Analog Correlator Parallel Integrators Radar Sensor Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radar sensors face challenges in achieving high speed, high resolution, wide range, and low power consumption due to issues with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) deterioration, thermal noise, and high power consumption associated with high SNR analog-to-digital converters and slow detection speed of conventional analog correlators.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of improved analog correlators that combine transmission pulse replication schemes with parallel integrator architectures, adopt time delay schemes, and deploy variable gain amplifiers to enhance detection speed and dynamic range while reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wideband signals are used to improve resolution, then resolution is improved, but thermal noise increases leading to SNR deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing analog correlation processing before ADC conversion. The analog correlator pre-processes the wideband signal by correlating it with a reference signal, accumulating energy and improving SNR before the signal is digitized. This preliminary correlation action allows the system to handle wideband signals with high resolution while maintaining acceptable SNR levels through pre-integration of signal energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The analog correlator serves as an intermediary component between the receiver and the ADC. It acts as a mediator that processes the wideband signal in the analog domain, performing correlation and integration functions that improve SNR before the signal passes to the ADC. This intermediary processing stage allows the system to benefit from wideband resolution while managing thermal noise through analog signal processing.
2Reliability
If high SNR ADCs with large number of bits and high sampling frequency are deployed to improve dynamic range, then dynamic range is improved, but power consumption becomes prohibitively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the correlation and integration functions from the digital domain and implements them in the analog domain using an analog correlator. By taking out these computationally intensive functions from the ADC and digital processing chain, the system can use a lower-resolution, lower-power ADC while still achieving the required dynamic range through analog pre-processing. This extraction of functions from the digital domain reduces the burden on the ADC and overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces digital signal processing operations with analog circuit operations. Instead of using high-performance ADCs with complex digital processing to achieve correlation and integration, the system uses analog circuits (multipliers, integrators, delay elements) to perform these functions in the analog domain. This substitution of analog for digital processing reduces power consumption while maintaining the required dynamic range performance.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional analog correlators are deployed to lower sampling rate of ADCs, then power consumption is reduced, but detection speed becomes relatively slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the correlation process into parallel operations using multiple delay elements and integrators. Instead of a single sequential correlation operation, the system divides the signal processing into multiple parallel paths, each handling a different time delay. This segmentation into parallel operations maintains low power consumption while significantly improving detection speed by processing multiple correlation lags simultaneously rather than sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from sequential time-domain processing to a parallel architecture that processes multiple time delays simultaneously. By adding the dimension of parallelism through multiple delay lines and integrators operating concurrently, the system achieves faster detection speed without increasing the power consumption of individual processing elements. This dimensional change from sequential to parallel processing resolves the speed-power tradeoff.
Data Source
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AI summary
A high speed high dynamic range and low power consumption analog correlator for use in a radar sensor. The analog correlator combines various pulse replication schemes with various parallel integrator architectures to improve the detection speed, dynamic range, and power consumption of conventional radar sensors. The analog correlator includes a replica generator, a multiplier, and an integrator module. The replica generator generates a template signal having a plurality of replicated pulse compression radar (PCR) pulses. The multiplier multiplies a received PCR signal with the plurality of replicated PCR pulses. The integrator module is coupled to the multiplier and configured to generate a plurality of analog correlation signals, each of which is based on the multiplying between the received PCR signal and one of the replicated PCR pulses.