Design and performance Assessment of an Airborne Ice Sounding Radar Front-End

• Published in: 2008 Microwaves, Radar and Remote Sensing Symposium
• Main Authors: Hernández, Carlos Cilla, Krozer, Viktor, Vidkjær, Jens, Dall, Jørgen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Materials Research Society 2008
• Subjects: Greenland
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/26ba66da-3a44-4b94-9fe6-f819cfb12c9d; https://doi.org/10.1109/MRRS.2008.4669596; https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/3811187/Hernandez.pdf

The paper describes the design and experimental performance assessment of the RF front-end of an airborne P-band ice sounding radar. The ice sounder design features newly developed components at a centre frequency of 435 MHz, such as, antenna 20% bandwidth at RL ≪ 13 dB, compact high power in-phase and out-of-phase power dividers with a relative bandwidth of 20% and more than 75W CW power handling, high power SPDT PIN switch with 90W CW power handling and a 70W CW High efficiency LDMOS power amplifier with ≫60% power-added efficiency. The system comprises also a digital signal generator, a digital front-end and a control unit. The system was functionally tested in March 2008 and had a first successful proof-of-concept campaign in Greenland in May 2008.