Frequency modulated continuous wave (FM-CW) radar altimeters are used in civil and military applications. Proximity fuses, automatic cruise control systems of cars, radar altimeter of planes are examples to these applications. The goal of this thesis is to present a method for altitude determination using an FM-CW radar. For this purpose principles of radars and FM-CW systems are studied and related subjects are inspected. After this inspection, algorithms for altitude determination are evaluated. Consequently signal detection and processing methods are proposed to build an altitude determining algorithm. Also an analytical test environment for altitudes between 100 m and 4000 m is developed in computer as a result of researches. Test environment simulated the performance of altitude determining algorithm and FM-CW Radar Altimeter. The hardware is designed and implemented accordingly.

Space-borne radar interferometry provides a global vantage point to understand climate change, global weather phenomenon, and other Earth dynamics. For climate change observations, space-borne interferometers can be utilized to relate ocean topography to temperature, thus providing a global map of ocean temperatures. Since the oceans are in constant motion, a single-pass interferometer is needed to successfully make these measurements of ocean height. The feasibility of a single-pass measurement is dependent on the physical size of the instrument, hence it is cheaper and more practical to launch a small, light weight instrument into space. Since instrument size scales inversely with operating frequency, high frequency microwave technology (Ku-band and Ka-band) is preferred for these types of applications. However, space-borne deployments become more difficult to implement at these frequencies since the physical structure of the instrument changes in the harsh environment of space. For that reason, a ground-based Ku-band (13.245GHz) radar interferometer has been developed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory (MIRSL). In this thesis, a description of the radar hardware as well as interferometric results from Mount Sugarloaf provide a measure of the performance of the radar and demonstrate the capabilities of using a ground-based interferometer as a test-bed for space-borne applications.

This thesis describes design of Simulator FM-CW range finders. It is choosing the optimal method of realization and inform about basic properties of continuous working radar. The work includes an analysis of errors in real rangefinder and a numerical estimate of the maximum error in real devices. Contains detailed block diagram of simulator FM-CW range-finder and computer simulation of function generator frequency modulated signal, demodulator. Further work includes the complete construction documents for the preparation and implementation of basic functional verification

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A well-known problem with FM-CW radar systems is the leakage of transmitter power into the receiver which leads to the making of close-in targets, and can severely limit the system dynamic range performance. This thesis considers two solutions to this radar system problem for a low frequency radar operating in the VHF band. The first method to suppress coupling is using separate transmit and receive antennas designed in such a way as to reduce coupling between them. The second is to design a negative feedback loop as part of the radar receiver where the feedback loop adaptively reduces the amount of transmitter leakage through to the receiver. This project details the realisation of these two solutions. A number of antenna designs are modelled in software and simulated to determine their characteristics of which the transmit-to-receive coupling is the key parameter. As no low coupling configuration could be found a simple configuration is chosen and practical measurements are taken. These antennas are then used in the radar system that is to be built. An FM-CW radar system is designed and simulated using software with a negative feedback loop being designed and implemented into the radar simulation. A practical radar system is then made inclusive of the feedback loop. Measurements are then taken to determine the efficacy of the feedback loop. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: ʼn Bekende probleem met FM-CW radar stelsels is die lekkasie van versender krag tot in die ontvanger wat lei tot die maak van nabye teikens en kan die stelsel se dinamiese sendbereik steng beperk. Hierdie tesis oorweeg twee oplossings tot hierdie probleem vir ʼn lae frekwensie radar wat in die VHF band werk. Die eerste metode wat na gekyk word om die koppeling te onderdruk is om die twee antennas van die radar stelsel so te ontwerp sodat die hoeveelheid koppeling tussen hulle verminder is. Die tweede is om ʼn negatiewe terugvoerlus as deel van die ontvanger te ontwerp. Hierdie terugvoerlus sal die versender lekkasie sein aanpassend in die ontvanger verminder. In hierdie projek word die realisering van bogenoemde oplossings uiteengeset. ʼn Paar verskillende antenna ontwerpe word gemodelleer in sagteware en word gesimuleer om hul karakteristieke te bepaal. Die belangrikste van hierdie faktore is die versender na ontvanger koppeling. Sienend dat geen ontwerp met ʼn lae genoeg koppeling gevind kon word nie, is ʼn eenvoudige ontwerp gekies en praktiese metings daarvan geneem. Hierdie antennas word dan gebruik in die radar stelsel wat gebou sal word. ʼn FM-CW radar stelsel word ontwerp en gesimuleer in sagteware. Die negatiewe terugvoerlus word ook ontwerp en geïmplementeer in die radar simulasie. ʼn Praktiese radar stelsel word dan gemaak insluitend die terugvoerlus. Metings word dan geneem om die effektiwiteit daarvan te bepaal.