Phase Noise Impact on Surveillance Radar Transmitters' Performance

Abstract

This study addresses the impact of oscillator frequency stability in surveillance radar performance. Oscillator noise deserves special attention in target velocity measurement systems since the Doppler frequency due to the main and side frequencies overlaps and this makes detectability of targets very difficult. It is shown that the frequency variation due to phase noise may cause a time-variant shift, spurious side lobes, and a broadening of the impulse response, which leads to not to obey the stringent requirement of frequency spectrum management. Quantitative estimates are derived analytically for the causes of frequency variation based on a system-theoretic model, which indicates the frequency variation reduction mechanisms of the practical oscillator. Keywords: Doppler frequency, oscillator frequency instability, spectrum management, surveillance radar