Description: Conventional SAR operates in the Stripmap mode. Wide unambiguous swath coverage and high azimuth resolution pose contradictory requirements on the design of SAR systems. A promising technique to overcome this limitation is Digital Beam-Forming (DBF) on receive where the receiving antenna is split into multiple sub-apertures. This provides the capability of forming multiple beams via post-processing. DBF techniques applied to SAR systems can increase receiving antenna gain without a reduction of the imaged area and suppress interference signals. A highly capable DBSAR instrument design would consist of wideband Transmitter-Receiver Module (TRM), precise multi-channel timing and synchronization and reconfigurable processing engine that can host the SAR processing, calibration and control routines. IAI?s proposed approach is modular, scalable and meets the NASA goals of developing an innovative analog/digital hardware design for the implementation of distributed DBSAR architectures.

Benefits: Our proposed technique can be used for a wide range of remote sensing applications for NASA and other parts of US government including: -Extending EcoSAR capabilities to larger, space-borne, phased-array radar systems for biomass remote sensing. -Wideband, Reconfigurable Radar systems for manned/ un-manned aircrafts -Digital Receivers and Exciters (DREX) -Radar Target Generators to validate radar systems before deployment -Algorithm development platform for existing NASA radar platforms. -Planetary subsurface sensing and imaging -Foliage Penetration (FOPEN) SAR. -Through Wall Radar -Earth subsurface sensing and imaging

The most promising Non- NASA commercial applications are: -Real-time digital processors. -Multi-node Network emulators -High bandwidth arbitrary waveform generator and data recorder -Ground Penetration Radar (GPR).