Chang-Soo Ahn

T/R Module Development for X-Band Active Phased-Array Radar

This paper presents design and test results of X-Band Transmit/Receive(T/R) module for active phased-array radar. Active phased array radars typically require solid state T/R modules with high output power, low noise figure, high Third Order Intercept(TOI), and sufficient gain in both transmit and receive. The output power of the module is 9 watts over a wide bandwidth. The noise figure is as low as 2.8 dB. Phase and amplitude are controlled by the 6-bit phase shifter and 5-bit attenuator, respectively. Highly integrated T/R module is achieved by using LTCC(Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) multiple layer substrate. The module incorporates a compact digital interface, requires only three supply voltages.

Markov chain of active tracking in a radar system and its application to quantitative analysis on track formation range

Markov chains for active tracking which assigns additional track illuminations evenly between search illuminations for a radar system are presented in this article. And some quantitative analyses on track formation range are discussed by using them. Compared with track-while-search (TWS) tracking that uses scan-to-scan correlation at search illuminations for tracking of a target, active tracking has shown the maximum improvement in track formation range of about 27.6%. It is also shown that the number and detection probability of additional track beams have impact on the track formation range. For the consideration of radar resource management at the preliminary radar system design stage, the presented analysis method can be used easily without the need of Monte Carlo simulation.

Subarray Channel Calibration and Performance Analysis for Digital Beam-Forming

This paper describes the subarray channel configuration and calibration method for airborne AESA radar antenna. AESA radar demonstrator was designed and implemented for the digital beam-forming performance test of the 12 channel subarray structure. Magnitude and phase difference can be exist between the manufactured subarray channel. In this paper, calibration method for the subarray difference error was suggested. We measured digital monopulse slope in the subarray channel and verified the channel calibration effect. To verify the subarray channel operation, digital monopulse channel was compared with analog monopulse channel performance. AESA radar demonstrator was tested in the ground far field test range. Emulated single target was generated to test the detection and tracking performance of the demonstrator with the same waveform and search pattern. We verified that the detection and tracking performance of the 12 subarray digital monopulse channel was similar with the conventional analog monopulse channel. Also, ABF(Adaptive Beam-Forming) function for the sidelobe jammer was tested and effective operation was verified.

Correction to "Extension of bandstop filter topology with inter-resonator coupling structures to higher-order filters" [Aug 13 403-405]

In the above-named letter [ibid., vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 403-405, Aug. 2013], incorrect versions of Figs. 4, 5, and 6(b) were published. The corrected figures are presented here. The published Figs. 4 and 5 show incorrect slot locations and two out of four slots can be interpreted as negative coupling structures, which does not support the presented theory. The correct version of the filter has the slots with the required positive values and its measured result is presented here [Fig. 6(b)]. To conclude this letter, the authors would like to point out that the above errors do not affect the presented theory in [1].

Comparison on Track Formation Range between TWS and Adaptive Tracking Using Markov Chain Analysis in a Radar System

Compared with the TWS(Track While Scan) tracking that uses scan-to-scan correlation at search illuminations for targets track, a phased array radar can use adaptive tracking which assigns additional track illuminations and the track formation range can be improved as a result. In this paper, an adaptive tracking, the search and track illuminations of a target are synchronized such that the extra illuminations are evenly distributed between the search illuminations, is proposed. Markov chain and track formation range for the proposed adaptive tracking are shown with them for the conventional TWS. The simulation result shows that the proposed adaptive tracking has improved track formation range by 27.6 % compared with the conventional TWS tracking under same track confirmation criterion.

A Study on Beam Operation of an Airborne AESA Radar with Uniform Search Performance in Whole Scan Area

An Active Electronically Scanned Array(AESA) radar required necessarily as the Fire Control Radar(FCR) of recent fighters has ununiform detection range with regard to scan angle due to scan loss. Although the compensation method of scan loss in an AESA radar with variable dwell time is investigated, the effectiveness of the method in a fighter FCR with multi-function such as search, track, and missile guidance within limited resources should be considered systematically. In this paper, uniform search performance of an AESA radar using variable dwell time with regard to scan angle is derived. We assumed the search load of 50 % for case without changing dwell time in fixed frame time and showed the fighter FCR requirement for multi-function is not satisfied because the search load for the uniform search performance should be increased by about 100 %. On the other hand, in case of increasing the frame time for the uniform search performance and search load of 50 %, degradation of the search performance is shown by 86.7 % compared with the former. Based on these analyses, the effective beam operation strategy on an airborne AESA radar with uniform search performance in whole scan area is described with consideration of frame time, search load and performance as a whole.

Beam Scheduling Algorithm of Multi-Function AESA Radar Based on Dispatching Rules

AESA radar is able to instantaneously and adaptively position and control the beam, and such adaptive beam pointing of AESA radar enables to remarkably improve the multi-mission capability, compared with mechanically scanned array radar. AESA radar brings a new challenges, radar resource management(RRM), which is a technique efficiently allocating finite resources, such as energy and time to each task in an optimal and intelligent way. Especially radar beam scheduling is the most critical component for the success of RRM. In this paper, we proposed the several dispatching rules for radar beam scheduling, and compared the performance on the multi-function radar scenario. We also showed that the dispatching rule which differently applying SPF(Shortest Processing time First) and ERF(Earliest Request time First) according to beam processing latency is the most efficient.

Stochastic Radar Beam Scheduling Using Simulated Annealing

AESA radar is able to instantaneously and adaptively position and control the beam, and such adaptive beam pointing of AESA radar enables to remarkably improve the multi-mission capability, compared with mechanically scanned array radar. AESA radar brings a new challenges, radar resource management(RRM), which is a technique efficiently allocating finite resources, such as energy and time to each task in an optimal and intelligent way. Especially radar beam scheduling is the most critical component for the success of RRM. In this paper, we proposed stochastic radar beam scheduling algorithm using simulated annealing(SA), and evaluated the performance on the multi-function radar scenario. As a result, we showed that our proposed algorithm is superior to previous dispatching rule based scheduling algorithm from the viewpoint of beam processing latency and the number of scheduled beams, with real time capability.