Common Radar Systems

Radar systems have evolved significantly in how they are composed, the signals they use, the information they can capture, and how this information can be used in different applications.

Radar is widely used in military and civilian fields, including:

Surveillance (threat identification, motion detection or proximity fuze)

Detection and tracking (target identification and tracking or maritime rescue)

Navigation (avoiding car collisions or air traffic control)

High-resolution imaging (terrain mapping or landing guidance)

Weather tracking (storm warnings or wind profiles)

Some common radar systems with various signal types are listed below:

Continuous Wave (Doppler) Radar: A continuous wave radar system transmits a continuous wave signal at a constant frequency. The received signal has a Doppler shift that can be used to determine the speed of the target. This radar system is often used for traffic monitoring.

FMCW Radar : An FMCW radar system modulates the frequency of the CW signal to produce a timing reference. With this information, in addition to speed, it is possible to measure range. A significant advantage of continuous wave radars is that they provide continuous results (compared to pulse radar systems). Such radar systems are often used for accurate altitude measurement of aircraft during landing.

Pulse Radar: A basic (non-coherent) pulse radar system that determines the range and direction of a target by measuring the time difference between the transmitted and received pulses. Since the phase is random between pulses, the system is non-coherent. Long-range air surveillance is a common application for these radar systems.

Doppler Pulse Radar: This is a coherent radar system in which information other than the range and direction of the target - the target's speed - can be obtained based on the change in phase between the received pulses. High pulse repetition rates (PRRs) are usually used, which makes radial velocity measurements more accurate, but the range accuracy is lower. Doppler pulse radar systems detect moving targets while suppressing static clutter, which is of great significance for weather monitoring applications.

Moving Target Indication (MTI) Radar: MTI radar also uses Doppler frequency to distinguish moving targets from stationary targets and clutter. Its waveform is a series of low PRR pulses, thus avoiding range ambiguity, but sacrificing velocity accuracy. These types of radar systems are often used in ground-based aircraft search and surveillance applications.

Pulse Compression Radar : Short pulse width signals provide better range resolution, but are limited in range. Long pulse width signals contain more energy, providing longer detection range, but sacrificing range resolution. Pulse compression combines the power-related advantages of long pulse widths with the resolution advantages of short pulse widths. By modulating the frequency (e.g., linear frequency modulation) or phase (e.g., using Barker codes) of the transmitted signal, the long pulses can be compressed in the receiver by an amount equal to the inverse of the modulated signal bandwidth; many weather monitoring systems have tended to use pulse compression radars.

Monostatic Radar: In a monostatic radar, the transmitter and receiver share the same antenna by means of time domain multiplexing.

Bistatic Radar : A radar system where the transmit and receive antennas are separated (usually at a large distance or offset angle) is called a bistatic radar system. Bistatic radar systems are often used to detect stealth targets, where stealth technology intentionally avoids reflecting radar signals in the direction of the transmitter.

Phased Array Radar : A radar system may use an array of antennas, which may contain 1,000 or 10,000 antennas. By precisely controlling the phase and amplitude of each antenna element, the overall beam pattern of the array can be formed. These phased array antennas are an alternative to mechanically scanned antennas, which are generally heavier and more prone to failure.

In addition, a single point failure of the motor will cause the mechanical system to fail, while a failure of one or more elements of a phased array antenna will not cause the entire radar system to fail. There are two basic types of electronically scanned array (ESA) radar systems: passive ESA (PESA) and active ESA (AESA)

ABOUT BIT-CCTV:

Established in 2005, Blue Icon (Tianjin) Technology Co. Ltd, a national high-tech company, specializes in design, engineering, manufacturing and sales of high-quality CCTV surveillance equipment including pan-tilt head/positioner, long rang laser PTZ camera, IR thermal imaging PTZ camera, dual-vision PTZ camera, camera housing enclosures, camera mounting brackets and accessories, and provide custom pan-tilt products to meet our customers' various system/project requirements. Made with durable material, our products are tested to withstand continuous operation in the most harsh condition. Our products have been widely used in over 40 countries across five continents.