Design, Simulation and Validation of Dual-channel Polarimetric Agile Radar Technology

In numerous radar applications, new problems concerning target detection in a clutter environment may occur. These problems cannot be solved using classical methods on the base of our current utilization of the reflection properties of various objects and their environment. Radar features that may assist in solving these problems are sought in Doppler-polarimetry. Doppler-polarimetric agile radar is able to transmit and receive simultaneously two orthogonal in-polarization signals with waveforms orthogonal in-time, providing the possibility for simultaneous measurements of all elements of the polarization backscattering matrix (BSM) and their Doppler characteristics. Such type of the radar has been developed at Delft University of Technology during this thesis project. Based on long-term Delft experience in linear frequency modulation (LFM) radar, this thesis gives major attention to LFM polarimetric agile radar. However, all major design and validation aspects presented are also useful for any other type of modulation (e.g. phase coded modulation and orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing), despite supplementary investigations on modulation-dependent system characteristics and performance may be needed. Actually two radar systems have been built up. One is in hardware to be used as an experimental research platform for acquiring polarimetric agile radar data, for supporting the verification of theoretical models and the development of signal processing algorithms using different waveforms. The other one is in software simulation environment to be used as a simulation platform not only for system-level evaluation of radar specs, but also for detailed radar design and analyses. Cross-validation of the whole radar system between simulations and measurements has been achieved. The presented design approach may benefit the whole life-cycle of each complex radar system, starting from the very beginning of the design phase up to the very end of the maintenance phase.