Performance assessment of receivers used in HF radar

The High Frequency Radar Division of the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation has developed an automated HF receiver testing station which can perform exhaustive testing and assessment of multiple performance modes of radio and radar receivers as well as other HF and VHF components and systems. The system developed has the capability of performing detailed examination of a receiver's (or other component's) attributes in an unattended mode with virtually no requirement for user intervention. This has been achieved using graphical user interface based software controlling dedicated interface equipment. Particular attention has been given to make the automated testing exhaustive with the user selecting both the types and extents of testing but the actual user operation easy to set up and perform. External parameters such as power supplies, signal and noise sources, filters etc. are all under user set up and control via a dedicated computer interface. Assessment of parameters may range from simpler functional and operational checks to more stringent checks for linearity, distortion, noise and more. All results are processed and presented to the user in a number of novel and unique ways in order for the user to be able to make a judgement based on all the information available. A description of the hardware architecture is given. The control and processing software is also described as well as some sample results for various receiver characterisations performed to date.