Algorithm Based on PRI Transform for Estimating the Scanning Periods of Phased Array Radar

Phased array radar has a flexible scanning pattern, for with the radar beam electronically steered, it can direct radar beams randomly to any parts of their scan range. PRI transform is an algorithm for estimating pulse repetition intervals (PRIs) of an interleaved pulse train, which is similar to autocorrelation function, but can suppress the subharmonics almost completely. This paper points out that the random scan of phased array radar in the airspace can be considered as a pseudorandom sequence, and the key point of solving the pseudorandom sequence is to estimate its period. This paper presents a new algorithm based on PRI transform, which similarly can suppress the subharmonics, to estimate the period. Through the simulation analysis, the new algorithm has proven to be quite effective in estimating the period of pseudorandom sequence.