A PN-Radar Correlator with IF-Input Ports

Abstract

This paper presents an IF-correlator with IF-input ports avoiding DC-offsets in the correlation signal path, as well as the need for a detector for the received signal. Often in PN-radar systems, the received signal is detected and then correlated with the reference signal at baseband. Due to DC passage through baseband correlators, only symmetric codes in DC-free paths provide a high dynamic range. The concept presented in this paper overcomes this shortcomings by correlating the signals at an intermediate frequency.