ULTRA WIDEBAND RADAR SYSTEMS: ADVANTAGES AND

DISADVANTAGES
ProJ Igor. I. Immoreev, PGS Dmih?) V, Fedotov

Moscow Aviation Institute. Gospitalny Val, Home 5, block 18, apt 3 14. 105094, Moscow, Russia,
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

ABSTRACT sensitive. It allows to obtain the radioimage of the

targets.
This review paper discusses the differences of ultra
wideband (UWB) radars from conventional narrow- 2. MAIN POSSIBILITIES OF UWB RADARS
band radars. The features are shown of generation,
radiation and processing of UWB radar signals evoked The reduction of the signal length in the UWB
by change of signal wavefonn in process of location, radar allows for:
by appearance of the mutual dependence between 1. Improved detected target range measurement
signal waveform and antenna directivity and other.’ The accuracy. This results in the improvement of the radar
opportunity of reception of the target radioimage is resolution for all coordinates since the resolution of
shown. targets by one coordinate does not require their
resolution by other coordinates.
1. INTRODUCTION 2. Identification of target class and type because the
received signal carries the information not only about
The vast majority of modem radio systems has a the target as a whole: but also about its separate
narrow frequency range and as carrying waveform uses elements.
harnionic (sinusoidal) or similar quasiharmonic signals 3 . Reduces the radar effects of passive interference
to transmit information. The reason is very simple - from rain, mist, aerosols, metalized strips, etc. T h s is
sinusoidal oscillations are generated by the RLC because the scattering cross-section of interference
oscillating contour itself - the simplest electrical source within a small pulse volume is reduced relative
oscillatory system. And the resonance properties of this to the target scattering cross-section.
system allow to select necessary signals by their 4. Improved stability observing targets at low elevation
frequencies. That’s why the frequency range of most angles at the expense of eliminating the interference
radio engineering systems is many times less than the gaps in the antenna pattem. This is because the main
carrying frequency they employ. Both the theory and signal and any ground return signal arrive at the
practice of the modem radio systems takes this antenna at different times, which thus enables their
distinctive feature into consideration. selection.
At the same time the narrow frequency range of the 5. Increase the probability of target detection and
signal restricts the informational capacity of radio improved stability observing a target at the expense of
systems. That’s why it is necessary to espand the elimination of the lobe structure of the secondary-
frequency range in order to increase the informational radiation pattem of irradiated targets since oscillations
capacity. The only alternative is to increase the reflected from the individual parts of the target do not
transmission time. interfere and cancel, which provides a more uniform
This problem is especially urgent for radar where radar cross section.
detection time is always strictly limited. The common 6. A narrow antenna pattem by changing the radiated
radars with the frequency range not exceeding 10% of signal characteristics.
the carrying frequency have practically exhausted their 7. Improvement of the radar’s immunity to external
infomiational potentialities. That’s why the further narrowband electromagnetic radiation effects and
development of radars lies in employment of signals noise.
with frequency range up to 1 GHz (the duration of the 8. Decrease the radar “dead zone.”
radiated pulses around 1 ns). The informational content 9. Increase the radar’s secretiveness by a signal, which
in the UWB location increases owing to the range will be hard to detect.
reduction of the pulse volume of radar. Thus, when the These above-listed advantages are potentially
length of a sounding pulse changes from 1 ps to 1 ns attainable. Their implementation requires a theoretical
the depth of the pulse voluine reduces from 300 m to base allowing for the calculation of the characteristics
30 cm. It could be said that the instrument; which of UWB radars. This base is also necessay for the
investigates the space, becomes more fine and development of appropriate equipment. However, a
satisfactory and systematized theory of ultra-wideband

0-7803-7496-7/02/$17.0002002 IEEE. 2002 IE56,Conference on Ultra Wideband Systems and Technologies

