Configuring RVP10 digital front-end

You can use the dspx tool to configure the RVP10 digital front-end.

You can do this at any time. The following procedure is for first-time setups.

tip

Sometimes it is useful to run plot commands with samples from the IF-Input of the IFDR, rather than from the Burst-Input.

Press % to toggle between the IF input SMA connectors on the IFDR.

  1. Use Burst pulse and AFC setting to set the systems intermediate frequency.

    See Mb — Burst pulse and AFC.

  2. Use General trigger setups to choose the PRF and pulse width. Also, choose the range resolution, as it may constrain the design of the digital filters later.

    See Mt — Triggers and timing.

  3. Use Triggers for Pulsewidth n to set the relative timing of the RVP10 triggers used by the radar.

    Initially, you do not need to set the exact values of the trigger start times. Set their polarity and width, and their start times relative to each other.

    If you are using the bandpass filter, make an initial estimate of FIR filter length as 1.5 times the pulse width.

    If you are using a matched filter, set the pulse length value to capture the entire burst pulse width, but without extra time spacing. The ideal matched filter bandwidth and resulting filter coefficients will be computed from the length of the burst pulse value.

    See Mw<n> - Transmit waveforms.

  4. Use Plot Burst pulse timing to slew the start times of all triggers so that the burst pulse is properly sampled.

    Refine the impulse response length if necessary so that all samples easily fit within the display window.

    See Burst pulse timing plot (Pb).

  5. Use Plot burst spectra and AFC to design the passband FIR filter, or, in the case of a matched filter, to select a windowing function.

    See Burst spectra and AFC plot (Ps).

    1. Further refine the impulse response length and passband width to achieve a filter that matches the spectral width of the burst, and that has strong attenuation at DC.

      If the FIR length has changed, return to Burst pulse timing to verify that the burst is still sampled properly.

  6. Continue using Plot burst spectra and AFC and Burst pulse and AFC to tune the AFC feedback loop.

    The settings that work for one pulse width should also work for the others.

  7. Use Plotting receiver waveforms to verify that targets are being detected with good sensitivity.

    See Receiver waveforms plot (Pr).

  8. Repeat the procedure for each pulse width supported by the radar.