Abstract:
We demonstrate an ultra-wideband impulse radar system operating from DC-11 GHz with a software-defined pulse transmitter and programmable receiver. Critically, the use of a software-defined pulse transmitter allows for flexibility in the radar’s detection capabilities. The transmitter uses a 64 GS/s benchtop arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) to generate a digitally defined pulse waveform. Ultrawideband GaAs amplifiers faithfully amplify the pulse up to a maximum peak-to-peak voltage of 14 V. The FPGA-based receiver samples at an equivalent rate of 100 GS/s. The system transmits and receives radar pulses with instantaneous bandwidths up to 11 GHz with the option for real-time reconfiguration. In a real-world ground-penetrating radar (GPR) application, the system produces two-dimensional images of buried targets at varying depths. To our knowledge, this work is the first software-defined UWB transmitter at this large of an instantaneous bandwidth. We believe that the inclusion of a software-defined transmitter will spur further research into how best to utilize its inherent flexibility.