radars has yet to be developed. The reason has to do angle 0 is delayed by the time (d/c) Cos 0 compared
with the significant distinctions of the process of ultra- to the pulse radiated by the adjacent antenna element.
wideband observations from the similar process when Combined pulse will have various shapes and duration
common narrowband signals are used. Let us consider at different angles 0 in the far field (S, in Fig. 1).
these distinctions. This UWB signal is scattering by the target. Thus
its shape changes 4th time (Sj in Fig.1).
3. MAIN FEATURES OF UWB RADARS The target consists of M local scattering elements
(“bright points”) located along the line L,. For UWB
3.1. Changes of the signal waveform in the process signal CT << L. Such UWB signal reflects from
of detection and ranging discrete target elements and forms pulse sequence.
Number of pulses, time delay T,, and intensity depend
Narrowband - sinusoidal and quasisinusoidal - on target shape and target element pulse response h,,,.
signals have unique property. In the course of This pulse sequence is named as “target image”. The
widespread signal conversions, such as addition, whole image presents time distribution of scattered
subtraction, differentiation and integration, the shape energy, it is formed during time interval t0=2LJc.
(waveform) of sinusoidal and quasi-sinusoidal signals So target RCS becomes time-depended magnitude
remains unchanged; the signals have a shape identical (the concept of instantaneous RSC was introduced).
to that of the original function and mav differ only in The image changes with viewing angle vanations. In
their amplitude and time shift. Hereinafter shape is this case target secondary pattem is nonstationary and
understood as the law of change of a signal in time. On variable. Scattered signals do not interfere and forms
the contrary at the ultra-wideband signal at specified no secondary pattem “nulls”. This promotes steady
(and others) transformations change not only target viewing. Some target elements may have
parameters, but also shape frequency bandwidth out of the UWB signal spectrum.
Such elements are frequency filters and change the
shape further more.
The 5th change of the shape occurs at the reception.
The reason for this is the same as for radiation, that is,
time shift between current pulses induced by the
electromagnetic field in the antenna elements located at
various distances to the target.
The 6th change occurs during signal propagation
through the atmosphere because of different signal
attenuation in various frequencv bands.
The example real of a UWB signal reflected from
the target is given on Fig.2.
I I
Let us assume that UWB signal SI (Fig.1) is
generated and transmitted to the antenna in a form of a
current pulse. Pulse duration in the space cz (c is
velocity of light, z is pulse duration in time domain) is
less than linear size of the radiator L.
The first change of the UWB signal shape ( S 2 in
Fig. 1) occurs during pulse radiation since the intensity
of radiated electromagnetic field varies proportionally
with the derivative (first or higher) of the antenna
current.
The second change of the shape occurs when the
antenna is excited in one point and current pulses move
along the radiator. In this case elements of the antenna
which have length AL=cz will radiate pulses of an
electromagnetic wave serially. As a result a single 3.2. The dependence of the antenna pattern on the
pulse transforms into a sequence of K pulses divided signal length and waveform
by time intervals At (S3 in Fig.1). Visible radiator
length changes according to variations of the angle 0 When the condition L Cos 0>cz is satisfied the
between the normal to the antenna array and the signal waveform begins to vary depending on the
direction towards the point of receiving. So interpulse direction of radiation (reception), i.e. depending on the
intervals vary with this angle as follows: At Sin 0. space coordinates. In this case an unambiguous
The third change of the shape occurs due to delay correspondence between the signal amplitude and its
of fields, radiated by N elements of the antenna, in power inherent in the narrowband oscillations is not
space. The pulse radiated by one antenna element at the available. This circumstance hinders the construction
of a conventional antenna pattem based on the field.

202
 Therefore the antenna pattern construction based on The following condition shall be met for to operate
the energy is accepted for the UWB signals (Fig. 3). such IPC system:
These antenna pattems have fundamental distinctions CT < 2VRT,
from the similar antenna pattems of antennas emitting where VR - the radial velocity of a target. This system
harmonic and quasi-harmonic signals. They do not of selection lacks “blind“ velocities and does not
feature a lobe nature. impose special requirements on the coherence of
radiated signals. The target velocity is aicvays
unambiguously measured. The target radial velocity V,
can be determined in the selection system by the
variation of the range to a target. The minimum
determined velocity of a target will be equal to:
V R m i n =I ~2T.
Over the pulse repetition period, however, the quantity
of interferences entering into and leaving a small pulse
volume may become comparable with the quantity of
interferences residing in this pulse volume. This may
lead to a significant decorrelation of interferences and
the decrease in the efficiency of the alternate-period
compensation equipment. Thus; two opposite
RI 4 tendencies are emerging with the decrease of the pulse
Fig. 3 length and the reduction of the radar pulse volume,
namely, the reduction of interference power and the
increase in their interperiod decorrelation. Fig. 4 shows
The other difference is that varying the ratio the signal-to-interference ratio QIQo dependence on the
between cz and the radiator spacing d of an antenna pulse length Z. This Figure has the following notations:
array may change the width of the main lobe of the - Doppler frequency of interference;
antenna pattem of an array. With the decrease of T or
the increase of d, the antenna pattem width for both the
WQo

i
UWB signal and the narrow-band signal is decreasing.

