Fixed Receiver Bi-Static SAR Image Formation Using C/A code and Global Back-Projection Algorithm

Abstract: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is used to generate a high resolution radar image from low resolution aperture data. Different SAR configurations can be obtained. The research on the fixed receiver Bi-static SAR is still on its early stages and it is an interesting research hotspot. Bistatic SAR, spatially separated between the transmitter and receiver systems. The deployed transmitter determines the kind of the signals used with the SAR operations. The Coarse Acquisition (C/A) is one of the signals used in the Global Positioning System (GPS). It has a good correlation characteristics. The Global Back-Projection (GBP) algorithm is a time-domain imaging algorithm. The main advantages of GBP is that it can be used for wide bandwidth, unlimited scene size, perfect motion compensation, and it’s ability to handle long integration angles. The algorithm however has one drawback which is the requirement of computation. This work simulates in Matlab, fixed-receiver bistatic SAR image formation using C/A code and global back-projection algorithm, and comparing the performance with the monostatic configuration based on the obtained results. Also it analyzes the performance of different receiver locations in bi-static configuration. Simulation results show that, the bistatic SAR range resolution strongly depends on the receiver location. The best resolution is obtained when the receiver is located between the transmitter and the target. In the best case, the azimuth resolution of the bistatic SAR is twice of the monostatic case while the range resolution is almost the same.