Operation of the DREO (Defence Research Establishment Ottawa) Synthetic Aperture Radar Optical Correlator.
Abstract
This report contains the results of tests of an optical correlator developed by the Defence Research Establishment Ottawa and Canadian industry. This instrument was designed to correlate interferograms produced by synthetic aperture radar systems. Its optimal operating conditions are discussed and examples of correlated imagery shown. The important parameters which affect the performance of the DREO correlator were studied with the conclusion that it is essential to use good quality optical components. It was also found that it is very important to have many degrees of freedom at the input liquid gate and for each element to facilitate focus system alignment. The relatively low optical quality of the cylindrical lenses was a limiting factor in the system. A comparison of imagery produced by ERIM and the DREO correlator, using both L and X-band radar data, clearly demonstrated the excellent performance achieved using the DREO correlator. It is important to note that because of the flexibility built into the DREO correlator, that the correlator was not optimized to use ERIM parameters. In fact, the DREO correlator design, although constrained by cost, produced imagery which is competitive with the more complex and expensive ERIM correlator and provides a flexible research test bed to study and design more advanced systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA151415
Entities
People
- J. W. A. Salt
- N.. Brousseau
Organizations
- Defence Research and Development Canada