P
However, in contrast to the latter its structure does not
become multilobe owing to the absence of the
interference of the oscillations of individual radiators. Trod 402
‘pc-2
M
Theoretically, this method may be used to make the
antenna pattem of an antenna emitting the UWB signal 20
as narrow as is wished.
Thus, the antenna pattern for the UWB signal
depends not only on angular coordinates, but also on 10
the time-dependent wavefomi which is designated as S.
Therefore the expressions for the UWB signal antenna
pattem will take the form:P (O,cp,S, t) and W (O,cp,S,t). -
‘F
T

Since the antenna pattem of an antenna radiating or

receiving the UWB signal becomes dependent on the
signal waveform and duration, then it is obvious that
Q - signal-to-interference ratio at the alternate-period
compensation outputs
the directivity factor G (O,cp,S, t), the gain factor K
Qo - signal-to-interference ratio at ~1 and
(O,q,S, t) of an antenna and its effective cross-section
A (O,cp,S, t) become also dependent on the signal
/T=o. 1.
The parameter of the family of curves is the ratio of
parameters.
the average Doppler frequency to the pulse repetition
frequency wrl /T. The plots show that as the pulse
4. MOVING TARGET SELECTION IN THE
length decreases the signal-to-interference ratio is
UWB RADAR initially increasing owing to the pulse volume
reduction and then it drops due to the increase in the
One more distinction of the UWB radar from a interperiod decorrelation of noise. For very small pulse
narrow-band one emerges when operating under lengths; the alternate-period compensation system
passive jamming conditions. ceases to work completely and the increase in the
A small pulse volume permits moving targets to be signal-to-interference ratio is accounted for by
separated without using the Doppler effect. If over the reducing the amount of interference within the pulse
repetition period T a target travels a distance exceeding volume.
a range element (30 cm at z = Ins), then when For the more efficient double alternate-period
interleaved periodic subtraction is applied the signal of compensation of interference; the mentioned
this target ~7ill be separated and the signals of regularities are evident more clearly owing to a higher
stationary or low-mobility targets will be suppressed. sensitivity of this alternate-period interference
compensation to the correlation properties of
. 203
interference. Thus, the use of the moving target the efficiency of such correlation detector (Fig. 5 ) . This
indication is advisable for sufficiently narrow-band signal processing is named as interleaved periodic
interferences (e.g. local things) and a sufficiently high ,correlation processing (IPCP).
repetition frequency, which is used, in short-range At the scheme Fig. 5 has three dissimilarities from
radars. the conventional correlator:
a) the received signal is compared not with a radiated
5. DETECTION OF TARGET IN THE UWB signal but with a signal scattered by a target;
RADAR b) noises are fed to both correlator inputs; at the
correlator outlet we have the distribution function for
During the process of target location UWB signal the product of normally distributed noises;
changes its shape many times including the cases of c) integration period Ti is determined not by the
signal scattering from target bright points. As a result a radiated signal duration, but by the observation
retumed signal is transformed into the sequence of interval, that is, by the scattered signal duration (if a
pulses with random parameters. Such signal is often physical target length is L, the integration time is equal
named as "target image" because it carries knowledge to, T7(2LJc)-2 where 7 is a duration of a radiated
of not only target presence and target coordinates but signal).
also target structure. Proper image processing makes As it is rather difficult to have analytical
possible to recognize a target and to form radioimage expressions for distribution functions for the product of
of target. At initial stage of location before target normally distributed noises at the IPCP outlet, we use
recognition it is necessary to detect of target. It is not mathematical modeling to plot detection
advisable to use for UWB signal detection the characteristics.
traditional methods such as optimum signal processing Fig.6,a and 6,b show the detection characteristics of
by matched filtering or correlation with the reference IPCP for a signal scattered by a stationary target for
signal as the structure of UWB returned signal is fully two values of false alarm rate and 10" (D - .
unknown.
In principle; the detection of an unknown multiunit
target can be realized. If the number of independent
resolution intervals, P,arranged along a target is higher
than the number of intervals, Q, including brilliant
points, then all combinations of P intervals taken Q
brilliant points at a time shall be accounted for
obtaining an optimal detector. However, the realization
of this algorithm requires a very great number of
processing channels.
Methods for quasi-optimum processing of such
Sf *E
signals are well known. But all quasi-optimum Fig 6
detectors suffer from significant losses compared to 1. Traditional correlator for fully known signal;
optimum detector. So it is very important to develop an 2 IPCP for stationary target,
optimum detector for UWB signals scattered by a
complex target.
The repetition period T is the only known parameter probability of detection, q - ratio signal - noise).
of such signals. This parameter may be used for These Figures also show the detection
development of the optimum detector for UWB signals. characteristics of a conventional correlator for fully
It uses as the reference signal a signal received in the known signal. In order to make the comparison valid,
adjacent repetition period and delayed at time interval the duration of a received signal is taken equal to the
T. So the received signal is not compared to the duration a radiated signal (one point target).
reference signal as in a traditional correlator but to the The analysis of results shows the following.
identical echo signal. In this case the background noise The IPCP detection characteristics approach the
in two adjacent repetition periods are noncorrelated. So conventional correlator detection characteristics for
the signal shape becomes the parameter that determines high false alarm rates (lo-*). The difference between
positions of these characteristic increases with reducing
the false alarm rates (lo-'). This can be explained by
the long duration of the "tails" of the distribution
function for the product of normally distributed noises.
In IPCP the given level of false alarm rate can be
maintained by setting.the threshold level higher than in
the conventional correlator. At the same time the
detection characteristics of IPCP are much better, than
those of the e n e r p detector.
Fig. 7 shows the dependence of detection
characteristics on the integration time Ti (determined
by a target length). The false alarm rate 10'' and the

