Friday, 12 June 2015

A Look At The Impact The Monopulse Comparator Has Had On Radar Technology

By Elaine Guthrie


There are many different types of military technology that civilians may not be familiar with. Some devices only have military applications while others, such as radar (radio detection and ranging), have found their way into different areas of our lives. Radar systems have changed quite a bit and become much more accurate since they were first developed. This is partially due to the introduction of the monopulse comparator into modern systems. Here is a look at radar in general as well as how these devices have improved technology so much.

Although radar systems were initially used by the military to detect approaching aircraft and other potentially hostile objects these systems are being used in many other ways these days. Motorists are likely familiar with the guns used by police in order to detect speeding vehicles. The signal can bounce off of a vehicle and travel back to the gun in order to give the officer an idea of how quickly a particular car is traveling.

Meteorologists have also started using these systems to monitor the weather and create forecasts. They can be very helpful if a severe weather system is expected. Radar can be used to determine how large or severe a storm such as a hurricane or a tornado is. Other types of storms such as blizzards and thunderstorms can also be mapped using these systems.

Radar is also used in marine environments. Ships can use it to detect other vessels that may be occupying the same area of water and can also use it to determine where they are located. This is done by bouncing signals off of known reference points such as buoys or, if close enough, the shoreline as well.

A radar system is made up of a transmitter, waveguide, duplexer, receiver and a display processor. The transmitter generates the radio frequency which will be used to detect objects. There is a waveguide that is used to connect the transmitter with an antenna that will send the radio frequency out into the environment. A duplexer is then used to switch the antenna from transmitting to receiving and the resulting signal is captured by the receiver and displayed on the display processor.

In the beginning, the way the signal was generated and processed meant that radar systems were not as reliable or accurate as they are today. They could be jammed easily. This involves directing the same radio frequency at the system in order to give an inaccurate picture of what is going on in the area. With the invention of the monopulse system, this was corrected and new systems are much more accurate.

A comparator allows for a radar beam to split into multiple segments. Originally the beam was split into two sections although now there are comparators which allow for a beam to be split into four sections instead. When the beams are compared, the slight differences in position between each of the beams allows the radar system to more precisely locate where a particular object it is or how fast it is moving.

There are several different types of these devices. The type that you choose will depend on exactly which kind of radar system you have set up. You can find comparators online although generally only on specialty websites that offer other radar equipment as well.




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