NYFR output pulse radar signal TOA analysis using extended Fourier transform and its TOA estimation

Nyquist folding receiver (NYFR) is a typical wideband analog-to-information architecture. Focusing on the noncooperative receiving, the pulse radar signal intercepted by the NYFR in time domain is analyzed. The NYFR outputs under different input conditions are investigated based on the extended Fourier transform (EFT) and the sampling theorem. Combining with the characteristic of the NYFR output in time domain, a new time of arrival (TOA) estimation method based on the energy envelope and the wavelet transform is proposed. The proposed estimation method can be adapted for the non-cooperative situation. It has no requirement for prior information to determine the threshold and is not necessary to transform the signal into baseband. Simulation results prove the correctness of the NYFR output expressions and show the efscacy of the proposed estimation method.