Drones increasingly present challenges in both battlefield and civilian environments and drive the need for high-performance drone detection solutions. When designing the RF front end, it’s important to recognize that not all RF filter topologies can meet the requirements arising in drone detection radars. This webinar will present the trade-offs between filter topologies and conclude with an optimized RF filter solution satisfying performance and SWaP-C needs.
Overview
Drones are ubiquitous in today’s battlefield, as platforms for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as defenders/aggressors. They also present a security challenge in civilian environments. In turn, this has generated a high demand for detecting, identifying, and tracking drones in both military and civilian environments. In the latter case, this involves protection of airports, stadiums, and large-scale public events.
This webinar will outline various methods of field deployable drone detection and the associated radar performance requirements. The size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) requirements will also be covered.
A typical radar block diagram will be reviewed as well as the role of RF filters in the signal path. Various filter topologies will be described and the advantages and disadvantages of each reviewed for meeting radar performance and deployment requirements. The webinar will conclude with a practical example of a filter topology that can be used at IF and RF to satisfy drone detection radar performance requirements as well as SWaP-C considerations.
Key Takeaways
- Understand how drone detection radars impose performance requirements on RF filters.
- Be able to identify the performance trade-offs between various RF filter topologies.
- Gain insight into an RF filter solution that can satisfy drone detection radar performance requirements as well as SWaP-C considerations.
Speaker
Bob Buxton, product line manager with Smiths Interconnect, a Molex company, brings more than 20 years of experience in both R&D and product management roles. He has worked within, and has provided products to, the mil/aero segment. His R&D experiences have been primarily in connection with radar and microwave sub-system design. Bob holds a master’s degree in Microwaves and Modern Optics from University College, London and an MBA from George Fox University, Newberg, Oregon. He is a chartered engineer and a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.