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Optmized Patch-Like Antennas for Through The Wall Radar Imaging and Preliminary Results with Frequency Modulated

Interrupted Continuous Wave


Francesco Fioranelli, Sana Salous
School of Engineering and Computing Sciences Durham University South Road, DH1 3LE, Durham, UK sana.salous@durham.ac.uk
Abstract This paper presents optimized patch-like antennas for Through The Wall Imaging (TTWI) radar applications in the frequency range 0.5-2 GHz, and preliminary results using Frequency Modulated Interrupted Continuous Waveform (FMICW). Results of numerical simulations using basic models of the antenna are presented. The antenna optimization was aimed at making the radiation pattern more directional by focusing the energy in a single lobe to be directed towards the wall and the targets to be detected. The optimized antenna was manufactured and its measured parameters are compared with the simulated results which show good agreement. Some preliminary results from the FMICW radar system using this antenna are presented. Keywords-component: UWB; printed antenna; through the wall imaging; radar; FMCW; FMICW

Ivan Ndip
Fraunhofer Institut fr Zuverlssigkeit und Mikrointegration Fraunhofer IZM Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25 13355, Berlin, Germany literature. Antipodal or exponentially tapered Vivaldi antennas are widely used for their high gain and narrow beam-width in their radiation patterns, either as single antenna or in array configurations [2-3]. Vivaldi and linear-tapered slot design are sometimes combined to create hybrid antennas [4]. Horn antennas can be also used to achieve high gain and radiation pattern directivity similar to the Vivaldi design. Elements printed on dielectric substrate are another possible choice since they are generally compact, easy to manufacture and to use in array configurations. Many different shapes are available in the literature, for instance simple geometrical square or elliptical patch which can be used in an array directly worn by users in the field [5], or more elaborate shapes to achieve desirable properties like dual polarization or side lobes suppression as in [6]. Ad hoc designs of antennas may also be used to improve the performance, for instance the two-flares design for detection of people buried under rubble as reported in [7]. Among all the aforementioned models, a printed patch-like antenna design is chosen and presented in this paper for TTWI radar applications, in the frequency range 0.5-2GHz. Printed antenna elements are indeed easy to design and to manufacture. Given a desired operational bandwidth, their overall dimensions are also relatively compact compared with other designs, such as the exponentially tapered Vivaldi. Frequency Modulated Continuous Waveform signals have long been used in ionospheric sounding and radar applications as they avoid the peak power limitations of pulse radar. However, due to the continuous transmission at the transmitter, in a mono-static operation, the transmitted signal can block the receiver. To avoid this limitation FMICW signals are switched on and off at the transmitter to allow for listening intervals at the receiver which is switched with the complement of the gating sequence used at the transmitter [8]. In section II of this paper we present a basic version of the antenna which has been extensively simulated and manufactured, achieving good similarity between simulations and measurements. The design has been then optimized to improve its effectiveness for TTWI radar applications, and this new prototype has been manufactured. Comparisons of measurements with simulated results are presented in section III. Finally in section IV a measurement example of the

I.

INTRODUCTION

Through The Wall Imaging (TTWI) radar techniques have been attracting interest in the past few years as a way to provide detailed information about areas which could not be otherwise seen through conventional methods. This can benefit police or soldiers operating in an urban environment (e.g. breaking in a room occupied by hostile agents), or firemen in search and rescue operations (e.g. entering a burning building, or locating people buried under rubbles). Microwave systems using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) signals are a mature technology for TTWI radar applications. These systems can provide both bandwidths wide enough to achieve sufficient range resolution to create an accurate image of the targets, and low enough central frequency of the spectrum to penetrate through the wall materials. The range resolution of the radar system is indeed proportional to the bandwidth, while the through-wall penetration is inversely proportional to the frequency[1]. In TTWI radar systems antennas are of fundamental importance and they should have well matched impedance across the required wide bandwidth, and radiation pattern suitable to focus most of the energy towards the wall and the targets to be detected. Constraints on weight and size of the antennas should be also taken into account, depending on the kind of radar system (e.g. radar mounted on a vehicle or handhold). Several design models have been proposed in the

