A Unified Analysis of Range Performance of CW, Pulse, and Pulse Doppler Radar

This paper presents a unified method for computing detection range of pulse, multi-channel pulse Doppler, and CW radars. The method assumes that detection occurs when a set threshold is exceeded and is based on 1) a modification of the conventional radar equation which relates range with the signal-to-noise ratio; 2) a simplified analysis of a single channel consisting of range gate, bandpass filter, square-law detector, and post-detection integrator which leads to an approximate calculation of the probability of detection; 3) a consideration of multi-channel effects. Although pulse radar has been extensively analyzed, the literature on the performance of CW and pulse Doppler radars is meager. This paper attempts to fill this gap. The method should prove useful for evaluating changes in a radar or comparing two radars. In order to estimate the radar range of a single radar, experiments to "calibrate" the model are required. A radar whose range is experimentally known can serve as a standard of comparison for predicting the behavior of radars under development. Examples illustrate the method and suitable graphs are given.