FPGA Simulation for Decomposition methods of Satellite based Hybrid Polarimetric SAR Data

Satellite based hybrid polarimetric SAR missions have gained a lot of importance over the last decade. A Hybrid polarimetric SAR transmits RHC or LHC data and receives linearly polarised H and V components. Stokes parameters captures all of the information inherent in the dual polarised back scattered signals. The decomposition methods based on these four stokes parameters (derived from Stokes vectors), help for direct classification based on polarisation responses. Emerging trends in miniaturization of circularly polarized SAR sensor, are making potential small satellites missions possible. Additionally, the progress in VLSI technology leading to multimillion gate FPGAs has given potential for onboard implementation of decomposition methods, for Hybrid polarimetric SAR image processing. Hybrid polarimetric SAR mission have many features like Fine Resolution, and even High-Resolution imaging for spot as well as scene-based imaging, for smaller regions of interest. As the SAR acquired data is of limited volume for such smaller areas of imaging, the possibility of its onboard processing with decomposition methods looks feasible. In this paper, the implementation of m delta decomposition method using FPGA simulation is explored with pre-processed RISAT1 Hybrid polarimetric SAR data. Preliminary analysis and experimental results are encouraging.