978-1-4673-4455-5/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

optimized antenna in conjunction with a suitable FMICW signal for TTWI radar system illustrates the effectiveness of the technique. II. THE BASIC ANTENNA MODEL

The basic design of the antenna consists of a rectangular patch of size 5.68 cm by 8.23 cm printed on common FR4 dielectric substrate with 1.5 mm thickness and 80 m copper layer as shown in fig. 1 with the other side of the substrate forming the ground plane. The patch is fed by a microstrip line with 12.6 cm length and 0.32 cm width, and the length of the ground plane length is 12.1 cm. The resulting overall dimensions of the antenna are 16.4 by 25.5 cm. Prior to fabrication the antenna was extensively simulated with the software ANSYS HFSS to get its S11 below -10dB across the desired bandwidth 0.5-2GHz, while keeping the overall dimensions as small as possible. A model of a SMA connector to feed the antenna was included in all the simulations for realistic applications. The dimensions of the patch, the feed line, and the length of the ground plane were optimized with respect to the S11 parameter and a prototype of the final design has been manufactured. The final design was also simulated using CST MICROWAVE STUDIO which is a time domain technique simulator (Finite Integration in Time Domain) to compare the results with those from HFSS which uses a frequency domain technique (Finite Element Method). Fig. 2 compares the simulation results from the two methods with the actual measured data for the S11 parameter. The figure shows that the S11 parameter is less than -10 dB across the desired bandwidth and good agreement with the measurements.

which represent respectively the start, centre, and stop frequency of the desired bandwidth. It can be seen that this antenna presents two lobes in the direction 60 and 120 degrees, and their value increase with the frequency as is generally expected. This two lobes structure may be problematic for TTWI radar applications, since the energy is not clearly focused towards one direction, and even if one lobe is focused towards the wall, clutter and undesired singles may be received through the other lobe.
Radiation Pattern Plane Theta 90 at 0.5 1.25 2GHz 5 dB 0o -30o 30o -60o -90o
-17 -6 -17

60o 90o

-120o -150o

-6

120o

180o

5 dB 150o

Simulation at 2GHz Simulation at 1.25GHz Simulation at 0.5GHz

Figure 3. Simulated radiation pattern on plane theta 90 at 0.5, 1.25 and 2GHz of the basic antenna model

III.

THE OPTIMIZED ANTENNA MODEL

Figure 1. Top view of the basic antenna model


S11 Basic Antenna Design: simulations and measurements 0 -5 -10 S11 [dB] -15 -20 -25 -30 0
Measurement HFSS Simulation CST Simulation

To suppress one of the lobes and to enhance the gain of the antenna in the desired lobe an additional ground plane strip was added. During the process of optimization the antenna size was further reduced while maintaining the S11 parameter below the usual -10 dB threshold across the desired 0.5-2GHz bandwidth. A small metal patch was also added on the lower side of the substrate in order to improve the impedance matching of the antenna. Fig. 4 shows the shape of the optimized model which has a rectangular patch with dimensions equal to 6.53 cm by 7.44 cm with a feeding line length equal to 6.12 cm and 0.32 cm width. The ground plane length and the width of the added ground plane strip are equal to 5.83 cm and 2.12 cm, respectively. The dimensions of the metal patch on the lower side are 3 cm by 3.5 cm with the overall dimensions of the antenna being equal to 14 by 17 cm, versus the 16.4 by 25.5 cm of the basic model. The substrate is common FR4 again, with thickness 1.5 mm and the thickness of the copper layer 80 m.

