How Passive Radar Works
a day ago
- #Radar Technology
- #Surveillance Systems
- #Signal Processing
- Passive radar uses existing broadcasts (e.g., FM radio, digital TV) to detect objects, eliminating the need for a transmitter.
- It relies on the Doppler effect to measure object speed and signal delay to estimate distance, with bistatic setups involving separate transmitter and receiver locations.
- In bistatic radar, signal delay corresponds to an ellipse; fusing data from multiple transmitters or receivers allows localization via ellipse intersections.
- Advantages include low cost, no transmission hardware or licenses, covert operation, and scalability using off-the-shelf hardware.
- Disadvantages include dependency on external transmitters, lower precision, complex signal processing, limited altitude info without multiple receivers, and limited range resolution.
- Interest in passive radar is growing due to its accessibility, as it requires no broadcast licenses and uses inexpensive hardware, making it viable for consumers and businesses.