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Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system
This dissertation presents the design of the RF front end for use on the NeXtRAD radar system. The system is intended for research purposes to investigate potential target detection benefits to be derived from a multistatic, dual-band (X- and L-band), polarimetric radar architecture, particularly wi...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Electrical Engineering
2018
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| _version_ | 1867614267390296064 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Stevens, Adrian Dale |
| author2 | Geschke, Riana |
| author_browse | Geschke, Riana Stevens, Adrian Dale |
| author_facet | Geschke, Riana Stevens, Adrian Dale |
| author_sort | Stevens, Adrian Dale |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This dissertation presents the design of the RF front end for use on the NeXtRAD radar system. The system is intended for research purposes to investigate potential target detection benefits to be derived from a multistatic, dual-band (X- and L-band), polarimetric radar architecture, particularly within dense clutter environments such as the maritime environment. By examining the high-level system requirements and objectives, requirement specifications for the RF front end were derived and a suitable architecture, making use of commercial off-the-shelf components, proposed. This architecture was modified in order to meet cost constraints - subsequently offering reduced levels of functionality but suitable for an initial build. Using this modified RF front end architecture, design verification and system analysis was conducted, both analytically and with the aid of SystemVue, in order to predict both the front end and overall radar detection performance. Once the front end design was found to be satisfactory, it was built and tested in a laboratory environment. Test results revealed a general improvement in performance when compared with the design predictions, yielding peak transmitter power levels in excess of 61dBm at L-band, and 54dBm at X-band. Some non-conformances were also identified, but these were as a result of component problems and not system design. Since the front end could not yet be integrated into the radar, performance modelling was repeated using the final lab test results. This indicated a negligible improvement in receiver single-pulse signal-to-noise ratio, but confirmed that the system performed as predicted. Based on the lab test results, it was concluded that the 'as-built' front end design closely matched the design goals and would be suitable for eventual integration into the first revision of the NeXtRAD system. It was, however, recommended that a concerted effort be made to secure funding to implement the original front end architecture in order to achieve the full system functionality originally desired. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/27361 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:49:19.764Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Department of Electrical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Electrical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/27361 Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system Stevens, Adrian Dale Geschke, Riana Downing, Barry Electrical Engineering Radar and Electronic Defence This dissertation presents the design of the RF front end for use on the NeXtRAD radar system. The system is intended for research purposes to investigate potential target detection benefits to be derived from a multistatic, dual-band (X- and L-band), polarimetric radar architecture, particularly within dense clutter environments such as the maritime environment. By examining the high-level system requirements and objectives, requirement specifications for the RF front end were derived and a suitable architecture, making use of commercial off-the-shelf components, proposed. This architecture was modified in order to meet cost constraints - subsequently offering reduced levels of functionality but suitable for an initial build. Using this modified RF front end architecture, design verification and system analysis was conducted, both analytically and with the aid of SystemVue, in order to predict both the front end and overall radar detection performance. Once the front end design was found to be satisfactory, it was built and tested in a laboratory environment. Test results revealed a general improvement in performance when compared with the design predictions, yielding peak transmitter power levels in excess of 61dBm at L-band, and 54dBm at X-band. Some non-conformances were also identified, but these were as a result of component problems and not system design. Since the front end could not yet be integrated into the radar, performance modelling was repeated using the final lab test results. This indicated a negligible improvement in receiver single-pulse signal-to-noise ratio, but confirmed that the system performed as predicted. Based on the lab test results, it was concluded that the 'as-built' front end design closely matched the design goals and would be suitable for eventual integration into the first revision of the NeXtRAD system. It was, however, recommended that a concerted effort be made to secure funding to implement the original front end architecture in order to achieve the full system functionality originally desired. 2018-02-07T09:03:05Z 2018-02-07T09:03:05Z 2017 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Eng) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27361 eng application/pdf Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Electrical Engineering Radar and Electronic Defence Stevens, Adrian Dale Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system |
| title_full | Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system |
| title_fullStr | Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system |
| title_short | Design and Implementation of an RF front end for the NeXtRAD radar system |
| title_sort | design and implementation of an rf front end for the nextrad radar system |
| topic | Electrical Engineering Radar and Electronic Defence |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27361 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stevensadriandale designandimplementationofanrffrontendforthenextradradarsystem |