New Advances in LFM-CW SAR: Theoretical Developments and Practical Applications

Abstract:
Very small SAR systems are made possible by using a linear frequency modulated continuous wave (LFM-CW) signal which can achieve good SNR with lower transmit power. This paper takes a generalized theoretical look at the LFM-CW SAR signal and the development of new SAR processing algorithms for processing CW data. The discussion continues with the practical aspects of developing two production LFM-CW SAR models. The paper also describes of the successful deployment of the microASAR on the NASA SIERRA UAS as part of the Characterization of Arctic Sea Ice Experiment (CASIE), with NASA and the University of Colorado.