High Fidelity Radar Signal Generation

High Fidelity Radar Signal Generation for Effective EW Receiver Testing

Dave Savage

Modular Sales Specialist

Texas, United States July 15th, 2015

Thomas Dippon

Product Manager

Boeblingen, Germany

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Agenda

Introduction – 15 min

The need for generating Realistic Single/Multi-Emitter Radar and Communications Test Signals for

testing Electronic Warfare(EW) receivers and Communications Jammers

Technical Requirements for Signal Generation

Using Arbitrary Waveform Generators – 25 min

Arbitrary Waveform Generator techniques

Live Demo (Low Spur and Broadband, Phase Coherence, Multi-emitter)

Keysight Solution – 10 min

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The Electronic Warfare Test Challenge

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Need to Test With Realistic Signal Scenarios

Testing Electronic Warfare(EW) receivers and Comms

Jammers

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• Spectrum is becoming

increasingly crowded

• Signals are more complex and

dynamic

• Challenging operating

environment for systems

This Highlights the Need to Test Hardware Under Realistic Signal Scenarios…

Today’s Cluttered Spectral Environment

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Typical EW Test Setup

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RF Source

Radar Signal

Generator

Out1

Jammer Output

Radar Emitter/s Signal

Receiver Input

Electronic Warfare

Receiver/ System Under Test

Analyzer

Digitizer/Scope

In1

In2

Do

wn

co

nve

rte

r

In1

In2 FPGA

Out1

Out2

Input Trig

WaveForm

Memory

System Vue Models

PDW bus

Avionics Bus

RADAR/COMMS SIGNAL

GENERATOR

PDW out

Real time

Real-time

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EW Receiver/Jammer Test Primary objectives:

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1. Ensure that the EW receiver recognizes key threats. (Receiver

processing algorithm development and hardware design test)

2. Ensure that the EW receiver recognizes key threats under dense

threat environment. (Receiver processing algorithm development and

hardware design test)

3. Test Direction Finding of the EW receiver (Amplitude, Phase, Time)

4. Ensure that Jamming system responds correctly (ECM)

5. Electronic Counter Counter Measure Testing (ECCM)

6. Generate Outputs:

Effectiveness metrics, Reports, IQ history of test

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Technical Requirements for Signal Generation

– Ability to create unique radar or communications signals

– High Spur Free Dynamic Range Source - very low spurious products

– High Density of Signals – Multi-emitter signals

– Phase Coherent outputs for Direction Finding Testing

– Frequency Range covers threats – 0.1-18GHz legacy – up to 50GHz

– Scenario Repeatability

– Scenario Length

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Technical Requirements for Analysis

– Correlate Jammer Responses with Stimulus

– Real-time processing (FPGA)

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Arbitrary waveform generation techniques

– Frequency and phase response calibration

• Mathematically correct for frequency-dependent behavior of your

setup

– Sequencing & Digital Up-conversion

• Increase playtime, improve signal performance and gain flexibility

– Memory Ping Pong and Streaming

• Load one set of threats while playing another set with seamless

switching to generate scenarios without a time limit

– Multi-Channel support

• Generate up to 12 phase-coherent IF stimulus signals (same

equipment can be leveraged to test AoA in a narrow field-of-view)

– Up-conversion up to 40 GHz

• get the AWG signal performance to the target frequency range

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Frequency and phase response correction

– Wideband transmission systems typically have frequency-dependent

losses and non-linear phase behavior

– With an AWG, signals can easily be digitally pre-distorted to

generate a flat magnitude and phase response at the device under

test

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AWG

Up-converter,

Amplifier, Filter,

Cables, etc.

