Radar Systems

IV B.Tech I SEM
ECE-B

By
V. Balaji
Assistant Professor
ECE Department

V. Balaji, Asst. Prof, DNRCET

 Radar Systems

Detection of Radar Signals

UNIT-5

UNIT –V:
Detection of Radar Signals in Noise : Introduction, Matched Filter Receiver – Response
Characteristics and Derivation, Correlation detection and Cross-correlation Receiver,
Efficiency of Non-matched Filters, Matched Filter with Non-white Noise, Noise Figure and
Noise Temperature.

V. Balaji, Asst. Prof, DNRCET

Detection of Radar Signals in Noise
• A radar detects presence of echo signal reflected
from target and extracts information about
location of target. The detection of radar signals
in noise, clutter requires special circuitry.
Methods for detection of desired signals along
with rejection of undesired noise, clutter and
interference in radar is called signal processing.
• Important radar signal processor includes -
matched filter, correlation receiver, matched
filter for non-white noise, logarithmic detector, I,
Q detector, coherent detector etc.
 Matched-Filter Receiver
• Maximizing the output peak signal-to-noise
power ratio of a radar improves the
detectability of a target. A linear network
performing this is called matched filter.
Therefore design of radar receivers include
designing suitable matched filter or a close
approximation to it.
 Matched Filter Frequency Response Function

• Matched filter maximizes the output peak SNR when

the input noise spectral density is uniform (white
noise). The frequency response function of matched
filter is given by,
• The matched filter frequency response function in
terms of amplitude and phase is expressed as
• Above expression indicates that the magnitude of
matched-filter frequency response function is
the same as the amplitude spectrum of input
signal and the phase of matched filter frequency
response is negative of phase spectrum of signal
plus phase shift proportional to frequency.
• The negative sign before φs ( f ) cancels the phase
components of received signal so that all
frequency components at output of filter are of
same phase and add coherently to maximize the
signal.
 Matched Filter Impulse Response
• Matched filter is also described by its impulse response h(t).
Impulse response is inverse Fourier transform of frequency
response function H(f) and is given as
• This equation shows impulse response of a
matched filter is the time inverse of the
received signal. The received signal is reversed
in time i.e. starting from fixed time tm.
• Received signal st and its impulse response ht
of mathched filter is shown in Fig. 7.1.1.
• The impulse response of a filter must not have
any output if the input signal is not applied.
Therefore, impulse response of filter to be
realizable should have (tm-t)>0 or t<tm.
• This condition is equivalent to the frequency
response function with phase e (j2 ftm) which
means a time delay of tm.
• The impulse response is conveniently shown as
s(-t) and frequency response function as S*(f) .
 Derivation of Matched-Filter
Frequency Response
• The frequency response function of matched filter is
derived by using Schwartz's inequality. The frequency
response function of the linear, time invarient filter
which maximizes the output SNR is given by,

• When the input noise is stationary and has uniform

spectral density (white). The ratio to be maximized is
• The ratio Rf is twice the average SNR when input signal st is a
rectangular sine pulse. The magnitude of the output voltage
of a filter with frequency response function Hf is

• The mean output noise power is given as

• According to Schwartz's inequality , if P and Q are two
complex functions,
• Parseval's theorem relates energy in frequency and time
domain, states signal energy as
• Above expression indicates that the output peak signal to
mean noise ratio from a matched filter depends on total
energy of received signal and noise power per unit bandwidth
only. If does not depend on shape of the signal, duration and
bandwidth. Therefore these characteristics of signals can be
used to achieve radar capabilities.
• When constant k is set equal to 1/Ga then the frequency
response function which maximizes peak signal to mean noise
ratio Rf is given by,
• An important property of matched filter is that irrespective of
shape, time duration or bandwidth of input signal waveform,
the maximum ratio of output peak signal - to - mean noise
power is twice the energy (E) contained in the received signal
divided by noise power per unit BW(N0).
• The noise power per hertz of bandwidth n = k.T0 .Fn
where,
k is Boltzmann constant,
T0 is standard temperature (290 K),
Fn is receiver noise figure.
• The matched filter assumes that the input signal s(t)
is same as transmitted signal except the amplitude. It
requires that the shape of transmitted signal does
not changes due to reflection by target or by
propagation through atmosphere.
 Correlation Receiver
• The output of matched filter is cross-correlation
function of the received signal and transmitted
signal. The correlation receiver multiplies the input
signal y in (t) and a delayed replica of transmitted
signal s(t- TR ). (TR is time delay of target echo signal)
• The product is passed through a lowpass filter where
integration of product signal is performed. If the
output of filter (integrator) is greater than the
threshold level, a target is said to be at a range
R = cTR/2 .
• The cross-correlation receiver tests for presence of
target at a single time delay TR. Targets at time delay
other than TR are found by varying TR on Successive
transmissions, searching possible values of TR
complicates the correlation receiver.
• Mathematically the cross-correlation relation receiver
and matched filter receiver are equivalent. Hence
selection as which to use in a particular radar
application is determined by ease of implementation.
The matched filter receiver is preferred over
correlation filter in most radar applications.
 Cross-correlation Receiver
• The cross-correlation receiver correlates the
received signal x(t) with stored delayed replica of
known signal s(t). Fig. 7.2.1 shows the block
diagram of cross – correlation receiver.
• The correlation receiver performs cross-
correlation between signal x(t) corrupted by
noise and replica of transmitted signals s(t). The
correlation receiver is a linear, time-invariant
receiver and linear, time invariant filter which
maximizes output peak signal to mean noise
power ratio for a fixed input signal-to-noise ratio.
• The signal energy is given by –

