Pulse reflection between front-end components is a common problem for impulse radar systems. Such reflections arise because radio frequency components are rarely impedance-matched over an ultra-wide bandwidth. Any mismatch between components causes a portion of the impulse to reflect within the radar front-end. If the reflection couples into the transmit antenna, the radar emits an unintended, delayed and distorted replica of the intended radar transmission. These undesired transmissions reflect from the radar environment, produce echoes in the radar image, and generate false alarms in the vicinity of actual targets. The proposed solution for eliminating these echoes, without redesigning the transmit antenna, is to dissipate pulse reflections in a matched load before they are emitted. A high-speed switch directs the desired pulse to the antenna and redirects the undesired reflection from the antenna to a matched load. The Synchronous Impulse Reconstruction (SIRE) radar developed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is the case-study. This paper reviews the current front-end design, provides a recent radar image which displays the aforementioned echoes, and describes the switch-cable-load circuit solution for eliminating the echoes. The consequences of inserting each portion of the new hardware into the radar front-end are explained. Measurements on the front-end with the high-speed switch show an attenuation of the undesired pulse transmissions of more than 18 dB and an attenuation in the desired pulse transmission of less than 3 dB.
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