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NextGen 8 GHz Pulse Radar - Description and Data Sheet

NextGen 8 GHz Pulse Radar -  Description & Datasheet

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SkyRadar's 8 GHz Pulse radar emits in the X-band, the band used by ATC Area Control Radars, but also by the military and the navy. The transmitter can emit very short pulses through the antenna and monitor the reflected pulses. The pulses are reflected of fixed and moving objects.

The radar provides the data as I/Q data. This raw data can be processed individually and concurrently by many students in a special digital signal processing (dsp) control and visualization center called "SkyRadar FreeScopes". Students have access to FreeScopes via their browsers.

With a range resolution of ~ 10 cm and a pulse width of 0.5 nsec it is the most accurate training pulse radar in the market. The number of concurrent users practicing independently is not limited.

Some general features of the NextGen 8 GHz Pulse training radar:

  • Active radar, designed for perfectly save indoors and outside operation (transmitter output power significantly lower as such of a mobile phone.
  • Includes a horn-shaped antenna with adjustable inclination and one parabolic reflector where the inclination can be adjusted as well.
  • The following operating modes can be technically enabled in the hardware
    • Pulse Radar
    • Doppler Radar
  • Antenna hardwired on the transceiver card
    • Default operation 8 GHz
    • Parabolic reflector can be added to focus the antenna beam
  • Powerful and fast radar image processor.
  • All measurements are performed in real time. No sub‐sampling or substitution techniques.
  • The system can be extended to various other radars such as
    • 24 GHz FMCW
    • 24 GHz Noise radar
    • Sonar
    • and more

NextGen

The name "NextGen" is inspired by the European ATM-master plan as well as the ICAO Global Air Navigation Plan. The two major aviation innovation initiatives require next generation, service-oriented architecture to ensure sustainability and competitiveness of aviation in the 21st century. The NextGen system is service-oriented, modular, expandable and interoperable. It can be connected to many of SkyRadar's and 3rd party systems.

NextGen-8-GHz-training-radar-pulse

 

POSSIBLE EXERCISES

he following subjects can be trained with the system, depending on the included FreeScopes Packages:

  • Experiments on Pulse and Emission Power
  • Experiments on A-Scope, B-Scope,  Plan-Position-Indicator (PPI), Heatmap
  • Calibrating a radar using amplification, filters and settings
  • Experiments in a fixed position as well as through panning and rotation (rotary tripod required)
  • Doppler Effect
  • Fast Fourier Signal Transformation (FFT) and its effects.
  • Sensitive Time Control (STC), Threshold limitation or C-FAR
  • Radar Cross Section (RCS) analysis allowing for an understanding of the varying detectability of objects based on material, absolute and relative size, reflection angle, distance and strength of the signal.
  • Allows analyzing performance and false alarm tolerances through adjustment of the sensitivity.
  • Adjustable decision threshold allowing for experiments on background noise.
  • Moving Target Indication MTI, Moving Target Detaction MTD for clutter elimination
  • Machine Learning (Artificial Intelligence) for image interpretation
  • Defense scenarios (Electronic Counter-Counter Measures)
  • And much more.

Modular Solution

The system can be supplied in a package with several extensions of FreeScopes or it can be extended progressively.

Examples are:

All Data can be transferred in real-time to a numerical analytics environment like MATLAB with SkyRadar's programming interface, which is part of

The hardware system can be extended with various elements like
Rotary Tripod, CloudServer, and more.

Look at our suggested reference configurations such as 

We also suggest package-priced solutions.

System Features

Overview of the key technical features:

  • Range Resolution: ~10.6 cm
  • Range: up to 30 m (when using the parabolic reflector)
  • Tx center frequency : 8 GHz 
  • Tx bandwidth : 1.4 GHz (ETSI)
  • Pulse Width: 0.5 nsec
  • PRFN: 15,2 MHz
  • Peak Pulse output power (ETSI): -0.7 - 6.3 dBm
  • Tx output power is variable (low, medium, high)
  • Rx sampling rate: 23.3 GS/s
  • Number of pulses in 1 frame: 20
  • Rx gain (ETSI): 12.3 - 15 dB
  • Rx noise figure (ETSI): 5.4 - 8.8 dB
  • Azimuth: 68°
  • Azimuth beam width with parabolic reflector: 5°
  • Update rate (signal processing)  > 100 frames per second (fps)

 