Device under

test

Software

Spectrum

Analyzer /

Oscilloscope

Operation

Calibration

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Frequency and phase response correction

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Original Signal With digital pre-distortion

Depending on the bandwidth and carrier frequency, the flatness can be

calibrated to around 0.1 dB flatness

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• Mathematically correct for frequency-dependent behaviour of your setup







• Generate up to 12 phase-coherent IF stimulus signals (same equipment

can be leveraged to test AoA in a narrow field-of-view)



© Keysight


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Sequencing

– Even with several GSamples of memory in modern AWGs,

the unique playtime is only a few hundred milliseconds

(e.g. 2 GSamples @ 12 GSa/s = 166 ms)

– However, in a typical radar signals, there are a lot of “pauses”

(e.g. 1 us PW, 100 us PRI playtime can be extended by a factor

of 100 if pauses do not need to be stored in memory)

– Multi-level sequencing can help to extend playtime even further if

there are repeating patterns

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Loop 45 times Loop 3300 times

Infinite loop

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Dynamic sequencing

– With dynamic sequencing, the next waveform (i.e. next pulse or

series of pulses) is determined by a signal applied to a dynamic

sequence control port on the AWG

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Pulse scenario #1

Pulse scenario #2

Pulse scenario #3

Pulse scenario #4

Pulse scenario #5

Pulse scenario #6

Pulse scenario #N

…

#4, 500 times

#1, 100 times

#6, 5 times

Pulse scenario #1

Pulse scenario #2

Pulse scenario #3

Pulse scenario #4

Pulse scenario #5

Pulse scenario #6

Pulse scenario #N

…

Static Sequencing Dynamic Sequencing

Sequence table Waveform memory Waveform memory Dynamic Sequence

Control Connector

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Example: Simulate 5 scanning Radar stations

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Example: Simulate 5 Radar stations at once

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Measurement results: (click to play movie)

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Comparison Analog vs. Digital Up-conversion

Digital signal Analog signal

Analog I/Q modulation – Analog I and Q

signals are generated using an AWG.

An signal generator performs I/Q modulation

and up-conversion

Digital up-conversion – I/Q modulation is

performed digitally in real-time – eliminating the

typical distortions (LO feedthrough, images)

Analog I/Q up conversion

causes distortions Best signal quality

with digital Upconversion

I

Q IF

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ASIC or FPGA

What is Digital Up-conversion?

Frequency

Phase

Parameters

Amplitude

– With Digital Up-conversion, the

waveform and its parameters

(frequency, phase, amplitude)

are stored independently

– Hardware DSP inside the AWG

generates the actual signal in

real-time

Benefit:

– Longer playtime, more flexibility Parameter

changes in

real-time!

Click here for animation

Waveform

memory

Parameter

memory

(freq., phase,

amplitude)

Inter-

polation

Numerical

Oscillator

(DDS engine)

I

Q

DAC

Frequency

Phase

Amplitude

Example: Generating an

antenna scan pattern

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Streaming Configuration

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Streaming from various data sources

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RAID

Algorithmic data

generation

Digitizer

Playtime

Throughput

HDD

SSD

DRAM of

PC

Infinite

Typical

~3 Gbytes/s

Typical

~1 Gbytes/s

Typical

~80 Mbytes/s

Performance depends on

HW and SW algorithm

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• Generate up to 12 phase-coherent IF stimulus signals (same

equipment can be leveraged to test AoA in a narrow field-of-view)



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Multi-Channel Phase Coherent signal generation Example setup with Keysight M8190A

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Example: DOA simulation with moving target

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Simulation: (click to play movie)

Result: (click to play movie)

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Signal Generation Setups

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Differential I/Q signals

RF/IF out

RF/IF out

Marker output

Pulse mod. input

PCIe

PCIe

M8190A E8267D,

Opt. 016

M8190A /

M8195A

Modulation BW up to 2(4) GHz

RF up to 44 GHz

IF/RF up to

5 GHz on 2 channels with M8190A resp.

20 GHz on up to 4 channels with M8195A

IQ Modulation

Direct IF/RF

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– Arbitrary Waveform Generators

– Digitizers

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Custom waveform creation for Keysight AWGs

Generate custom RADAR pulses, multi-tone

and digitally modulated signal, serial data and

other signals on Keysight AWGs

Hardware/Software:

Keysight M8190A & M8195A arbitrary

waveform generators

N6171A MATLAB software

Demonstration:

