Stagger procedure to extend the frequency modulated interrupted continuous wave technique to high resolution radars

Abstract

Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radars offer many advantages such as low peak power, low probability of interception, low interference to other systems and high range resolution. However, their major drawback is the isolation required between transmitter and receiver that typically leads to the use of two separate antennas for transmission and reception. Some schemes have been proposed to enable FMCW radars to operate with a single antenna. Frequency modulated interrupted continuous wave (FMICW) is a possible solution., However, some considerations must be taken into account before implementing this technique in high resolution radars because of the amount of bandwidth needed. The problems associated with the use of the FMICW technique in broadband radars are analysed and a staggering procedure is proposed to overcome them. This technique is tested using simulated data from a 1 GHz bandwidth millimetre wave sensor, currently under development. The results are compared against other single antenna configurations and the advantages of the staggering technique are shown.