Deconvolution Method for Eliminating Reference Signal Coupling/Reflections in Bistatic SAR

Abstract

Bistatic radar receivers that use an opportunistic transmitter require a reference channel to capture the original transmitted signal, which is then used as a reference signal for constructing the matched-filter during the range compression step. Because the reference signal is received from line-of-sight, it is orders in magnitude larger than the reflections captured by the receive channel. It is generally difficult to construct the system such that the reference signal is not leaked into the received signal, either via coupling in the circuitry or via reflections off objects in the vicinity of the receiver. Due to its much larger amplitude, the reference signal can easily mask smaller targets with its side-lobes. In this paper we propose a novel deconvolution method for bistatic SAR images as a means of eliminating leakage of the reference signal.