Resolution of ultra-wideband radar signals

The paper considers the range resolution of ultra-wideband signals. The situation of targets, adjacent in range, of significantly different amplitude, as in the case of propagation in lossy media, is examined. Several examples, each taken from three general classes of waveform, are examined. In all cases, the comparison was restricted to equal energy of the signals in the time domain, relatively short sequences and equal 3 dB bandwidths of the main lobe of their respective spectra. A high signal to noise ratio of all the waveforms was assumed. A higher resolution was obtained for those signals that could be directly detected than for those that required a correlation process for detection. This finding has important consequences for the design of systems where the resolution of weak target returns adjacent to strong target returns is an essential objective.