Noise vs. Deterministic Waveform Radar—Possibilities and Limitations

Classical radars use deterministic waveforms, such as linear frequency modulated pulses. Noise radars, on the other hand, use random waveforms, or waveforms that resemble random signals. The randomness of the signal provides certain advantages, such as limiting or avoiding range/velocity measurement ambiguity, or better resistance to jamming. This, however, comes at a price of more complicated system architecture and reduced detection range. In this article a comparison of classical deterministic waveform radars and their noise versions is carried out, showing their similarities and differences.