• The maximum ratio of peak signal power to

the mean noise power is proportional to
energy spectral density of the input signal,
irrespective of the shape of input wave.
 Efficiency of Non-Matched Filters
• Table 7.3.1 shows efficiency of non-matched filters compared with matched filters.
Matched Filter for Nonwhite Noise
• For derivation of the matched filter characteristic it was
assumed that the spectrum of input noise accompanying the
signal was white i.e. it was independent of frequency. But
when this assumption does not hold and noise is represented
by nonwhite power spectrum [Ni(f)]2, the frequency response
function which maximizes the peak-signal-to mean noise
power is given by,
• The above expression shows the frequency response
function of nonwhite-noise matched (NWN) filter,
when the noise is white, denominator [Ni(f)]2 is
constant.
• Then expression reduces to original form i.e.
assuming white noise. Above expression for
nonwhite noise can be written as,
• Therefore non white-noise matched filter can be
shown as cascade of two filters. The first filter has
frequency response function 1/Ni(f) makes the
noise spectrum uniform (white). This filter is also
called as whitening filter.
• The second filter is matched filter when the input
noise is white and the signal spectrum is S(f)/Ni f.
• In rare case the noise is nonuniform over the BW
of radar receiver
 Noise Figure
• the noise figure of a receiver was described as a
measure of the noise produced by a practical
receiver as compared with the noise of an ideal
receiver. The noise figure F. of a linear network may
be defined as
Sin / N in N Out
Fn = =
Sout / N out kTo BnG
where Sin = available input signal power
N in = available input noise power
Sout = available output noise power
N out = available output noise power
 Noise Temperature
• The noise introduced by a network may also
be expressed as an effective noise
temperature, Te, defined as that (fictional)
temperature at the input of the network
which would account for the noise ∆N at the
output. Therefore ∆N = kTeBnG and

Te
Fn = 1 +
To
T e = ( F n − 1)T o
• The system noise temperature TSis defined as the
effective noise temperature of the receiver system
including the effects of antenna temperature Ta(It is
also sometimes called the system operating noise
temperature) If the receiver effective noise
temperature is Te then

TS = Ta + Te = To Fs
• where FS, is the system noise-figure including the
effect of antenna temperature. The effective noise
temperature of a receiver consisting of a number of
networks in cascade is.

T2 T3
Te = T1 + + + ......
G1 G1G2
• where Ti and Gi are the effective noise temperature
and gain of the I th network.
• The effective noise temperature and the noise figure
both describe the same characteristic of a network.
In general, the effective noise temperature has been
preferred for describing low-noise devices, and the
noise figure is preferred for conventional receivers.
For radar receivers, the noise figure is the more
widely used term.
 Review Questions
1. Explain the working principle of correlation detection with a neat
diagram? [8] February/March – 2018
2. Explain the various types of Radome antennas used for radar
system. [8]February - 2019
3. Explain the designing criteria of a Matched filter. [8]February –
2019
4. Derive the frequency response characteristics of a matched filter.
[8]March – 2017
5. Explain the radiation pattern of phased array antennas. [8] March
– 2017
6. Explain the series and parallel feeds for phased array antennas.
[8]March – 2017
7. Derive the response characteristics of a matched filter? [8] Nov-
2016
8. Explain the characteristics of a matched filter receiver with
necessary equations. [8] OCT/NOV-2017
9. How a threshold level is selected in threshold detection criteria? Explain.
[8] OCT/NOV-2017
10. Define the noise figure and noise temperature of a radar receiver and
derive the expressions for it. [8] OCT/NOV-2017
11. With a suitable block diagram explain the working of a conical scan
tracking radar. [8] OCT/NOV-2017
12. Draw the block diagram of amplitude comparison monopulse tracking
radar for two angular coordinates and explain its operation. [8]
OCT/NOV-2017
13. Explain the principle and process of correlation detection in a radar
system[8] OCT/NOV-2017
14. Explain the relationship between the matched filter and correlation
detection in a radar receiver. [8] OCT/NOV-2017
15. Discuss how error signal is generated from sequential lobing. [8]
Oct/Nov-2018
16. Write a short note on a) Acquisition and scanning parameters b)
Radomes[8] Oct/Nov-2018
17. Derive the response characteristics of matched filter[8]
Oct/Nov-2018
18. Discus the relationship between matched filter
characteristics and correlation function[8] Oct/Nov-2018
 Assignment Questions Unit-5
1. Explain the characteristics of a matched filter
receiver with necessary equations.
2. Define the noise figure and noise temperature
of a radar receiver and derive the expressions
for it.
3. Explain the principle and process of correlation
detection in a radar system.
4. Explain the effect of noise in radar receiver’s
performance? Describe noise figure and noise
temperature parameters.
 Google Quiz
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