“to the has ap- ‘hannels in the ontally SMH, ss the ds points proach 0H) inate shes to ational power swith ng the pment 2 atta Chapter 9 BASIC RADAR When the word ‘radar’ was coined, it expressed precisely the function it performed, that js, radio detection and ranging. Tue use of the puise tech- fique clearly distinguished it from “radio” which used continuous waves. With the subsequent advance in the technology, what we would have originally described as radio (a continuous wave) ean now perform the tasks of radar ~ detecting and ranging (for example, a radio altimeter). Radar, in its turn, 29W performs & variety of tasks mot included in its original definition. These tasks include turbulence indication lr, navigational assistance “TRORT Hyperbole Systems, Such AS Lords, and ground speed and drift from “Dapper. nay now perhaps be describ APES Fidio Systems performing Particular functions inside the range of the radio spectrum Radar frequencies Radar occupies frequencies from VHF upwards, The seasons for the choice of higher frequencies are as follows: (1) It gives freedom from external noise and ionospheric seater (2) Radar using the beam technique operates eificintly with narrow beams; these can be produced at shorter wavelengths (3). Similarly, shorter pulses can be produced with shorter wavelengths (4) The efficiency of reflection from an abject depends on the size of the jobject in relation to the wavelength. At shorter wavelengths the signals vill be reflected more efficiently by the reflecting objects ‘Timing in radar It will be appreciated that where timing is required to be carried out for radar ‘operation, these times must be essentially very small, considering that a radio. wav 300000 km/sec. Fortunately, radar can measure these small time intervale very accuratel). The times are measured in microseconds, occasionally in milliseconds, 1 second = 1000 milliseconds or 1000000 microseconds (13) Radar systoms_ work by a variety of techniques. yo such techniques tba! Interest us are the pulse technique and the continuous wave technique. Ofwolves y-short oe and shown Tpulse tradio period second conship Basic Radar 121 Example: If tha PRP i 250, what is the PRP of the transmission? 4. _ 1000000 pre = = s 20 a0 oo ‘Pulse shape. A pulse is given its shape by the process of pulse modulation and it isa design consideration. Although rectangular pulses can be produced by applying an instantaneous rise in the voltage, followed by an instantancous callapse t© zera, a practical pulse has 2 finite builéup time and decay time. The amplitude, pulse width, tse and decay times (all these factors defining & pulse) ate subject to ICAO approval in respect of individual systems. A. typical ICAO approved pulse 28 used in DME fs shown in Fig. 92. pulse envelope pulse nse puke aaraker 35 Fig. 92. Pulse shape. We are now ready (0 discuss the various sysiems operating on pulse technique, Primary sadaie > Tiss the oil Galan ww he pine of pe wrnigst d ‘mine fange_and bearing of an Object. Working on_echo and searchlight principle, a wansnitter twaasmiis a tain of beamed piles eithér in fixed Sirection or omaidiectionally by 2 totating sean in azimuth (corveillance radar). The beam may slo sean in elevation sczoreing tothe purpose of the equipment. All objects in the path of the pulses which arc of a size com mensurate With the wavelength, Will reflect and scatter tha energy. Some of this reflected energy will reach the receiver, but it will be greatly weakened. The strength of thesé echoes depends on several factors:whereas equip for an stance ben was hat the tcloser ismitter ‘or less ation is jeg. 0.1 je work ‘micro- second cussing asides ler what earlier rin the plets of a most and the uplay fnork at ictween by the at par Basie Radar 125 Other factors, such as receiver sensitivity, Dandwidth used, aerial gain in the diection of propagation, also affect the range but these are mainly equipment design considerations Ty Basie elements of primary radar Of the main components of basic radar. the master timer or trigger unit is the rain of the equipment, Its function is to trigger off a series of short electrical pulses at regular intervals. These pulses are delivered to the modulator (Fig. 9.3) and at the same time, the time base unit is advised to start timing. Me Tae moduitor oscillator generator dispisy a 9.3 Components of a primay radar ‘The modulator’s task is to generate pulses of predetermined width and sharpness. The very high voltage content of these pulses triggers off the oscillator working at the radar frequency. It is so arranged that the beginning f cach pulse switches on the oscillator and the end of each pulse switches it off. Thus, the modulator acts as an on/off switch for the oscillator. The oscillator, in its turn, generates pulses of high power but short duration. The. output of the oscillator is fed to the arial. Normally 2 single aerial is employed to act as trancmitter and receiver, aerial. A TR (transmyt-reccive) switch isolates the acrial from the recsiver when transmission is taking place; and when the transmission is complete it switches on to the receiver th reesive the pulses. Thus when the echoes ai126 Radio aids received in the aerial they are delivered to the receiver unit which, after Uses of see appropriate ieatment presents them to the display unit. Here they are OME work displayed on a trace which commenced at the start of the operation under ways. Both instruction from the master timer Doppler ra ‘Advantages of primary radar (his topic i It 1s a self-contained system. requiring no external assistance . © Peak power of the iransmiticr can be made very high owing to the Contino: relatively short time of actual transmission, but more power is required ‘As the title ¢ A common aerial may be used for both the transmission and the reception seeeption ta ‘© For a ground installation, sharp accurate narrow beams can be produced for ranstnda by increasing the serial size fran eaeh cl ; the neighbor Secondary radar Unmodul: In this system, a tranamlter (called interogaor) transmits a group of pulses wansmitted : on a given carrier frequency. The transmission is either omnidirectional sed well prox (DME) or ditected towards an object (scanner sweep of SSR). An aerial in the transmit the path of these pulses receives the aignals aad pSGies Tem on to the frequency is receiver. If the signals are recognised at the receiver, it instructs its transe theanstant & mitter (called transponder) to give a reply. The teply then goes out on a aoge is worl different carrier irequenty. eye The CW te _sy The aiferences between primary and secondary radar are as follows: a ree ‘© Unlike primary radar, the operation of secondary radar depends on the works on CV $e ne active co-operation of the other object Tn secondary radar the information is exchanged in the form of groups of pukes aad act by individual pulses A secondary racar system requires a transmitter and a receiver on dif- ferent {requenties, both in the aircraft and on the ground. Advantages + Because frequency ground el = Whas 20 Advantages of secondary radar © Tho syste Tare are various advantages of using a secondary radar over primary radar. : (1) An imporiant advantage is the power requirement. With this type of Cathode ray radar itis possible to work with much lower power. There are two fF the purpose reasons: (a) the signals are only doing a one-way journcy, and (2) velleced by u thete i no double scattering to combat, as with primary radar. beating (or of Because of the use of diffcrent frequencies, the ground tansmitter wil ff The CRTS are not pick up ground reflections on transmission frequency. Similarly, the tan are achic airbome transmitter will not pick up its own ground reflection electrostatic £ Interference through weather is reduced (see chapter 10). clectromagnet The system is independent of such considerations as reflecting arca, his cloctrostat shape, material. etc. P= the present ste In addition to range and bearing, additional information ean be wans- fe the main a aitied in the form of coded pulses pW paies of