Real-time processing of one-bit-coded SAR data

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data processing represents a useful tool for airborne and spaceborne remote sensing. Microwave imaging radar has the ability to make measurements over virtually any region at any time, regardless of weather or sunlight conditions. Almost all SAR data processors work in the frequency-domain using efficient FFT techniques. The image formation process, even if performed on special purpose computers, requires a processing time that doesn´t allow real-time operations. To reduce complexity of the computation the involved signals can be quantized at only one-bit, considering just their signum. In this paper we present the design and a prototype realization of a real-time processing architecture for one-bit signum coded (SC) SAR signals, based on time-domain elaboration