Reviewing the Application and Integration of Software Defined Radios to Radar Systems

The advent of software-defined radio (SDR) is driving the traditional radar systems to reach new heights where true versatility can be achieved cost-effectively with careful and thorough integration. Thanks to the latest advances in semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, data converter technologies, digital signal processing techniques, and software designs, SDR has made itself from a novel technology to the cornerstone of next-generation radio platforms with endless possibilities. One of the most important motivations behind the incorporation of SDR into radar design is its ability to quickly adapt to future emerging applications while meeting today's performance and reliability requirements by moving most of the challenges from costly hardware redesign to the software stack. To accomplish this, however, sufficient design margin in conjunction with meticulous planning and rigorous integration effort must be put in place. This article reviews how SDR has gradually become the backbone of modern radar architecture along with emphasis on illustrating the benefit, limitations, and challenges associated with the integration process. We also note potential solutions associated with the various integration challenges and describe the required analysis designers should carry out to better realize the benefits of SDR.