Generation of custom RADAR and

UWB signals using MATLAB

IQTools - MATLAB App for creating

signals on Keysight AWGs and signal

generators

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IQTools source code +

MATLAB available with

Keysight instruments!

http://www.keysight.com/find/matlab

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M933xA

81180B

M8190A

M8195A

Proprietary Technology - Unique Performance

M9330A / N8241A

15 bit, 1.2 Gsa/s

Best signal quality in PXI

and LXI from factor

81180B

12 Bit, 4.6 GSa/s 1 GHz analog bw

Economic version

M8190A

14 bit 8 GSa/s / 12 bit 12 GSa/s

5 GHz analog BW

Highest Dynamic Range

SFDR: -90 dBc .

10 dB more than the closest competitor

M8195A

65 GSa/s

20 GHz analog bw

Highest bandwidth and port

density in a 1U AXIe module

Jitter 5 ps pp @ 16Gb/s

SFDR: up to -80 dBc

Integrated FIR filter,

Hardware-encoding +

real-time impairments

Keysight High-Speed Arbitrary Waveform Generators

Choose the performance you need

High Resolution

Wide Bandwidth

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M8190A Arbitrary Waveform Generator

• Precision AWG with DAC resolution of:

• 14 bit up to 8 GSa/s

• 12 bit up to 12 GSa/s

• Up to 2 GSa Arbitrary Waveform Memory

per channel

• Up to 5 GHz bandwidth per channel

• 3 selectable output paths: direct DAC, DC

and AC

• SFDR: up to -90 dBc typ. (fout = 100 MHz, DC to 3

GHz)

• Harmonic distortion: -72 dBc typ. (fout = 100

MHz, balun)

• Advanced sequencing scenarios

sequences*)

• 2 markers per channel

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M8195A Arbitrary Waveform Generator - Overview

• 65 GSa/s on 1, 2 or 4 channels per module

• 20 GHz analog bandwidth

• 8 bit vertical resolution

• Up to 16 GSamples memory per module

• Sequencing capability

• Asynchronous trigger

• FIR filter per channel in hardware

• S-Parameter de-embedding

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

SFDR(dBc) vs. Tone freq. (MHz)

Example: 100 tones from 10 to 15 GHz

with a notch @ 12.5 GHz

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Agilent M9703A High-Speed Digitizer

Key Features

• 12 bit Resolution

• 8 channels @ 1.6 GS/s

• Interleaving option to get 4 ch @ 3.2 GS/s

• DC to 2 GHz analog 3dB bandwidth

• Optional real-time digital downconversion

(DDC) on 8 phase-coherent channels

• Up to 256 MS/ch memory and segmented

acquisition

• > 650 MB/s data transfer

• Keysight 89600 Software support

Reduce the test time of your DUT with the new M9703A! Higher number of synchronous acquisition channels, wider signal capture with the

best accuracy and flexibility, and optimized throughput

M9703A OS support

• Windows

• XP (32-bit)

• Vista (32/64-bit)

• 7 (32/64-bit)

• Linux

Drivers – MD1 software

• IVI-C, IVI-COM

• LabVIEW

• Matlab (through IVI-COM)

OTS application software

• MD1 soft front panel

• AcqirisMAQS U1092A-S01/S02/S03

• 89600 VSA software

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M9703A – DDC Block Diagram Built-in FPGAs – for processing on module

LO

LPF

LPF

Mag Trig

Signal Channel (I/Q Paths)

• Agility to tune/zoom, trigger,

and analyze only the signal of

interest.

• Independent IF tuning

(0.01Hz) over the full digitizer

bandwidth

• Transfer only the data that

you want reduce the

workload on post-

processing algorithms

2x DDC per FPGA = 8 channels

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Page Questions

For more information, please visit:

www.keysight.com/find/M8190A and

www.keysight.com/find/M8195A

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http://www.keysight.com/find/M8190A

http://www.keysight.com/find/M8195A

High Fidelity Radar Signal Generation

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