ABSTRACT
Range resolution for a given radar can be significantly improved by using very short pulses. Unfortunately, utilizing short pulses decreases the average transmitted power, hence reducing the SNR. Since the average transmitted power is directly linked to the receiver SNR, it is often desirable to increase the pulse width (i.e., the average transmitted power) while simultaneously maintaining adequate range resolution. This can be made possible by using pulse compression techniques and the matched filter receiver. Pulse compression allows us to achieve the average transmitted power of a relatively long pulse, while obtaining the range resolution corresponding to a short pulse. In this chapter, two pulse compression techniques are discussed. The first technique is known as correlation processing, which is predominantly used for narrowband and some medium-band radar operations. The second technique is called stretch processing and is normally used for extremely wideband radar operations.
