A 1-2 GHz SFCW radar for landmine detection

For the past few decades ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been recognised as one of the most promising technologies to aid in the detection of landmines. Most of the commercially available radars are pulsed systems. With the rapid development of digital radio technology, stepped frequency continuous wave (SFCW) modulation techniques are becoming more feasible. A carefully designed SFCW radar offers numerous advantages over the pulsed systems for the short range measurements. This paper discusses the design and testing of a 1-2 GHz SFCW radar system. Measurements of various mine simulants from an indoor and outdoor test site are presented.