Electronic Warfare Fundamentals: Signal and Waveform Analysis
Electronic Warfare Fundamentals: Signal and Waveform Analysis
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Simplified Radar Warning Receiver Block Diagram                                                                                           Modern Jamming Techniques                                                                                                                                                                           Three Areas of EW / Common Acronyms                                                                                                                                 Signal and Waveform Analysis
                    IF                                                                   Digital                                          There are two categories of jammers, Noise and Deceptive. As radar threats have become                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  UXA X-Series Signal Analyzers                                           VSA 89601B-BHQ Pulse Analysis Software                                                            N7620B Signal Studio for Pulse Building Software
                frequency                                                                words                                            more diverse and complex over time, the need for more efficient and precise jamming                                                                                                                                                                                        Electronic warfare
                                                                                                                                          techniques was needed. Below are two of the more recent jamming techniques implemented
       RF                                           Spectrum                  Para                       Digital                          in EW systems today:
                                 ADCs                                                                                          Display                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Electronic Support                                     Electronic Counter                                Electronic Counter-
    converter                                       estimator               encoder                    processor
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Measures (ESM)                                         Measures (ECM)                                Counter Measures (ECCM)
                                                                                                                                          Digital RF Memory (DRFM)
                                                                                                         Special
                                                                                                        function                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   – Detection                                                                     Anti active                  Anti passive            Analyze modulation on pulses, sidelobe levels, and more,
                                                                                                       generator                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     – ELINT                       – Direct finding                                                                                                                      from 3 Hz to 6.5 GHz, extendable to 1.1 THz, with up to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Create complex, wideband pulse patterns with custom pulse shapes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     – COMINT                      – Analysis                                                                                                                                         510 MHz analysis bandwidth.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      and intervals, pulse modulations and antenna patterns for controlling
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  False target speeding up                                         – Identification                                                                                                                                                                                                   Measures and visualizes a wide range of pulse parameters.                                                        vector signal generators and AWGs.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   and moving outbound                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Runs with multiple hardware platforms at various frequency bands and
                                                                                                                                                                                False target speeding up                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Real-Time Spectrum Analysis
This is a simplified block diagram of the most widely deployed EW receiver: the Radar                                                                                            and moving outbound
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                bandwidths across signal analyzers, oscilloscopes, and modular digitizers.
Warning Receiver (RWR). The RWR serves two basic functions: to promptly warn the                                                                                                                                                 5                                                            5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Cover                                                              Active                                                       Passive                                                                                                                                     E5505A Phase Noise Measurement Solutions
aircrew with sufficiently accurate information to react to a threat engagement, and to                                                                                                                                                                                                                4                      pluse
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  uency Shift
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      4
                                                                                                                                                             uency Shift
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Network Analysis
                                                                                                                                                 Doppler Filters/B
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              3                                                                                                                             Chemical                    Mechanical
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Doppler Filters
                                                                                                                                                                                                           3
                                                                                                                                             Increasing Freq
                                                                                                                                                                                               2                                                                                                                      2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PNA and PNA-X Microwave Network Analyzers
As RF pulses are received, they are downconverted to an IF frequency, which is then processed                                                                                                                  False target slowing down                                         False target slowing down                                           EM            Electromagnetic                              Jammer  EW transmitter used to interfere, upset, or deceive a victim radar,
by an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC). The digitized output from the ADC is then fed into                                                                                            1                         and moving outbound                                               and moving outbound                       1                       EME           EM Environment                                             communications, or navigation system
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     EMS           EM Spectrum                                  J/S     Jam to Signal Ratio
the spectrum estimator for conversion to the frequency domain. The output of the spectrum                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            EOB           Electronic Order of Battle                   PDW     Pulse Descriptor Word
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     SIGINT        Signal Intelligence                          LEA/ECM Electronic Attack/Electronic Counter Measures: involves
estimator is comprised of spectral lines, which is then passed through the parameter                                                                                                         2                                                                                                                       2                               ELINT         Electronic Intelligence                                    the use of EM energy or anti-radiation weapons to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      See, capture and understand dynamic or hidden signals with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              real-time spectrum analysis up to 510 MHz.
