Continuous wave radar circuitry testing using OFDM technique

Testing radar circuitry is challenging which requires characterizing system response over a set range of frequencies. In this research, we propose a method that can effectively leverage radar test speed with little design overhead. Currently radar circuitry is tested mainly through the functional test, where step frequency continuous wave (SFCW) technique is primarily adopted. In SFCW, many individual frequency tones must are generated and applied for testing sequentially. This process is time consuming, especially for modern ultra wideband radar systems. In this project, we develop an alternative solution to replace SFCW testing by utilizing OFDM so that multiple frequency tones can be generated for testing simultaneously. To show test results equivalence, simulations are performed to compare both SFCW and OFDM characterization techniques for ground penetrating radar through a simulated ground channel. The simulation results show good agreements.