Prometheus Inc. is on the forefront of the very recent creation of the field of waveform diversity. Our theme in
this work is to use the flexibility in waveform switching and array processing to be available in the next generation of phased array radar systems in order to optimally achieve the operational aims of the system. An example is our recent generalization of the PONS (the patented Prometheus Orthonormal Set) method of waveform construction, whereby we have shown how to overcome the range aliasing problem for space-based radar by employing multiple PONS-type waveforms in both time diversity and spatial diversity modes.
PONS-based waveforms are in a current fielded (highly classified)
military radar system.
Surveillance radar typically discriminates targets from
clutter by applying signal processing techniques to the
received echoes. Sometimes clutter is so severe, however, that no amount of post-receive signal processing alone will produce usable target returns. Heavy clutter is typically smeared into target regions of the range-azimuth-Doppler space and can totally obscure returns from small but operationally important targets.
In a radar with a conventional approach to pulse shaping, the combined effect of range-aliasing and varying Doppler is to provide a clutter background that is spread both in range and Doppler. A typical response is shown in Figure X. We overcome this smearing problem by using
proprietary Prometheus waveform envelopes. The results demonstrate the very significant reduction in smearing (Figure Y) and the impressive probability of detection with almost no false alarms (Figure Z) when using the
Prometheus technology.
