Radar system and method of operating such system

Abstract

A monopulse receiver includes a monopulse antenna and arithmetic unit for providing a monopulse sum signal, S, an azimuth difference signal, y, and an elevation difference signal, p, an imbalance correction circuit to provide a first composite signal defined as (y+jp) and a second composite signal defined as (y-jp), wherein j is an indicator of being in quadrature with the monopulse sum signal, and for interleaving the first and the second composite signal for providing a composite difference signal, D, and a combiner for providing a third composite signal defined as [S+D] and a fourth composite signal defined as [S-D]. The monopulse receiver further includes a switch matrix, for feeding the third composite signal to a first amplifier channel and for simutaneously feeding the fourth composite signal to a second amplifier channel during a first interval of time and, alternatively, for feeding the third composite signal to the second amplifier channel and for simutaneously feeding the fourth composite signal to the first amplifier channel during a second interval of time to provide an output signal from each of the first and second amplifier channels, and a second switch matrix fed by each output signal from the first and second amplifier channels, to provide successively amplified third composite signals [S+D] at a first output line and successively amplified fourth composite signals [S-D] at a second output line. With this arrangement, the effects of phase and amplitude imbalances in the monopulse antenna and arithmetic circuitry are reduced.