204
integration time Ti equal to 22, 102, and 202 were taken Conference on Radar Systems (RADAR’99).
for modeling. This Figure also shows the detection France, Brest, 1999.
characteristic for a conventional correlator. It is shown [j] Immoreev, I.; Taylor, J.D.; Selective Target
from the picture that with increasing the target length Detecting Short Pulse Ultra- wideband Radar
the IPCP detection characteristic for a stationary target System. Euro Electromagnetics (EUROEM 2000),
approaches more and more the conventional correlator Scotland, Edinburgh, 2000
characteristic when it detects the fully known signal. [6] Immoreev, I.; “Main Features Ultra-Wideband
The reason for this is that distribution function for the (UWEi) Radars and Differences from Common
product of normally distributed noises approaches the Narrowband Radars” in book ((Ultrawideband
normal distribution, while integrating noise samples. Radar Technology)), Edited by James D. Taylor,
CRC Press, Boca Raton, London, New Work,
Washington, 2000.
[7] Immoreev, I.; “Features of Signals Detecting in the
UWB Radars” in book ((UltrawidebandRadar
Technology), Edited by James D. Taylor, CRC
Press, Boca Raton, London, New Work,
Washington, 2000.
[8] Immoreev I., Wu Shunjun, “Use Ultra Wideband
Radar Systems for Increase Information About
Target,” 200 1 CIE International Conference on
Radar: RADAR 2001, Beijing, China, October 13-
Fig.7 18, 2001.
1. Traditional correlator for fully known signal for T,=21:
2. IPCP for a stationary target for Ti=201:
3. IPCP for a stationary target for Tj=lOc
4. 1PCP for a stationary target for T;=ZT:

6. DETECTION OF THE MOVING

TARGET
Above we have considered detection characteristics
for a stationary target. If a target is moving the problem
concerned with its passing from one resolution cell to
another during pulse repetition period emerges. We can
solve this problem by using a multi-channel scheme
similar to Doppler filtration system, which provides
optimal detection of moving targets. The similar multi-
channel scheme can be used for selection of optimal
integration time T while detecting target with various
physical lengths L. The losses resulted from the multi-
cannel configuration of the scheme can be calculated
using the conventional methods that are valid for the
similar multi-cannel digital Doppler systems.

7. REFERENCES

[I] Immoreev, I.: Use of Ultra-Wideband Location in

Air Defence. Questions of Special Radio
Electronics. Radiolocation Engineering Series.
Issue 22. 1991, pp 76-83.
[ 2 ] Immoreev, I. ; Ultrawideband (UWB) Radar
Observation: Signal Generation, Radiation and
Processing. European Conference on Synthetic
Aperture Radar (EUSAR’96). Konigswinter,
Germany. 1996.
r3 Immoreev, I. ; Ultrawideband Location: Main
Features and Differences from Common
Radiolocation. Electromagnetic Waves and
Electronic Systems. V.2, Nc 1. 1997; pp 81-88.
[4 Immoreev, I.; Signal Processing in Ultra Wide
Band (UWB) Radars. Fifth International

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