Radar and EW Systems

Array design, virtual arrays, waveforms, parameter extraction, signal classification

This section contains applications of the toolbox to radar and electronic warfare (EW) systems. Some examples include:

Build an end-to-end radar system.
Design a moving target indication radar.
Model radar frequency agility to counter jamming and interference.
Estimate the parameters of a returned signal to improve localization of a target.
Simulate radar hardware, signal processing, and a propagation environment for a driving scenario. Model the vehicle motion and track the synthetic vehicle detections using Automated Driving Toolbox™.

Featured Examples

Simulating Test Signals for a Radar Receiver

Simulate received signal of a monostatic pulse radar to estimate the target range. A monostatic radar has the transmitter collocated with the receiver. The transmitter generates a pulse which hits the target and produces an echo received by the receiver. By measuring the location of the echoes in time, we can estimate the range of a target.

Open Script

Electronic Scanning Using a Uniform Rectangular Array

Simulates a phased array radar that periodically scans a predefined surveillance region. A 900-element rectangular array is used in this monostatic radar. Steps are introduced to derive the radar parameters according to specifications. After synthesizing the received pulses, detection and range estimation are performed. Finally, Doppler estimation is used to obtain the speed of each target.

Open Live Script

Waveform Parameter Extraction from Received Pulse

Modern aircraft often carry a radar warning receiver (RWR) with them. The RWR detects the radar emission and warns the pilot when the radar signal shines on the aircraft. An RWR can not only detect the radar emission, but also analyze the intercepted signal and catalog what kind of radar is the signal coming from. This example shows how an RWR can estimate the parameters of the intercepted pulse. The example simulates a scenario with a ground surveillance radar (emitter) and a flying aircraft (target) equipped with an RWR. The RWR intercepts radar signals, extracts the waveform parameters from the intercepted pulse, and estimates the location of the emitter. The extracted parameters can be utilized by the aircraft to take counter-measures.

Open Live Script

Scene Visualization for Phased Array System Simulation

Use scenario viewer to visualize a system level simulation.

Open Script

Waveform Design to Improve Range Performance of an Existing System

How waveform type affects a radar system's detection performance. The example considers the situation where a new performance goal is set for an existing radar system design. Since the old design can no longer achieve the desired performance, a new waveform is adopted. The example also shows how to model Swerling targets, simulate the return, and then detect the target ranges.

Open Live Script

Simulating Test Signals for a Radar Receiver in Simulink

Model an end-to-end monostatic radar using Simulink®. A monostatic radar consists of a transmitter colocated with a receiver. The transmitter generates a pulse which hits the target and produces an echo received by the receiver. By measuring the time location of the echoes, you can estimate the range of the target. The first part of this example demonstrates how to detect the range of a single target using the equivalent of a single element antenna. The second part of the example will show how to build a monostatic radar with a 4-element uniform linear array (ULA) that detects the range of 4 targets.

Open Model

Modeling RF Front End in Radar System Simulation

In a radar system, the RF front end often plays an important role in defining the system performance. For example, because the RF front end is the first section in the receiver chain, the design of its low noise amplifier is critical to achieving the desired signal to noise ratio (SNR). This example shows how to incorporate RF front end behavior into an existing radar system design.

Open Model

Increasing Angular Resolution with Virtual Arrays

Introduces how forming a virtual array in MIMO radars can help increase angular resolution. It shows how to simulate a coherent MIMO radar signal processing chain using Phased Array System Toolbox™.

Open Live Script

Patch Antenna Array for FMCW Radar

Model a 77 GHz antenna array for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar applications. The presence of antennas and antenna arrays in and around vehicles has become commonplace with the introduction of wireless collision detection, collision avoidance, and lane departure warning systems. The two frequency bands considered for such systems are centered around 24 GHz and 77 GHz, respectively. In this example, we will investigate the microstrip patch antenna as a phased array radiator. The dielectric substrate is air.

Open Script

Simultaneous Range and Speed Estimation Using MFSK Waveform

Compares triangle sweep frequency-modulated continuous (FMCW) and multiple frequency-shift keying (MFSK) waveforms used for simultaneous range and speed estimation for multiple targets. The MFSK waveform is specifically designed for automotive radar systems used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It is particularly appealing in multitarget scenarios because it does not introduce ghost targets.

Open Live Script

Waveform Scheduling Based on Target Detection

In radar operation, it is often necessary to adjust the operation mode based on the target return. This example shows how to model a radar that changes its pulse repetition frequency (PRF) based on the radar detection.

Open Script

LPI Radar Waveform Classification Using Time-Frequency CNN

Train a time-frequency convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify received radar waveforms based on their modulation scheme.

Open Live Script

Radar Design from Radar Equation to RF Components

Model radars at increasing levels of fidelity using Radar Designer, radar budget plot, and transmitters and receivers.

Open Script