Performance characterization of electronic FMCW active imagers

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Electrical Engineering
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Active imaging systems transmit signals and analyze echoes to detect targets.
• Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) systems modulate signal frequency for range resolution.
• Electronic FMCW (eFMCW) utilizes a chirped frequency modulation and local oscillator for demodulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model and compare the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and range precision of an eFMCW active imager.
• To evaluate eFMCW against two other range-resolving imaging techniques.
• To motivate the development of a prototype eFMCW imager.

Main Methods:

• Modeling the SNR and range precision of a notional eFMCW active imager.
• Comparing eFMCW performance metrics with alternative range-resolving imaging techniques.
• Presenting the design of a prototype eFMCW imager.

Main Results:

• eFMCW demonstrates increased sensitivity compared to similar methods.
• eFMCW exhibits enhanced range precision when contrasted with alternative techniques.
• The modeling results support eFMCW as a promising system design.

Conclusions:

• eFMCW active imaging is a viable technique for simultaneous distance and velocity recovery.
• The enhanced sensitivity and range precision of eFMCW make it suitable for advanced applications.
• The study's findings provide a foundation for the practical implementation of eFMCW imagers.