Power Requirements 
12V, 5V
Maximum Range
up to 30 m (with parabolic relfector)
Maximum Sampling Rate Rx
23.3 GS/s
Dimensions
140 mm x 143mm x 200 mm
Net Weight
below 5 kg

Table: Key system features

Transmitter

Major transmitter features are:

Supply Current 100 mA
Operating Ambient Temperature + 10 … + 40 °C

Table: General operative characteristics of the Transceiver

Parameter Min Typ Max
Transmitter Center Frequency (ETSI / KCC)   7.29 GHz / 8.748 GHz  
Transmitter Bandwidth (ETSI / KCC)   1.4 GHz / 1.5 GHz  
Energy per Pulse (ETSI) 0.45 pJ 1.47 pJ 2.6 pJ
Peak Pulse Output Power (ETSI) - 0.7 dBm  (0.8 mW) 4.1 dBm (2.6mW) 6.3 dBm (4.3 mW)
Pulse Repetition Frequency   15.2 MHz 40.5 MHz
Differential Output Impedance   100 Ohm  

Table : Operative characteristics of the Transmitter (subsection of the Transceiver)

Receiver

Parameter Min Typ Max
Radar Frame Length   9.87 m / 65.8 ns  
Sampling Rate   23.328 GS/s  
Receiver Gain (ETSI) 12.3 dB 14.1 dB 15.0 dB
Receiver Noise Figure (ETSI) 5.4 dB 6.8 dB 8.8 dB
Receiver Bandwidth (- 3 dB), Flow 6.13 GHz 6.5 GHz  
Receiver Bandwidth (- 3 dB), Fhigh   10.0 GHz 10.76 GHz
Differential Input Impedance   100 Ohm

Antenna

Antenna Features (including the Parabolic Reflector, offset: 24 cm canonical distance, 84 cm diameter)

Parameter
Typ.
Antenna Gain
33 dB
Azimuth beam width (at -3dB)
Elevation beam width (at -3dB)

Table : Operative characteristics of the antenna including the parabolic reflector

European Export Regulations

Delivery and Export Regulations based on European Law

SkyRadar produces products to train the civil use of radar equipment. We do not include Electronic Warfare Products in our portfolio. We actively take that mission to makes this world a better and safer place. We do not provide goods which are in conflict of the dual use regulation (unless with specific written consent of the European Regulation Bodies and if the purpose is a peaceful one). 

SkyRadar emphasizes that the COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 428/2009 and its amendments are the only authentic legal reference and that the information in this document does not constitute legal advice.

According Paragraph 6A008, goods are subject to the above stated Regulation, when they comply to the following criteria: 

Criteria

Explanation why SkyRadar does not comply to these criteria

a. Operating at frequencies from 40 GHz to 230 GHz and having any of the following: ...

The system operates at 8 GHz and operates far below the critical threshold

b. A tunable bandwidth exceeding ± 6,25 % of the 'centre operating frequency'

The bandwidth is not tunable is far below critical  frequency value

c. Capable of operating simultaneously on more than two carrier frequencies

The system operates with one carrier frequency

d. Capable of operating in synthetic aperture (SAR), inverse synthetic aperture (ISAR) radar mode, or sidelooking airborne (SLAR) radar mode

The base module itself does not include SAR,  iSAR or SLAR features. SkyRadar is committed not to provide attack technologies. Airborne radar technology will never be produced by SkyRadar

e. Incorporating electronically scanned array antennae

The system does not work with electronically scanned array antennae. It operates with a horn-shaped antenna or a patch antenna.

The dual use regulation, in particular paragraph 6A008 does not include "Displays or monitors used for air traffic control (ATC)", as done by SkyRadar FreeScopes.

Section l.1 of paragraph 6A008 addresses "Automatic target tracking" providing, at any antenna rotation, the predicted target position beyond the time of the next antenna beam passage. This paragraph however does not "control conflict alert capability in ATC systems". Only that is done by the SkyRadar FreeScopes software. Target tracking in terms of trajectory projection, as done by military systems is explicitly excluded and not part of the system.

Paragraph 6A108 concerns Radar systems and tracking systems, other than those specified in entry 6A008. It covers Radar and laser radar systems designed or modified for use in space launch vehicles specified in 9A004 or sounding rockets specified in 9A104. This is not applicable to the SkyRadar training equipment.

Prerequisites

  • Network of Computers  with latest HTML5 enabled browser. Current versions of Chrome is best suitable to read HTML5.
  • FreeScopes Basic I