Radar Real-time Target Simulation Technique Research

Along with the development of micro-electronics, modern signal processing technique and computer technology, radar target simulation technique is developed quickly, which plays an important role in radar system development. The complex electronic system is adopted for modern radar system, thus it is necessary to study the target simulation technology to adjust and verify the parameters of radar system to effectively improve the performance of radar system. Therefore, more and more countries invest much more manpower and financial resources in research of target simulation techniques.The real time dynamic target simulation is studied in this paper to meet the program requirements of our company. Based on the analysis of the radar operation principle and the target simulation technique, the real time dynamic radar target simulation system is developed to provide the test signal for radar system modification. The main content are shown as follows:1. Design of the simulation system hardware and software based on the project requirements. According to the system requirement and current hardware techniques, the hardware structure and functions and achieving method of each functional module are determined by comparing with the achieving method of current target simulator, and the software functional module division is performed according to the selected hardware structure and function achieved by each functional module.2. Design of hardware and software according to simulator project. The design of the DSP, FPGA, and DDS hardware circuit schematic diagram and PCB will be performed with software Protel; and the detailed design of software modules will be performed according to division of the software functional module.3. Study of the system synchronization technique. The system synchronization consists of the synchronization between simulator channels and the synchronization between simulator and radar. Each channel of the simulator should be operated with the radar synchronistically with the fixed steps under the control of the radar synchronization time sequence and control command.4. Study of real time target simulation technique. A novel real time target simulation method is put forward according to the radar operation principle. The real time inter-junction comparison between multiple targets and radar scanning beam in current working cycle by using the real time high-speed operation capability DSP chip in each working cycle, and the target characteristic parameters(range, Doppler frequency, amplitude) will be calculated to generate the required IF echo signal.Each specifications of the real time dynamic target simulator studies in this paper are fulfill the system designing requirements after a lot of system debugs and experimental verifications. It can simulate the search, confirmation and track for multiple aerial targets, which possesses certain economic value and social benefits.