Chapter 5 - Non-Mathematical Understanding of Radar

In chapter 5, you learn, in non-mathematical terms, the basis behind radar signal manipulation. This will give you the basis for understanding at a high level the function of radar receivers from taking in radio frequency signals to producing digital signals ready for the radar signal processor.

For these problems, we have developed a calculator to add and subtract vectors, showing both amplitude/phase and I/Q representations. It will help in calculating the numbers for these problems. Please note that the calculator is there to help with getting the numbers only. It cannot substitute for an in-depth understanding of the concepts. In our experience, the best understanding of this material is gained when you can have a visual idea of what is happening. There are many explanatory pictures in both the text and the problems to help.

How a Phasor Represents a Signal
Combining Signals of Different Phase
Combining Signals of Different Frequency
Frequency Translation; Image Frequencies; Creation of Sidebands
Resoving Signals into I and Q components
Distinguishing Direction of Doppler Shifts; Differentiating Between Signals and Images

  1. Representing a radio wave with a sinusoid
  2. How can the radar add vectors?
  3. Adding constant amplitude but different phase sinusoids
  4. Adding sinusoids of different phase and amplitude
  5. Phasor representation
  6. Complex numbers - Inphase / Quadrature (I/Q) Representation
  7. Determining the Doppler Shift
  8. Signals and Images
  9. Image Frequencies

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