Ultra wide swath SAR based on waveform diversity

This paper introduces the concept of waveform diversity into the design of ultra-wide swath, high resolution SAR system. The range ambiguity is suppressed due to waveform orthogonality. The blind zones are eliminated by adopting varied pulse repetition frequency (PRF). Digital beam forming (DBF) in elevation ensures effective illumination of the target scenario. The swath width is therefore enlarged whereas the image degradation is negligible. Compared with traditional SAR systems, range ambiguity-to-signal ratio (RASR) is lower by transmitting orthogonal waveforms and azimuth ambiguity-to-signal ratio (AASR) is decreased because of varied PRF. The basic principles are advanced and the characteristics of the new system architecture are investigated. A preliminary design of an example system is presented at last.