System and method for emulating multipath effects of radar

A method for emulating multipath effects of a radar signal transmitted by a radar under test and reflected from an emulated target and at least one emulated surface, the radar under test including a radar transmitter and a radar receiver, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of radar target simulators (RTSs) for generating and transmitting emulated echo signals having different phases, respectively, in response to the radar signal received from the radar under test;
• receiving the radar signal at a first RTS of the plurality of RTSs via a direct path from the radar transmitter, wherein the first RTS is configured to emulate the emulated targets;
• receiving the radar signal at at least one second RTS of the plurality of RTSs via the direct path or an indirect path, which includes the at least one emulated surface that emulates reflection of the radar signal or corresponding echo signals, wherein the at least one second RTS is configured to emulate at least one ghost target corresponding to the emulated target;
• generating and transmitting a first emulated echo signal having a first phase from the first RTS, wherein the first emulated echo signal emulates reflection of the radar signal from the emulated target, and wherein the first phase is representative of propagation of both the radar signal and the first emulated echo signal along the direct path;
• and
• generating and transmitting at least one second emulated echo signal having at least one second phase from the at least one second RTS, wherein the at least one second emulated echo signal emulates reflection of the radar signal from the at least one ghost target, and wherein the at least one second phase is representative of propagation of one or both the radar signal and the at least one second emulated echo signal along the indirect path,
• wherein the radar receiver receives the first emulated echo signal having the first phase and the at least one second emulated echo signal having the at least one second phase, enabling testing of an ability of the radar to distinguish between the first emulated echo signal and the at least one second emulated echo signal to identify a location of the emulated target based on the first phase and the at least one second phase.

A system for emulating multipath effects of a radar signal transmitted by a radar under test and reflected from a plurality of emulated targets and a plurality of emulated surfaces, the radar under test including a radar transmitter and a radar receiver, the system comprising:

• a plurality of radar target simulators (RTSs) configured to generate and transmit a plurality of emulated echo signals having a plurality of different phases, respectively, in response to the radar signal transmitted by the radar under test,
• wherein a plurality of first RTSs of the plurality of RTSs are configured to emulate the plurality of emulated targets, receiving the radar signal via corresponding direct paths from the radar transmitter, and
• wherein a plurality of second RTSs of the plurality of RTSs are configured to emulate a plurality of ghost targets corresponding to the plurality of emulated targets, receiving the radar signal via the direct paths or via indirect paths that include the plurality of emulated surfaces, the emulated surfaces reflecting the radar signal or one or more emulated echo signals of the plurality of emulated echo signals;
• and
• a controller configured to control the plurality of RTSs to generate and transmit the plurality of emulated echo signals at the plurality of different phases, respectively, wherein the plurality of different phases correspond to the plurality of RTSs receiving the radar signal from the radar transmitter and the radar receiver receiving the plurality of emulated echo signals from the plurality of RTSs over different combinations of the direct paths and the indirect paths to replicate interference effects caused by multipath propagation when testing the radar under test.