Haystack Radar (HY)

Haystack Auxiliary Radar (HAX)

Millstone Hill Radar (MHR)

OUTLINE
More history
Index of Refraction
More basic radar

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

It is frequently said that,

although the atomic bomb
ended World War II, it was
radar that won the war.

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

MIT Radiation Laboratory

The primary technical barrier to
developing UHF systems was the lack of a
usable source for generating high-power
microwaves.
In February 1940, John Randall and
Harry Boot at Birmingham University in the
UK built a resonant cavity magnetron.
Bombing of London Sept 1940 May
1941 (The Blitz)
Britain was interested in developing
practical applications for airborne
microwave radar, but did not have the
large-scale manufacturing ability to mass
produce magnetrons.
In1940, Britain partnered with the US
National Defense Research Committee
(NDRC)

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

MIT Radiation Laboratory

Over the course of five years, MIT researchers designed 50 percent
of the radar used in World War II and invented over 100 different
radar systems.
Including:
Airborne bombing radars
Shipboard search radars
Harbor and coastal defense radars
Interrogate-friend-or-foe beacon systems
Long-range navigation (LORAN) system
Critical contributions of the Radiation Laboratory were:
the microwave early-warning (MEW) radars, which effectively
nullified the V-1 threat to London, and
air-to-surface vessel (ASV) radars, which turned the tide on the Uboat threat to Allied shipping.

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Millstone
The BMEWS Prototype

Millstone Radar
1957

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Millstone
The BMEWS Prototype

First in Space Surveillance

Echo

Amplitude

Transmitter
Pulse

Range

Millstone Radar
1957

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Sputnik
A-Scope Trace

MIT Haystack Observatory

Outline

More History
Index of Refraction
More Basic Radar
Appleton

Hartree

but also

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Outline

More History
Index of Refraction
More Basic Radar
Appleton

Hartree

but also

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Radar Range Measurement

ng
Ra

Target

ted
t
i
sm e
n
a
Tr Puls
ed
t
c
fle
Re ulse
P
Target range =

c
2

where c = speed of light

= round trip time

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Phase Velocity, Group Velocity, Index of

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Phase Velocity, Group Velocity, Index of

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Illustration of Atmospheric Effects

Elevation Refraction

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Range
Delay

MIT Haystack Observatory

Appleton-Hartree Equation

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Outline

More History
Index of Refraction
More Basic Radar

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

RADAR
RAdio Detection And Ranging
Antenna
Propagation

Target
Cross
Section
Transmitted
Pulse

Reflected
Pulse
(echo)

Radar observables:
Target range
Target angles (azimuth & elevation)
Target size (radar cross section)
Target speed (Doppler)
Target features (imaging)
Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Radar Block Diagram

Propagation
Medium
Target
Cross
Section

Transmitter

Waveform
Generator

Signal Processor
Antenna

Receiver

Pulse
Compression

A/D

Main Computer
Detection

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Tracking &
Parameter
Estimation

Doppler
Processing

Console /
Display
Recording

MIT Haystack Observatory

Radar Range Equation

Antenna Aperture A

Transmitted Pulse

Transmit Power PT

Target Cross Section

Received Pulse

Received Signal
Energy
=

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Transmit
Power

Transmit
Gain

Spread
Factor

Losses

Target
RCS

PT

4A
2

1
4R2

1
L

Spread Receive
Factor Aperture

1
4R2

Dwell
Time

MIT Haystack Observatory

Pulsed Radar
Terminology and Concepts

Peak power

Power

Pulse length

Target
Return
Pulse repetition interval
(PRI)

Duty cycle =

Time

Pulse length
Pulse repetition interval

Average power = Peak power * Duty cycle

Pulse repetition frequency (PRF) = 1/(PRI)
Continuous wave (CW) radar: Duty cycle = 100% (always on)
Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Pulsed Radar
Terminology and Concepts

Peak power

Power

Pulse length

100 sec

1 Mwatt

Target
Return

1 watt

Pulse repetition interval

(PRI) 1 msec

Duty cycle =

Pulse length
Pulse repetition interval

Time
10%

Average power = Peak power * Duty cycle

100 kWatt

Pulse repetition frequency (PRF) = 1/(PRI)

1 kHz

Continuous wave (CW) radar: Duty cycle = 100% (always on)

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Radar Waveforms
What do radars transmit?

Waves?

or Pulses?

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Radar Waveforms
What do radars transmit?

Waves?

or Pulses?

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Waves, modulated
by on-off action of
pulse envelope

MIT Haystack Observatory

Properties of Waves
Relationship Between Frequency and Wavelength

Speed of light, c
c = 3x108 m/sec
= 300,000,000 m/sec

Frequency (1/s) =

Examples:

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Frequency
100 MHz
1 GHz
3 GHz
10 GHz

Speed of light (m/s)

Wavelength (m)
Wavelength
3m
30 cm
10 cm
3 cm
MIT Haystack Observatory

Properties of Waves
Phase and Amplitude
Amplitude (volts)
A
Phase,

Amplitude (volts)

90 phase offset

A
Phase,

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Properties of Waves
Constructive vs. Destructive Addition

Partially Constructive
(somewhat out of phase)

Constructive
(in phase)

Destructive
(180 out of phase)
Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Non-coherent signals
(noise)
MIT Haystack Observatory

Polarization
y
Electromagnetic Wave

Electric Field
Magnetic Field

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Polarization
y
Electric Field

Electromagnetic Wave

Magnetic Field

Horizontal Polarization

Vertical Polarization
y

E
x
Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

z
MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Effect

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Shift Concept

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

c
f

MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Shift Concept

=
c

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

c
f

MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Shift Concept

c
f ==
f

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Shift Concept

c
f ==
f

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Shift Concept

c
f ==
f

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

MIT Haystack Observatory

Doppler Shift Concept

c
f ==
f

c
f = f (2v/)

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11

Doppler
shift

MIT Haystack Observatory

Resolving Doppler
Tx signal: cos(2fot)
Doppler shifted: cos[2(fo+ fD)t]
Multiply by cos(2fot) -> Low pass filter -> cos(2fDt)
BUT, the sign of fD is lost (cosine is an even
function)
So, instead use
exp(j2fDt) = cos(2fDt) + jsin(2fDt)
Generate this signal by mixing cos and sin via two
oscillators (same frequency, 90o out of phase)
Components are called I (In phase) and Q
MIT Haystack Observatory
(Quadrature): Aexp(j2fDt) = I + jQ

Haystack 2003AJC 08/01/11