encoder which converts those lines into the desired, digital Pulse Descriptor Words (PDW).                                                                                                                                                                                                                3
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     COMINT        Communications Intelligence                                attack personnel, facilities, or equipment                                                     This capability is an upgrade option to new and
                                                                                                                                                                                                     3                                                                                                                                                                                                          EP/ECCM Electronic Protection/Electronic Counter-Counter                                                    existing MXA, PXA and UXAPXA signal analyzers.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Measures: Actions taken to protect personnel,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Amplitude
                                                                                                                                                                                                                4
                                                                                                                                               Amplitude
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           5                                                             5                                                                                                                                    facilities, and equipment from any effects of friendly                                                                                                                Examine absolute and residual phase noise, AM noise, low-level
This information is processed and drives aircrew interfaces such as displays and warning                                                                                                                                                                                                Time Time     Time        Time    Time
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              or enemy use of EMS                                                                        Infiniium Z-Series and V-Series Oscilloscopes                                 spurious signals and more in one- and two-port devices.                                              Make fast, accurate measurements of CW, X-parameters,
                                                                                                                                                                                   Time Time       Time        Time       Time                                                                                                                                                                                  ES/ESM Electronic Support / Electronic Support Measures:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and pulsed S-parameters, noise figure, compression, IMD and har-
tones, as well as provides support for special functions such as jammers or other                                                                                                    1    2          3           4          5                                                             5    4        3           2       1                                                                                                 Involves search for, intercept, identify, and locate                                                                                                                                                                                                                           monics with models to 110 GHz, extendable to 1.05 THz.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              sources of EM energy for the purpose of threat
countermeasures systems.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Range Gates/Bins                                                                                                                   recognition or targeting
                                                                                                                                                                                       Range Gates/Bins
                                                                                                                                                                                     Increasing Time Delay                           Jamming signals                                     Increasing Time Delay                                                                                                  RWR     Radar Warning Receiver, warns a pilot of a SAM or radar lock on                                                                                                                         Signal Generation
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         N5264A Receiver for Antenna Test
                                                                                                                                                                           Coordinated Outbound RGPO/VGPO Pulls                                                                 Coordinated Inbound RGPO/VGPO Pulls                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWG)
Simplified DRFM Based Jammer Block Diagram                                                                                                                                                                                           Target skin return
                                                                                                                                          Digital RF Memory (DRFM): DRFM based jamming allows a jammer to produce very high
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Conduct time-domain, frequency-domain and digital modulation-domain
                                                                                                                                          quality false targets by sampling incoming pulses and storing them. Stored pulses                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       measurements as well as analysis of chirped, Barker-coded or other
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Generate long, realistic, high-dynamic range radar waveforms
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  and signal scenarios to reduce costly flight testing of radar systems.
                                                                                                                                          accurately preserves characteristics of the received pulses, such as frequency,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      modulated pulsed signals with bandwidths up to 63 GHz and sampling rates
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    of 160 GSa/s on two channels and 80 GSa/s on four channels.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The M8190A AWG provides up to 2-channels at 12 GSa/s, 5 GHz bandwidth
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                per channel and up to 90 dBc SFDR. The M8195A AWG provides up to
                                   Receiver/                  Downconverter                        ADC                                    amplitude, intrapulse modulation, and phase coherency with the radar’s waveform.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           4-channels at 65 GSa/s and 20 GHz bandwidth per channel.
                                   Processor                  to baseband IF                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   400,000 points per second acquisition simultaneously
                                                                                                                                          These stored pulses can then be modulated and precisely retransmitted back toward                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           M9393A PXIe Performance Vector Signal Analyzer                                                                                                                                         on five receiver channels significantly speeds antenna test.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     8510/8530 backwards compatibility for easy
                                                                                                                                          the radar to be accepted and processed in advance of the radar’s target return.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      PSG High-Performance Analog and Vector Signal Generators                                                                    upgrades to your antenna range.
                                                                                                                         FPGA
                             Modulator
                                                                                                                                          The images to the left shows two common scenarios of DRFM jamming where false targets
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     E/A-18G Growler
                                                                                                                                          are created and modulated in increasing and decreasing frequency or time to create an
                                  Transmitter
                                                              Upconverstion                        DAC                                    outbound or inbound RGPO/VGPO pulls.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Circuit Design and Simulation
                                                                 to RF
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Advanced Design System (ADS) Software
                                                                                                                                          Cross-Eye Jamming                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The M9393A, with up to 27 GHz frequency coverage and 160 MHz
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                analysis bandwidth, meets stringent system requirements with microwave
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Produce pulse-modulated signals with superior level accuracy and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       phase noise performance and output power up to 1 Watt.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               performance previously unseen in modular. Quickly test to tighter tolerances           The E8257D operates up to 70 GHz, extendable to 1.1 THz.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       with best-in-class switching speed and amplitude accuracy.
