Generation of Circular SAR Simulated Data

The Anacapa developed software to generate the simulated circular SAR data has two modules: radar module and ground module. The generation of the radar data proceeds as follows:

Step 1: Before the radar simulation begins, the ground module generates a simulated random ground realization

Step 2: Radar module simulates circular SAR motion, determines radar illumination on the ground, generates transmitted pulse and calculates incident angle between radar line of sight and each illuminated point on ground.

Step 3: Ground module calculates scattered radar pulse from each illuminated point on ground

Step 4: Radar module adds each scattered returns (from one single transmitted pulse) to obtain received radar data.

Step 5: Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 for the next radar position

Ground Module

The Anacapa circular SAR simulation first generates simulated random ground realizations.

The ground is divided into individual computational elements, called voxels. The generation of the ground height for each voxel is illustrated here.

The user specifies the type of scatterer in each voxel, and this, along with the ground and radar geometry, is used to calculate the scattered radar pulse from each voxel. This process is illustrated here.

Radar Module

The simulated SAR system consists of the radar mounted on a missile travelling along a predetermined trajectory. Additionally the radar antenna is rotating. Anacapa simulated this radar geometry, with all the necessary geometric transformations in order to calculate the radar footprint on the ground as a function of time.

Click here for illustration of the radar geometry and radar coverage.