0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 Frequency [GHz]

2.25 2.5

Figure 2. Simulated and measured S11 of the basic antenna model

Fig. 3 shows the simulated radiation patterns of the antenna for theta = 90 in the azimuth plane at 0.5, 1.25, and 2 GHz,

Figure 4. Top view of the optimized antenna model

S11 [dB]

This optimized design has been extensively simulated using both HFSS and CST to investigate the S11 and the gain radiation patterns. A prototype has been built to measure the actual values of these parameters. Fig. 5 compares the S11 for the two different simulations with the measured data. The parameter is below the -10 dB threshold across the required bandwidth and the curves are quite similar.
S11 Optimized Antenna Design: simulations and measurements 0 Measurement -5 -10 S11 [dB] -15 -20 -25 -30 -35 0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 Frequency [GHz] 2 2.25 2.5
HFSS simulation CST Simulation

S11 Optimized Antenna: measurements in different environments 0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25
Anechoic chamber

-30 -35 0

10cm from thin wall 10cm from thick wall

0.25 0.5 0.75

1 1.25 1.5 1.75 Frequency [GHz]

2.25 2.5

Figure 8. S11 of the optimized antenna measured in different environments

Figure 5. Simulated and measured S11 of the optimized antenna model

The S11 parameter has been measured also when the antenna is placed in a real environment very close to the wall, as in the case of its practical application in TTWI radar systems. Fig. 6 and 7 show the environments of these S11 parameter measurements: the antenna is placed at 10 cm from two different kinds of wall, respectively a thin partition wall and a thick concrete wall. Fig. 8 compares the resulting S11 with the measurement taken inside the anechoic chamber. The presence of the thick wall raises the S11 slightly above the -10 dB threshold in segments between 0.9-1.25. This increase is less than 2 dB. For the thin wall the antennas performance still gives the required -10 dB threshold performance. Thus, the antenna is still usable even very close to walls with some minor degradation of its performance.

The gain radiation patterns have been measured using the standard gain method, i.e. deriving the gain of the antenna under test from a measurement of the S21 with an antenna with well-known and calibrated gain, which in this case is a horn antenna for the frequencies above 1.25GHz and a log-periodic between 0.5 and 1.25GHz. Figures 9 and 10 show the patterns in the azimuth plane at theta equal to 90 at 1.25GHz and 2GHz respectively, while figures 11 and 12 show the patterns at the same frequencies, but in the elevation plane at phi 0. All the figures show good similarity between the simulated and the measured data. In fig. 9 and 10 the single lobe radiation pattern can be seen as a result of the optimization with the gain of this main lobe being around 5dB at 1.25GHz and 7dB at 2GHz.

Radiation Pattern Plane Theta 90 1.25GHz 0o 5 dB o -30o 30


-3

-60 -90o
Figure 6. Antenna close to a thin partition wall

60o
-11

90o
-11 -3
o 5 dB

-120o -150o

120o 150o

180

Measurement HFSS Simulation CST Simulation


Figure 9. Simulated and measured radiation pattern on plane theta 90 at 1.25GHz of the optimized antenna model

Figure 7. Antenna close to a thick concrete wall

Radiation Pattern Plane Theta 90 2GHz 0o7 dB o -30o 30


-2

IV.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THROUGH THE WALL RADAR

-60o -90o

-11

60o 90o

-11

-120o -150o

-2

120o

180o

7 dB 150o

Measurement HFSS Simulation CST Simulation

An experiment to verify the operation of the FMICW technique in conjunction with the optimized antenna presented in this paper was set up in the large anechoic chamber at Durham University. As shown in Fig. 13 the set up consists of two arbitrary waveform generators for the generation of the FMCW signal with and without gating and two antenna elements have been manufactured to be used at the transmitter and at the receiver. The received signal is mixed with a reference signal which is a copy of the transmitted signal, and the resulting beat-note signal is filtered, amplified and recorded by an acquisition unit. For this preliminary experiment a wooden panel of thickness 3 cm was used as wall and placed between the antennas and the targets area, at roughly 30 cm distance from the antennas.

