Solopulse Approach for SAR-with-DAR

Solopulse radar signal processing can be characterized as a frequency-wavenumber or so-called “omega-k” domain algorithm tailored specifically for digital array hardware with synthetic aperture software. Multiple data channels of a digital array radar permit image formation to commence with transmission of a single pulse, hence the moniker of “solopulse.” Solopulse is applicable at short and long ranges, and with small and large scenes. With due consideration of flight geometry and pulse repetition interval designs, coherent integration of solopulse pixel domain data from a series of single-pulse images can result in progressively enhanced cross-range resolution. Pulse-to-pulse array movement need not be linear and may be randomized. Array step sizes that exceed Nyquist bounds result in grating lobes. Solopulse can also be characterized as wideband digital beamforming where angle-steered/range-focused receive-beam sets have a high spatial-packing density. Such “regions-of-reconstruction” are obtained via spherical wave-field inversion through computationally efficient omega-k domain signal processing. Attributes of progressive resolution solopulse are explored and compared with range migration algorithm performance.