ABSTRACT
Choosing a particular waveform type and a signal processing technique in a radar system depends heavily on the radar’s specific mission and role. The cost and complexity associated with a certain type of waveform hardware and software implementation constitute a major factor in the decision process. Radar systems can use Continuous Waveforms (CW) or pulsed waveforms with or without modulation. Modulation techniques can be either analog or digital. Range and Doppler resolutions are directly related to the specific waveform frequency characteristics. Thus, knowledge of the power spectrum density of a waveform is very critical. In general, signals or waveforms can be analyzed using time-domain or frequency-domain techniques. This chapter introduces many of the most commonly used radar waveforms. Relevant uses of a specific waveform will be addressed in the context of its time and frequencydomain characteristics. In this book, the terms waveform and signal are used interchangeably to mean the same thing.
