A Study of Digital Filter Characteristics in Moving Target Indicators of Radar Systems

Studies were performed in three areas of digital filter applications in radar systems. These areas were: (1) coefficient selection and evaluation, (2) a bit-by-bit simulation of a digital signal processor, and (3) hardware considerations. A computer program was compiled from available and newly prepared programs. Included were five coefficient selection techniques: (1) Fourier Series, (2) Kaiser Compensated Fourier Series, (3) Minimax, (4) Reference gain maximization, and (5) Clutter attentuation maximization. Coefficient set modification procedures, variable word length roundoff methods and a frequency domain evaluation techniques were included. Typical filter designs illustrated the effect of various design parameters and showed a relative comparison of the results. A bit-by-bit processor simulation that allows operator specification of input sample work length, processor word length, etc., was programmed on a PDP-8 computer.