Design and analysis of a stepped frequency ground penetrating radar system

The ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a specialized radar used to obtain images of the objects buried under the ground surface. In this study, we discuss an experimental GPR setup that can be built using a vector network analyzer. The objective was to develop the GPR to operate in the range of 200 MHz to 700 MHz. The cavity backed bow-tie antenna, power amplifier and a low noise amplifier were used in the design and the GPR system was implemented to obtain the required outcome. The system was tested under the laboratory conditions using Agilent 8719ES Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) combined with a Personal Computer (PC) with MATLAB software. The GPR was calibrated using objects placed at known distances. Further, various antenna configurations have been tested to obtain the optimum performance criteria for the end design.