Note: A dual-chip stroboscopic pulsed RADAR for probing passive sensors

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Signal Processing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Stroboscopy is an energy-efficient technique for sampling reproducible radiofrequency (RF) and microwave signals.
• It is commonly used in impulse mode RADAR receivers.
• Surface acoustic wave (SAW) transducers are passive, cooperative targets crucial in various electronic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the application of stroboscopy for interrogating SAW transducers.
• To demonstrate a novel receiver architecture for this purpose.
• To address the challenge of maintaining phase coherence in stroboscopic pulse generation for SAW transducer excitation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized stroboscopy for signal sampling.
• Developed a two-chip receiver architecture.
• Ensured phase coherence between successive pulse generations, lasting tens of RF periods.
• Employed trigger signals compatible with avalanche transistor pulse excitation and frequency-agile direct digital synthesizer sources.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated stroboscopy for interrogating SAW transducers.
• Achieved energy and computational efficiency in signal sampling.
• Validated the necessity of maintaining phase coherence for optimal energy transfer.
• Presented a versatile two-chip receiver design.

Conclusions:

• Stroboscopy is a viable and efficient method for characterizing SAW transducers.
• The demonstrated receiver architecture offers flexibility and efficiency.
• Phase coherence is a critical parameter for successful stroboscopic interrogation of passive targets.