Waveform-diverse stretch processing

Abstract

Stretch processing is widely used as a means to pulse compress the echoes produced by wideband LFM waveforms at a lower sampling bandwidth while still preserving high range resolution. Here the final fast Fourier transform (FFT) stage is replaced by a compensation transform that permits the use of other chirp-like nonlinear FM (NLFM) waveforms without changing the rest of the RF receive chain, thereby facilitating greater diversity in the use of wideband waveforms for legacy radar systems. The efficacy of this approach is experimentally demonstrated using open-air measurements.