Figure 10. Simulated and measured radiation pattern on plane theta 90 at 2GHz of the optimized antenna model

Radiation Pattern Plane Phi 0 1.25GHz -30o -60o -90o


-10 6 dB 0o -2 -10

30o 60o 90o

-120o -150o

-2

120o

180o

6 dB 150o

Measurement HFSS Simulation CST Simulation

Figure 13. Block diagram of the radar system

Figure 11. Simulated and measured radiation pattern on plane phi 0 at 1.25GHz of the optimized antenna model

Radiation Pattern Plane Phi 0 2GHz -30o -60o -90o -120o -150o
-4 2 dB 150o 2 dB 0o -4

30o 60o 90o 120o

The antennas were placed 30 cm apart on a support and oriented so that the main radiation lobe is directed towards the target area. For demonstration purposes a simple wooden rectangle covered with aluminium foil at 1.5 m distance from the antennas was used as a target, as it can be seen in fig. 14 where the wall was temporarily removed to make this picture.

180o

Measurement HFSS Simulation CST Simulation

Figure 14. Transmitter-receiver antenna set up with target in the anechoic chamber Figure 12. Simulated and measured radiation pattern on plane phi 0 at 2GHz of the optimized antenna model

In fig.15 two normalized radar range profiles are shown for both the FMCW waveform and the FMICW waveform. The FMCW return shows three peaks: the first peak at roughly 0.78 MHz which is caused by the cross-talk between the transmitter and the receiver antennas, the second peak at 0.87 MHz which is the backscattered reflection from the wall, and the third peak at 1.3MHz which is the reflection from the target. The FMICW return shows considerable reduction (around 20 dB) of the unwanted components (cross-talk and reflection from the wall) and an enhancement of the desired return from the target, which is the strongest component of the FMICW return. V. CONCLUSIONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank Her Majestys Government Communications Centre for the sponsorship of this project, and for the Fraunhofer IZM for hosting Francesco Fioranelli during the development of the antenna. REFERENCES
[1] M. Farwell, et al., "Sense through the wall system development and design considerations," Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 345, pp. 570-591, 2008. N. Maaref, et al., "FMCW ultra-wideband radar for through-the- wall detection of human beings," in Radar Conference - Surveillance for a Safer World, 2009. RADAR. International, 2009, pp. 1-5. Y. Yang, et al., "Design of compact vivaldi antenna arrays for UWB see through wall applications," Progress In Electromagnetics Research, vol. 82, pp. 401-418, 2008. T. S. Ralston, et al., "Real-time through-wall imaging using an ultrawideband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) phased array radar system," in Phased Array Systems and Technology (ARRAY), 2010 IEEE International Symposium on, 2010, pp. 551-558. R. Yu-Jiun, et al., "Compact Ultrawideband UHF Array Antenna for Through-Wall Radar Applications," Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, IEEE, vol. 8, pp. 1302-1305, 2009. K. E. Browne, et al., "Through-Wall Opportunistic Sensing System Utilizing a Low-Cost Flat-Panel Array," Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Transactions on, vol. 59, pp. 859-868, 2011. J. M. Denoual, et al., "Design of two flare UWB antenna dedicated to the research of alive buried victims," in Radar Conference (EuRAD), 2010 European, 2010, pp. 519-522. S. Salous, Weighted sequences for HF FMCW sounding, in HF Radio Systems and Techniques, Seventh International Conference on (Conf. Publ. No. 441), 1997, pp. 423-427.

[2]

In this paper an optimized design of a patch-like antenna was presented for UWB applications in the 0.5-2 GHz band. While the optimization has resulted in a compact antenna element with a single main lobe, the direction of the peak of the radiation pattern is seen to move with frequency. A preliminary test with a FMCW and FMICW signal shows the effectiveness of the gating technique in reducing unwanted returns. Further work is currently being undertaken to investigate other antenna design elements and to optimize the gating waveform for applications in real environments.
Measured radar range profiles for FMCW and FMICW 0
Wall Target

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Normalized Magnitude [dB]

-10 Crosstalk -20 -30 -40 -50 -60 0.5

[8]

FMCW FMICW 1 1.5 Frequency [MHz] 2

Figure 15. Example of FMCW and FMICW radar range profile from the TTWI radar system

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