waveforms for different uses and quantify their performance
* describe the principles of SAR, ISAR and pulse-Doppler radar, calculate resolution for different systems
* define different parameters for describing a system's ambiguity function and calculate those numerically
* be aware of different applications of radar systems
* describe why radar is particularly suited for certain applications compared to other techniques
* understand the trade-offs involved in design of radar systems for different applications
* apply principles of radar system design and analysis to different applications and to quantify performance and suggest improvements in design
Content
1. Introduction- Time-of-flight and Doppler shift measurements
- Coherent vs. non-coherent radar systems
- Antenna gain and beamwidth
- Pulse repetition frequency
- Radar cross section
- Radar equation
2. Radar systems
- Fourier transform
- Nyquist sampling theorem
- Radar hardware blocks
- Antennas
3. Radar scattering
- Simple and complex objects
- Frequency and polarization effects
- Ground and volume scattering
4. Wave propagation
- Reflection, refraction and attenuation
- Propagation in the atmosphere
- Multi-path effects
5. Detection of radar signals
- Quadrature demodulation
- Detectors and integration
- Signal and noise models
6. Waveforms
- Generalised radar signals
- Matched filter
- Pulse compression
7. Radar performance
- Radar ambiguity function
- Signal-to-noise ratio
- Search radar equation
8. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), part 1
9. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), part 2
10. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), part 3
11. Clutter suppression by Doppler filtering
- Pulse-Doppler radar
- MTI radar
12. Radar system examples
- Weather radar, spaceborne radar etc
Organisation
The course will be based on lectures and exercise classes. There will also be laboratory work, home assignments and one or two visits to radar industry.
Literature
"Radar Foundations for Imaging and Advanced Concepts" by Roger J. Sullivan (2004). Additional parts from "Principles of Modern Radar, Basic Principles" by Richards, Sheer and Holm (2010). The books are available as e-books from Chalmers Library. Extra material may be provided.Examination including compulsory elements
Written exam, laboratory work and hand-ins.
The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.