GNU-Radio Simulation Application for Impulse Radar Technique on Ground Object Detection

摘要

This research explores the benefits of developing a simulation system in GNU-Radio, an open-source software defined radio (SDR) platform, for radar applications. The particular behavioral system being developed, is one that detects ground objects and underground water beds. High-powered, low-frequency electromagnetic pulses are transmitted on the ground and the receiver reads the reflected signals - a technique known as impulse radar. The researchers have developed GNU-Radio digital signal processing blocks, namely the “Cycle Blanker”, “Reflection Simulator”, and “Qt A-scan Sink” to simulate and capture data through this approach. The output comes with a Linux desktop application to display real-time plots of the transmitted and received signals for analysis. Simulation parameters were obtained by testing the system in varying levels of wave frequencies and sampling rates. This effort prepares the researchers to develop a more robust system for detecting underground objects and layers, which is to be implemented in actual software-defined radio hardware. Developing in an open-source SDR framework allowed for an inexpensive and flexible preparation for its corresponding real-world application.