RADAR Systems – Technology and Challenges

Peter Knott, Stephan Stanko, Helmut Wilden, Maria A. Gonzalez-Huici, Josef Worms

Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR

Fraunhoferstraße 20, 53343 Wachtberg, Germany

[email protected]
www.fhr.fraunhofer.de

Abstract: During the last decade, numerous developments have not only improved and
matured technology and signal processing methods of RADAR systems, but also paved
the road for many new applications besides its traditional domains in defence and space.
The rapid progress in performance of highly integrated electronic components (digital,
analogue or mixed-signal) has enabled several trends such as miniaturization and cost
reduction of sensor devices, a migration to higher frequencies in the millimeter and
Terahertz domain, or real-time execution of mathematically complex signal and array
processing methods. On the other hand, the electromagnetic spectrum is a scarce and
strongly controlled resource that is proving to be increasingly valuable. Radar devices
must be able to handle more signal bandwidth with greater receiver sensitivity and are
competing with an increasing number of other systems for communication, navigation, or
wireless connectivity. In this environment, it is necessary to understand the different
requirements and find strategies of a co-existence without performance degradation.

1. Introduction
Modern radar systems have reached a new level of maturity both in terms of analog and
digital hardware, as well as signal and image processing methods. Highly integrated circuits
combining a large number of analog RF components and digital processing capabilities
provide sufficient performance for real-time processing of sophisticated algorithms and can be
produced in high volumes. This opens up numerous applications for radar sensors, also in
low-cost applications. Flexible “software defined” radar architectures allow for arbitrary
waveforms with large bandwidths to be generated and transmitted, re-configurable an
important basis for knowledge-based processing. The technology of active electronically
scanning arrays (AESA) has proven indispensable for advanced defence and space
applications, its importance is also increasing in other fields of application, e.g. in future 5G
cellular communication networks.

The proposed presentation gives an overview of recent developments at Fraunhofer FHR and
application examples such as airborne and ground based surveillance, Digital Beam Forming
AESA systems, or Cognitive Radar Architecture.

The 18th International Radar Symposium IRS 2017, June 28-30, 2017, Prague, Czech Republic
1
978-3-7369-9343-3 ©2017 DGON

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS. Downloaded on June 12,2023 at 13:25:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 2. Highly Integrated Millimeter Wave Components
Operational frequencies of semiconductor components have continously increased towards
the millimetre and Terahertz region in an impressive way. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer
Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF, semiconductor based RF components have
proven to work at 300 GHz and above [1]. Also silicon-based technologies where
demonstrated up to 240 GHz. Due to this improvement, Radar sensors have migrated from
purely long distance sensors in surveillance and recognition applications with resolution in the
meter range to miniaturized short distance sensors for diverse applications. The most
prominent application of radar in the millimeter wave domain is the automotive radar, but in
the future many other applications in the commercial and industrial environment can be
addressed if higher resolutions can be achieved.

Recently, the feasibility of a Synthetic Aperture Radar operating at a center frequency of

300 GHz with a resolution of approx. 5 mm has been demonstrated. The system has a highly
flexible digital signal generation that can easily be re-configured for different radar tasks and
applications. Figure 1 shows an example of a side-looking SAR image of a road segment and
pavement measured from a car.

Figure 1. Side-Looking SAR image of road segment and pavement measured at 300 GHz with a resolution of
5mm with more detail in zoomed area.

3. Advanced Digital Radar

Due to large-scale integration and ever-increasing structural scales of integrated components,
digital hardware and signal processing have made tremendous progress and paved the way to
radar system architectures and areas of application. The advance of technology is also visible
in Active Electronically Scanning Arrays (AESA) where outstanding antenna performance,
multi-beam capability, flexible scan strategies and adaptive pattern control are the

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS. Downloaded on June 12,2023 at 13:25:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 prerequisites for highest situational awareness and advanced communication. The integration
of GaN RF power technology and continuous increase of processing power will foster the use
of wideband and multi-band antenna systems for multi-functional RF systems combining
radar, communication and other functionality in one shared aperture.

