Radar Measurements

Today, different types of radar systems are used in a variety of applications: avionic, military, automotive, law enforcement, astronomy, mapping, weather, and more. Within this broad range of uses, several radar technologies have emerged to meet specific needs in terms of performance, cost, size and capability. For example, many police radars use continuous-wave (CW) radar to simply assess Doppler shifts from moving cars; range information is not needed. As a result, low cost and small size are more important than advanced capabilities and features.

This application note starts with a brief review of radar basics. After that, the remainder of the note focuses on the fundamentals of measuring basic pulsed radars, which is the basis of most radar systems. Where appropriate, this note will discuss adaptations of certain measurements for more complex or modulated pulsed-radar systems.