Fundamental Limits of HRR Profiling and Velocity Compensation For Stepped-Frequency Waveforms

TL;DR

This paper explores the fundamental limits of stepped-frequency waveforms in radar systems, focusing on ambiguity, stability, and velocity compensation, and offers insights to improve high-resolution profiling and target velocity correction.

Contribution

It establishes theoretical bounds on ambiguity and velocity compensation for SF waveforms, guiding improved radar waveform design and processing algorithms.

Findings

Using phase and envelope information reduces ambiguity in HRR profiles.

The radar can compensate for target velocity-induced range shifts.

Fundamental limits inform better SF waveform design.

Abstract

The stepped-frequency (SF) waveform is an effective way to achieve high range resolution (HRR) in modern radars. In this paper, we determine some fundamental limits of SF waveforms on ambiguity, stability and accuracy of stable targets profiling, and velocity compensation accuracy of moving targets. The investigation shows that via using the information contained in both phase and envelop of the echo signal, the radar can achieve HRR profiles without ambiguity under a looser criterion, and can compensate the range shift caused by targets' radial velocity. The results of this paper can help the SF waveform design and the processing algorithm development for HRR profiling and velocity compensation.