In order to contribute to European efforts for space surveillance, the Federal Ministry for
Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI) of Germany contracted Fraunhofer FHR to develop
and build an experimental close-monostatic pulsed phased-array radar system operating in the
L-band. The German Experimental Space Surveillance and Tracking Radar (GESTRA)
instrument is managed by the DLR Space Administration and will be completed in 2018 [2].
The system is supposed to monitor the low-earth orbit (LEO) between altitudes of 300 and
3000 km and will be remotely controlled by the German Space Situational Awareness Centre
in Uedem, Germany. The system operates in L-Band, combines mechanical and electronic
scanning and features fully digital controlled transmit and receive antenna arrays in separate
shelters with multiple beams formed simultaneously.

4. Cognitive Radar and Sensor Networks

Cognitive radar transfers human perception and behavior to the radar system architecture and
opens up the door for sensor systems with increased efficiency, robust operation, and
intelligent choice of radar actions due to a high degree of system autonomy [3]. Concepts
have been investigated for different applications, e.g. adaptive waveform generation, passive
coherent location, moving target detection and tracking, and operation in spectrally dense
environments. The latter is of great importance since radar devices are competing with an
increasing number of other wireless systems for communication or navigation in similar areas
of the electromagnetic spectrum and strategies for a co-existence without performance
degradation must be found.

Figure 2 shows a simulation example of Compressed Illumination where the signal of a

Stepped-Frequency Radar has been thinned and the number of contained frequencies has been
significantly reduced. High-Range Resolution profiles for 5 point scatterers are obtained by
sparse spectrum estimation based on the Compressed Sensing Basis Pursuit Denoising
Algorithm and by Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT). Compared to the original iFFT with
400 frequency points, a reduced number of 200 and 50 randomly selected samples can be
sufficient for detection and classification of radar targets. However, an increased noise floor
has to be taken into account.

Figure 2. Extracted High-Range Resolution Profiles by using a Compressive Sensing algorithm and by
conventional iFFT analysis for different number of carrier frequencies (left: 200 carriers, right: 50 carrriers).

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS. Downloaded on June 12,2023 at 13:25:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
 If multiple, spatially distributed radar sensors are combined in a radar network and their signal
generation and receivers are synchronized for coherent operation, the overall radar
performance can be significantly improved. This option can play an important role with
respect to increased range and detection capability in ground-based or airborne surveillance
networks for future military operations or other applications, e.g. security, traffic, or industry.
The experimental verification of the hardware requirements and signal processing algorithms
has been successfully conducted recently for a quasi-monostatic radar network of two radar
stations with coherently linked transmitter and receiver and the theoretical SNR gain has been
obtained [4]. Radar operation in a quasi-monostatic network can be obtained by estimating the
range via the signal run-time and by estimating the angle of arrival via time difference of
arrival.

Conclusions
The rapid progress in performance of highly integrated electronic components (digital,
analogue or mixed-signal) has enabled several trends such as miniaturization and cost
reduction of sensor devices, a migration to higher frequencies in the millimeter and Terahertz
domain, or real-time execution of mathematically complex signal and array processing
methods. Developments of hardware components and methods such as the examples
described above will open up new applications and provide considerable potential for
increased performance of radar systems.

References
[1] N. Pohl, S. Stanko, M. Caris, A. Tessmann, M. Schlechtweg, "An ultra-high resolution radar-
system operating at 300 GHz," 2015 IEEE Topical Conference on Wireless Sensors and
Sensor Networks (WiSNet), pp. 62-64, San Diego, CA, January 2015.
[2] H.Wilden, C. Kirchner, O. Peters, N. Ben Bekhti, A. Brenner, T. Eversberg, "GESTRA - A
Phased-Array based surveillance and tracking Radar for Space Situational Awareness", IEEE
International Symposium on Phased Array Systems and Technology (PAST), Waltham, MA,
October 2016
[3] J. Ender, S. Brüggenwirth, “Cognitive Radar - Enabling Techniques for Next Generation
Radar Systems”, 16th International Radar Symposium (IRS), Dresden, Germany, June 2015
[4] J. G. Worms, K. J. Dahlem, A. Saam, T. Mathy, “Ballistic Missile Defense Using a Quasi
Monostatic Radar Network”, submitted for publication in Missile Defense Conference,
Stockholm, June 2017

Authorized licensed use limited to: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS. Downloaded on June 12,2023 at 13:25:28 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.