Full Signal Sea Echo Simulator Accuracy

Spaceborne radar altimeter is an important active microwave remote senser which is able to measure the oceans with high accuracy. Sea surface return signal simulator (RSS) receives and processes the chirp signal transmitted by radar altimeter. It then generates sea surface wave spectrum to modulate the altimeter chirp and retransmits the modulated signal back to the altimeter, after precisely controlled delay of time. RSS is an effective way for altimeter prelaunch test and calibration. RSS is a highly complex system with comprehensive functions, and thus the simulation and error analysis have significant meaning for its design, precision analysis and calibration application. This thesis is engaged on some problems on the precision analysis of RSS, mainly including:1. It introduces the structure and operating procedure of the altimeter and describes the sea surface return signal model with simulation results.2. It compares the design schemes of RSS, and presents in detail the design and technology of the Full Signal RSS.3. It sets up a SIMULINK systematic model of RSS, and gives some simulation results and corresponding analysis. It also simulates the amplitude and phase imbalance between In-phase and Quadrature channels of I/Q demodulation and modulation sections, based on a baseband SIMULINK model.4. It calculates the sidelobe levels generated from amplitude and phase ripples of equipment system transferring functions, and makes a quantitative approach for the height bias caused by the sidelobes.5. It also points out some more problems calling for future work.