A 243 GHz Direct-Conversion FMCW Transceiver for Radar Moving Target Signature Measurements

• Published in: 2018 USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting (Joint with AP-S Symposium) pp. 13 - 14
• Main Authors: DeMartinis, Guy B., Soper, Brian W., Cook, Jason D., Horgan, Thomas M., Horgan, Lawrence F., Beaudoin, Christopher J., Dickinson, Jason C., Gatesman, Andrew J.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-07-2018
• Subjects: FMCW; Micro-Doppler; Millimeter wave measurements; Millimeter wave radar; Millimeter-Wave; Radar; Radar Cross Section; Radar cross-sections; Radar Scattering; Range-Doppler; Receivers; Spectrogram; Time-Frequency Analysis; Transceivers
• DOI: 10.1109/USNC-URSI.2018.8602505

A prototype single-channel V-transmit V-receive (VV) frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) instrumentation radar operating near a center frequency of 243 GHz has been developed. The primary motivation for development of the radar is to support micro-Doppler signature measurements of moving targets at millimeter-wave frequencies. The transceiver employs a commercially available synthesizer evaluation module that directly drives both the transmitter and receiver x24 frequency multiplier assemblies. The receiver is a simple direct conversion architecture feeding a modest 5 MS/s data acquisition card or fast oscilloscope (up to 2 GS/s). The design and operation of the transceiver is presented in this paper along with measurement results of a reconfigurable multi-blade rotor assembly used to demonstrate system performance.