Reduction in data throughput requirements in digital phased array radar

By pulling some of the signal detection processing that occurs at the final processor in a pulse-detecting system into each node for pre-processing, the amount of digital sample data that must be sent to the final processor can be greatly reduced. This capability would expand the amount of achievable beam-bandwidth for a fixed amount of digital I/O available between hierarchical beamforming nodes or would reduce the needed digital I/O capacity of a digital phased array. This work shows the potential for implementing signal predetection in digital phased arrays with distributed signal processing, and by using a hybrid detection methodology that combines binary integration and standard coherent processing at final beamforming nodes, digital I/O capacity needs are reduced while maintaining detection sensitivity of a standard coherent phased array architecture.