Wideband transmitter/receiver arrangement for multifunctional radar and communication

A combined radar, surveillance and communication system comprising an AWCW radar system that comprises:

• a wideband transmitter/receiver arrangement for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, said wideband transmitter/receiver arrangement comprising:
• a digital arbitrary waveform generator AWG connected to a transmitter, wherein said waveform generator is configured to generate an arbitrary waveform within a given bandwidth,
• an antenna arrangement configured to emit a transmitter signal, and to receive an incident signal,
• a receiver configured to receive a receiver signal,
• an analogue isolator connected to said antenna arrangement, said transmitter, and said receiver, wherein said analogue isolator is adapted to route said transmitter signal from said transmitter to said antenna arrangement, and said incident signal from said antenna arrangement to said receiver, and to isolate said transmitter signal from said receiver signal,
• wherein said receiver is adapted to cancel an isolator transmission leakage signal in said receiver signal by means of at least one digital model of at least said isolator, said antenna arrangement, and said transmitter,
• and said transmitter/receiver arrangement further comprises a second subtraction unit, which is configured to subtract a second cancellation signal from a signal received from an output of said first subtraction unit, said second cancellation signal received from said at least one digital model is configured to correspond to at least a predicted effect on the isolator transmission leakage signal of a transmitter noise generated in said transmitter interacting with at least said isolator and said antenna arrangement,
• and a wideband RF communication unit for simultaneously receiving any incident RF communication signals and re-transmitting said signals.

An airborne vehicle comprising:

• an airframe, which is mirror symmetric with respect to a central plane of said vehicle so as to divide said vehicle in a right and left part as seen from the rear of said vehicle;
• and
• a wideband transmitter/receiver arrangement for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, said arrangement comprising:
• (i) a digital arbitrary waveform generator AWG connected to a transmitter, wherein said waveform generator is configured to generate an arbitrary waveform within a given bandwidth,
• (ii) an antenna arrangement configured to emit a transmitter signal, and to receive an incident signal,
• (iii) a receiver configured to receive a receiver signal, and
• (iv) an analogue isolator connected to said antenna arrangement, said transmitter, and said receiver,
• wherein:
• said receiver is adapted to cancel an isolator transmission leakage signal in said receiver signal by means of at least one digital model of at least said isolator, said antenna arrangement, and said transmitter,
• said analogue isolator is adapted to route said transmitter signal from said transmitter to said antenna arrangement, and said incident signal from said antenna arrangement to said receiver, and to isolate said transmitter signal from said receiver signal,
• said isolator comprises a power splitter, a first circulator connected to a right antenna said antenna arrangement, a second circulator connected to a left antenna of said antenna arrangement, and a power combiner,
• said power splitter is configured to receive a transmitter signal from said transmitter, and to feed said first and second circulators, which are configured to route any incident signals on said right and left antennas to said power combiner,
• said power splitter and power combiner are configured to supply at an output of said power combiner a difference signal corresponding to a difference between said right and left antenna incident signals, when said right and left antennas are fed in phase, or a sum signal corresponding to a sum of said right and left antenna incident signals when said right and left antennas are fed in opposite phase,
• said right antenna is arranged on said right part of said vehicle,
• said left antenna is arranged on said left part of said vehicle, and
• said right and left antennas are arranged symmetrically with respect to said central plane.

An arbitrary waveform continuous wave AWCW radar system, especially suitable for providing high resolution microwave SAR, and low frequency SAR, said radar system comprising:

• a wideband transmitter/receiver arrangement for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, said arrangement comprising:
• (i) a digital arbitrary waveform generator AWG connected to a transmitter, wherein said waveform generator is configured to generate an arbitrary waveform within a given bandwidth,
• (ii) an antenna arrangement configured to emit a transmitter signal, and to receive an incident signal,
• (iii) a receiver configured to receive a receiver signal,
• (iv) an analogue isolator connected to said antenna arrangement, said transmitter, and said receiver,
• (v) a first subtraction unit, which is configured to subtract a first cancellation signal from said receiver signal received from said isolator, said first cancellation signal received from said at least one digital model is configured to correspond to a predicted effect on the isolator transmission leakage signal of said waveform interacting with at least said transmitter, said isolator and said antenna arrangement, and
• (vi) a second subtraction unit, which is configured to subtract a second cancellation signal from a signal received from an output of said first subtraction unit, said second cancellation signal received from said at least one digital model is configured to correspond to at least a predicted effect on the isolator transmission leakage signal of a transmitter noise generated in said transmitter interacting with at least said isolator and said antenna arrangement,
• wherein:
• said analogue isolator is adapted to route said transmitter signal from said transmitter to said antenna arrangement, and said incident signal from said antenna arrangement to said receiver, and to isolate said transmitter signal from said receiver signal,
• said receiver is adapted to cancel an isolator transmission leakage signal in said receiver signal by means of at least one digital model of at least said isolator, said antenna arrangement, and said transmitter, and
• an output of said second subtraction unit is connected to a signal extraction unit for reconstruction of range reflectivity.

A wideband RF communication unit for simultaneously receiving any incident RF communication signals and re-transmitting said signals, said communication unit comprising:

• a wideband transmitter/receiver arrangement for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves, said arrangement comprising:
• (i) a digital arbitrary waveform generator AWG connected to a transmitter, wherein said waveform generator is configured to generate an arbitrary waveform within a given bandwidth,
• (ii) an antenna arrangement configured to emit a transmitter signal, and to receive an incident signal,
• (iii) a receiver configured to receive a receiver signal,
• (iv) an analogue isolator connected to said antenna arrangement, said transmitter, and said receiver,
• (v) a first subtraction unit, which is configured to subtract a first cancellation signal from said receiver signal received from said isolator, said first cancellation signal received from said at least one digital model is configured to correspond to a predicted effect on the isolator transmission leakage signal of said waveform interacting with at least said transmitter, said isolator and said antenna arrangement, and
• (vi) a second subtraction unit, which is configured to subtract a second cancellation signal from a signal received from an output of said first subtraction unit, said second cancellation signal received from said at least one digital model is configured to correspond to at least a predicted effect on the isolator transmission leakage signal of a transmitter noise generated in said transmitter interacting with at least said isolator and said antenna arrangement,
• wherein:
• said analogue isolator is adapted to route said transmitter signal from said transmitter to said antenna arrangement, and said incident signal from said antenna arrangement to said receiver, and to isolate said transmitter signal from said receiver signal,
• said receiver is adapted to cancel an isolator transmission leakage signal in said receiver signal by means of at least one digital model of at least said isolator, said antenna arrangement, and said transmitter, and
• an output of said second subtraction unit, which is configured to correspond to incident communication signals on said antenna arrangement, feeds said digital arbitrary waveform generator for substantially immediate re-transmittance of said incident communication signals.