FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAY HIGH CAPACITY TECHNOLOGY FOR RADAR AND COUNTER-RADAR DRFM SIGNAL PROCESSING

Abstract

Radar systems often use low power, continuous waveform radio frequency (RF) modulations and require high-speed adaptive signal processors to provide the necessary processing gain to detect small radar cross-section targets in clutter on range-Doppler maps. Counter-radar technologies include digital RF memories (DRFMs) that attempt to provide multiple, structured false targets with clutter, for example, using a pipelined, finite impulse response arrangement of complex range bin processors. This thesis investigates high-capacity field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology to enable on-the-fly flexibility and reconfigurability for both radar signal processing and DRFM electronic attack using a Xilinx Virtex Ultrascale+. A three-stage range, Doppler, post-detection integration radar modulation compression circuit is designed and quantified. A range compression circuit with a peak power consumption of 6.100W and a post-implementation utilization of 11% was designed. The Doppler filter bank was designed at 400 MHz with a peak power consumption of 2.688W and a post-implementation utilization of 9%. A coherent integration processor at 400 MHz had a peak power consumption of 2.517W and a post-implementation utilization of 9%. In addition, a DRFM complex range bin processor was designed and quantified at 500 MHz and had a peak power 2.543W with a post-implementation utilization of 11%.