Realization of time-domain ultra wideband ground-penetrating radar using high speed accumulation and interpolated sampling

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed technology use high-speed interpolated (interdigitated) sampling for the specific purpose of GPR (Ground-Penetrating RADAR). This technology solves several issues associated with high-speed sampling in GPR which included 1) dynamic range limitations, 2) regulatory compliance issues, 3) sampler core offset error, and 4) timing errors. High-speed interpolated sampling GPR is implemented using a high-speed ADC in combination with trigger logic (such as an FPGA) and a programmable delay generator. The FPGA or other trigger logic generates a series of randomly dithered trigger pulses. A variable delay generator (or "Vernier") is synchronously controlled in order to produce the fractional timing. The timing of the pulses is randomly or pseudo-randomly dithered, and the phase of the interpolation is shuffled in order to avoid producing discrete spectral lines in the radiated RADAR signal.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a ground penetrating radar (GPR), in particular to a technique for displaying GPR data. Background technique [0002] GPR, that is, ground penetrating RADAR (where RADAR is Radio Detection and Ranging), is a technology to obtain the composition and position of heterogeneous materials. GPR utilizes conventional radio frequency technology and is very practical due to its non-destructive and non-ionizing properties. In fact, the GPR frequency is closer to the mobile phone frequency, but its power is much lower than that of the mobile phone. GPR is generally used in the precise positioning of steel bars in concrete walls / floors, the confirmation and positioning of underground buried objects, the acquisition of the quality and uniformity of asphalt or concrete highway surfaces, and the damage detection of ship bridge decks. In highway surface applications, GPR is used to detect cracks, crevices, and contamination in gravel...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Until recently, most real-time sampling techniques for GPR applications have been prohibitively expensive and energy-intensive due to the difficulty of sampling and quantizing digital waveforms at such high speeds

Images