Radar power amplifier circuit and waveform optimization for spectrally confined, reconfigurable radar systems

Increasingly stringent spectral spreading constraints are motivating a paradigm shift in the spectrum engineering of radar systems. Future spectrum requirements will likely dictate narrower spectral masks that will change based on geography. The desire to operate radar systems efficiently with waveforms that will provide desired detection capabilities must mesh with the need to meet spectral mask criteria. To this end, a collaborative research effort between Baylor University and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has resulted in the design of reconfigurable circuit and waveform approaches to optimize spectral confinement, power efficiency, and detection capabilities. This paper surveys the joint optimization approach and describes innovations by the authors in circuit and waveform reconfiguration that will be useful in future flexible radar transmitters.