The most widely used method of target simulation today is to employ a DRFM (dur-fum) or                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Basic Equations for EW/Radar                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Create vector modulated waveforms, with pulse shaping and
digital RF memory. The DRFM allows the indefinite storage (delay) of radio frequency signals                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Multi-Channel Antenna Calibration, Reference Solution
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  pulse trains with varying pulse width and PRI plus pulse compression
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    simulation, all with high output power and low phase noise using
in digital form. Signals can be played back in exact replication of the original coherent signal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       the E8267D. Use with AWGs for >2 GHz bandwidth signals
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    with carrier frequencies to 44 GHz.
or with the signal altered for the user’s purpose.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Pt Gt Aeσ                                                                                                      G Rl 2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Power(receiver) =                                                                Antenna effective aperture: A e =
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    (4p)2R4                                                                                                         4p                                                                                                        N5193A UXG Agile Signal Generator
As RF pulses are received, they are downconverted to IF and fed into an analog to digital                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              cTr
converter (ADC) and sent as digital information to be processed and/or stored in an FPGA.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Range to target =
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           _ 150 m/us                                   Radar range
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    =4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           P t G 2l 2σ
From there, the signal can be re-transmitted, starting as digital data sent to a digital to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             equation                           (4 p ) 3 S min                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Design and simulate RF and microwave circuits for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Radar Systems, including layout, DRC, LVS,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                cTr    c
analog converter (DAC), upconverted to RF which shares the same fast tuned synthesizer                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Maximum unambiguous range =                                  =                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     EM and Electro-Thermal simulation.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 2    2Fp
as the downconverter, and finally retransmitted, either retaining the same characteristics
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Jammer signal        PjGjGRl2
of the original signal or with adjustments.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Pt
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Average power = p = PptFp                                                        power at the radar =                                                                                                                                            Off the shelf, the UXG is a powerful building block, whether                                                      W1905 SystemVue Radar Library
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Tp                                                                                      (4 p ) 2 R 2                                     Accelerate large antenna array calibration with precise cross-element phase    you want a dependable LO or a scalable threat simulator. By blurring the lines
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  and magnitude measurements. Get ready for the future with increased          between analog and vector technologies, it lowers the barriers between new
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            2Ft vr                                                                                                             measurement bandwidth and system flexibility. System is scalable in channel
Compare and Contrast: Radar and EW                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Doppler frequency =
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             c                                          Minimum detectable      P t G t G R l 2σ
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 count (up to 40+ channels measured in parallel) because of the versatile
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 M9703A digitizer. Real-time digital downconversion provides increased
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               intelligence and up-to-date signal scenarios. Key capabilities enable you to:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                switch frequency, amplitude and phase in as little as 250 ns; generate wide
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              chirps that are 10 to 25% or carrier frequency; use pulse descriptor words to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        signal power at radar =                                                                       amplitude/phase sensitivity.                               generate long pulse trains and individually control pulse characteristics.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Fd c                                                                 (4 p ) 3 R 4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Target radial velocity =
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               2Ft
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        FieldFox Handheld RF and Microwave Analyzers                                   Signal Studio for Multi Emitter Signal Generation
                                                Radar system                                             EW system
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        t                                                                                    J   P j G j (4 p )R 2
                            Typically operate in relatively narrow bandwidths      Need wider instantaneous bandwidth to capture                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Pulse duty cycle =                                                               Jam to signal ratio                    =
       Bandwidth
                            (compared to EW system)                                frequency movements of the threat emitters                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Tp                                                                                    S       PtGtσ
                                                                                                                                          to re-align its antenna at right angles to the distorted wavefront, it will be an incorrect
                                                                                                                                          alignment, potentially resulting in a substantial miss distance of the threat.                                                                                                                     The standard radar-frequency letter band nomenclature table is reprinted with permission from IEEE Std 521-2002, IEEE Standard Letter Designations for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Radar-Frequency Bands, Copyright 2003 by IEEE. The IEEE disclaims any responsibility or liability resulting from the placement and use in the described manner.
Product specifications and descriptions in this document subject to change without notice. ©Keysight Technologies, Inc. 2015, Printed in USA, June 18, 2015 • 5992-0741EN