Patent GB-1028056-A (GB)
Title: Pulsed radar receiving system
IPC: G01S13/534
Filed: 1964-08-14
Abstract: 1,028,056. Pulse radar. RAYTHEON CO. Aug. 14, 1964 [Sept. 11, 1963], No. 33280/64. Heading H4D. A pulse radar system, wherein moving point objects in clutter may be displayed all together with point objects outside clutter, both moving and stationary, comprises, Fig. 1, a first limiting amplifier 16 amplifying received signals linearly up to an input signal limit level substantially greater than the noise level input and to produce a substantially constant amplitude output for input signals exceeding the said limit level, a second limiting amplifier 19 producing a constant amplitude output for all input signals from noise level upwards, means 17 for delaying the signal produced by one amplifier (16) with respect to the signal produced by the other by a predetermined amount substantially less than the pulse repetition period of the system, means 18 for determining the phase difference between the delayed amplifier output and the output of the other amplifier, and cancellation means for subtracting from the phase detector output, the said output delayed by the pulse repetition period on a multiple thereof. In the arrangement of Fig. 1, the phase of a 2Ás increment of the signal from the first limiting amplifier is compared with that of the succeeding 2Ás increment of the signal from the second limiting amplifier. Video signals are produced from the trailing edge of stationary clutter. In the arrangement of Fig. 2 (not shown), the phase of a 2Ás increment of the signal from the first limiting amplifier is compared with that of the preceding 2Ás increment of the signal from the second limiting amplifier. Video signals are produced from the leading edge of stationary clutter. In the arrangement of Fig. 3, the phase of the 2Ás increment is compared with that of the sum of the succeeding and preceding 2Ás increments. No video signals are produced by stationary clutter. In the embodiments described the delay T introduced by means 17 is equal to 2Ásec on one pulse width. For explanation purposes let the I.F. signal produced by the radar receiver front end 11 be comprised of, in order, noise, a response from a point stationary on moving target, more noise, and an extensive echo (extending over many pulse widths) arising from clutter, containing and hiding an echo from a moving point target. The initial noise is of too low an amplitude to be amplified by amplifier 16 up to its limit and so, after delaying by time T in means 17, is presented at one input of phase detector 18 as a low level noise signal. Amplifier 19 amplifies the noise up to its limit, and presents the noise at the other input of the phase detector as a high level noise signal. Phase detector 18 is of the balanced type and so produces a low level random output, due to one of its input signals being low level. When the response from the descrete target reaches amplifier 16 it is amplified thereby up to the limit level. It is then amplified by amplifier 19 up to its limit level, and presented as a high level signal to one input of the phase detector. Due to the delay # however, the signal at the other input of the phase detector is still low level noise, such that the phase detector produces another low level random output. After time #, the target response, amplified up to the limit of amplifier 16, reaches the other input of phase detector 18. The signal at the one input of the detector is still high level noise, such that the detector produces a high level random output changing from pulse to pulse. When the leading edge of the clutter echo reaches amplifier 16 is amplified thereby up to its limit level and is then further amplified by amplifier 19 up to its limit to present a highlevel signal at one input of the phase detector. Since, however, the signal at the other input of the detector is still low level noise, the detector produces a low level random output. After time T, the amplified leading edge of the clutter reaches the other input of the detector to be compared in phase thereby with a portion of the clutter signal occurring time # after it. The detector thus produces a high level output which remains constant from pulse to pulse. This continues throughout the clutter echo, excepting for that section which contains the hidden target response, wherein the output of the detector changes from pulse to pulse, and for the last T seconds of the clutter echo, wherein a high level clutter signal is present at the other input of the detector and is compared in phase with a high level noise signal at the one input of the detector, such that the detector produces a high level output which changes from pulse to pulse. The output of the phase detector is fed to a cancellation circuit 20 where it is subtracted from the detector output resulting from the preceding radiated pulse. All those parts of the output which remain constant from pulse to pulse therefore cancel, such that all that remains in the output of the cancellation circuit are the echoes from the target outside the clutter, the target moving within the clutter, and the trailing edge of the clutter. By changing the position of delay means 17 to the input of amplifier 19, the leading edge of the clutter can be displayed (Fig. 2, not shown). In the embodiment of Fig. 3 (not shown), two delays 317<SP>1</SP> and 317 are employed, each giving a one pulse width delay #. Items 316, 319, 318 and 320 are the same as corresponding items in Fig. 1. The input to amplifier 316 is delayed by time T, and the input to amplifier 319 is the sum of the undelayed IF signal and said signal delayed by time 2#. Noise in the IF signal thus produces a low level noise signal at one input of phase detector 318, such that the detector produces a low level random output. When the response due to the descrete target occurs in the IF signal, the amplifier 316 is still dealing with noise and presenting a low level noise signal to one input of the detector which accordingly produces a low level random output. # seconds later the amplifier 316 is dealing with the response and presenting it as a high level signal to one input of the detector. The IF signal is now noise, and the period of # seconds before the response was also noise. The input to the amplifier 319 is thus noise, such that a high level noise signal is presented to the other input of the detector. The detector thus produces a high level output which changes from pulse to pulse. T seconds after the advent of the clutter echo leading edge in the IF signal, amplifier 316 is dealing with the said leading edge portion and is presenting it as a high level signal to one input of the detector. The IF signal is now clutter and the period before the leading edge portion was noise. The input to the amplifier 319 is thus substantially all clutter, which is presented as a high level signal to the other input of the detector. The detector thus produces a, high level output which remains constant from pulse to pulse. This continues for further T portions of the clutter echo. The portion of the clutter echo which contains the hidden target response however produces a detector output which changes from pulse to pulse. When the last # portion of the clutter echo occurs in the IF signal, the input to amplifier 316 is the preceding portion of clutter, and the input to amplifier 319 is the last portion of clutter, together with the prepenultimate portion of clutter. The phase detector thus produces a high level output which remains constant from pulse to pulse. # seconds later, the amplifier 316 is dealing with the last clutter portion, such that the detector still gives a constant high level output. Another # seconds later the amplifier 316 is dealing with low level noise, such that the detector gives a low level random output. The output of the cancellation circuit thus contains signals due to targets only, and none due to either the leading or trailing edge of the clutter echo. In an alternative embodiment of Fig. 1, amplifier 19 may be connected directly to the output of the receiver front end.