The paper presents a novel approach, based on the wavelet decomposition and the learning vector quantisation algorithm, to automatic classification of signals with linear frequency modulation, generated by radar emitters. The goal of radar transmitter classification is to determine the particular transmitter, from which a signal originated, using only the just received waveform. To categorise a current linear frequency modulation signal to the particular transmitter, the discrete wavelet decomposition of the received signal is accomplished in order to get a representative set of features with good classification properties. The learning vector quantisation algorithm with a previously defined set of features as an input of the learning vector quantisation neural net is proposed as the intelligent classification algorithm, which combines competitive learning with supervision. After the learning process, the learning vector quantisation algorithm is ready to perform the classification process for different data than data used in the learning stage. Simulation results show the high classification accuracy for experimentally chosen wavelets and suggested architecture of the learning vector quantisation classifier.

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Linear frequency-modulated (LFM) signals are the most significant example of waveform used in low probability of intercept (LPI) radars, synthetic aperture radars and modern communication systems. Thus, interception and parameter estimation of the signals is one of the challenges in Electronic Support (ES) systems. The methods, which are widely used to accomplish this task are mainly based on transformations from time to time-frequency domain, which concentrate the energy of signals along an instantaneous frequency (IF) line. The most popular examples of such transforms are the short time Fourier transform (STFT) and Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD). However, for LFM waveforms, methods that concentrate signal energy along a line in the time-frequency rate domain may allow to obtain better detection and estimation performance. This type of transformation can be obtained using the cubic phase (CP) function (CPF). In the paper, the detection of LFM waveform and its chirp rate (CR) parameter estimation based on the extended forms of the standard CPF is proposed. The CPF was originally introduced for instantaneous frequency rate (IFR) estimation for quadratic frequency modulated (QFM) signals i.e., cubic phase signals. Summation or multiplication operations on time cross-sections of the CPF allow to formulate the extended forms of the CPF. Based on these forms, detection test statistics and the estimation procedure of LFM signal parameters have been proposed. The widely known estimation methods assure satisfying accuracy for high SNR levels, but for low SNRs the reliable estimation is a challenge. The proposed approach based on joint analysis of detection and estimation characteristics allows to increase the reliability of chirp rate estimates for low SNRs. The results of Monte-Carlo simulation investigations on LFM signal detection and chirp rate estimation evaluated by the mean squared error (MSE) obtained by the proposed methods with comparisons to the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) are presented.

A new supervised classification algorithm of a heavily distorted pattern (shape) obtained from noisy observations of nonstationary signals is proposed in the paper. Based on the Gabor transform of 1-D non-stationary signals, 2-D shapes of signals are formulated and the classification formula is developed using the pattern matching idea, which is the simplest case of a pattern recognition task. In the pattern matching problem, where a set of known patterns creates predefined classes, classification relies on assigning the examined pattern to one of the classes. Classical formulation of a Bayes decision rule requires a priori knowledge about statistical features characterising each class, which are rarely known in practice. In the proposed algorithm, the necessity of the statistical approach is avoided, especially since the probability distribution of noise is unknown. In the algorithm, the concept of discriminant functions, represented by Frobenius inner products, is used. The classification rule relies on the choice of the class corresponding to the max discriminant function. Computer simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new classification algorithm. It is shown that the proposed approach is able to correctly classify signals which are embedded in noise with a very low SNR ratio. One of the goals here is to develop a pattern recognition algorithm as the best possible way to automatically make decisions. All simulations have been performed in Matlab. The proposed algorithm can be applied to non-stationary frequency modulated signal classification and non-stationary signal recognition.

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