High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps
High-resolution radar systems use fast and broadband frequency chirps to enable high resolutions with short measurement times. One challenge in these radar systems is minimizing the linearity error in the generated frequency chirps, directly influencing the achievable depth resolution and precision....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Open Journal of Instrumentation and Measurement |
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10985815/ |
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| author | Bent Walther Andre Froehly Thomas Musch Marcel van Delden |
| author_facet | Bent Walther Andre Froehly Thomas Musch Marcel van Delden |
| author_sort | Bent Walther |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High-resolution radar systems use fast and broadband frequency chirps to enable high resolutions with short measurement times. One challenge in these radar systems is minimizing the linearity error in the generated frequency chirps, directly influencing the achievable depth resolution and precision. Current measurement methods cannot meet the bandwidth requirements of modern chirp generators, making it difficult to determine the linearity error precisely. For this reason, we present a novel measurement method that uses a frequency divider to enable linearity measurements with very high accuracy using conventional measurement equipment. Since frequency dividers generate additional artifacts, such as harmonics, we present a novel correction algorithm to prevent these artifacts in the measurement results. The algorithmic framework utilizes a virtual digital frequency chirp to detect RMS frequency errors in the sub-Hz range unprecedentedly. Furthermore, the influence of the frequency divider is systematically characterized, enabling precise correction of its contributions to the measurement results. This method improves the accuracy of chirp linearity measurements and allows for the characterization of current linearity measurement systems. The approach was validated through experimental measurements, even under noise, aliasing, and harmonic conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-33df3a9bc3214400a1fa72813277d3d4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2768-7236 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Open Journal of Instrumentation and Measurement |
| spelling | doaj-art-33df3a9bc3214400a1fa72813277d3d42025-08-20T03:47:41ZengIEEEIEEE Open Journal of Instrumentation and Measurement2768-72362025-01-01411410.1109/OJIM.2025.356685010985815High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency ChirpsBent Walther0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8872-1222Andre Froehly1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8000-7533Thomas Musch2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3924-0883Marcel van Delden3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1808-3644Institute of Electronic Circuits, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyGroup 3D Sensor Systems, Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR, Wachtberg, GermanyInstitute of Electronic Circuits, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyInstitute of Electronic Circuits, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyHigh-resolution radar systems use fast and broadband frequency chirps to enable high resolutions with short measurement times. One challenge in these radar systems is minimizing the linearity error in the generated frequency chirps, directly influencing the achievable depth resolution and precision. Current measurement methods cannot meet the bandwidth requirements of modern chirp generators, making it difficult to determine the linearity error precisely. For this reason, we present a novel measurement method that uses a frequency divider to enable linearity measurements with very high accuracy using conventional measurement equipment. Since frequency dividers generate additional artifacts, such as harmonics, we present a novel correction algorithm to prevent these artifacts in the measurement results. The algorithmic framework utilizes a virtual digital frequency chirp to detect RMS frequency errors in the sub-Hz range unprecedentedly. Furthermore, the influence of the frequency divider is systematically characterized, enabling precise correction of its contributions to the measurement results. This method improves the accuracy of chirp linearity measurements and allows for the characterization of current linearity measurement systems. The approach was validated through experimental measurements, even under noise, aliasing, and harmonic conditions.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10985815/Chirp modulationfrequency measurementlinearitymicrowave measurementsignal processing algorithms |
| spellingShingle | Bent Walther Andre Froehly Thomas Musch Marcel van Delden High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps IEEE Open Journal of Instrumentation and Measurement Chirp modulation frequency measurement linearity microwave measurement signal processing algorithms |
| title | High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps |
| title_full | High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps |
| title_fullStr | High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps |
| title_full_unstemmed | High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps |
| title_short | High-Accuracy Linearity Measurement of Broadband Frequency Chirps |
| title_sort | high accuracy linearity measurement of broadband frequency chirps |
| topic | Chirp modulation frequency measurement linearity microwave measurement signal processing algorithms |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10985815/ |
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