Radar Principles
A comprehensive introduction to radar principles
This volume fills a need in industry and universities for a comprehensive introductory text on radar principles. Well-organized and pedagogically driven, this book focuses on basic and optimum methods of realizing radar operations, covers modern applications, and provides a detailed, sophisticated mathematical treatment. Author Peyton Z. Peebles, Jr., draws on an extensive review of existing radar literature to present a selection of the most fundamental topics. He clearly explains general principles, such as wave propagation and signal theory, before advancing to more complex topics involving aspects of measurement and tracking. The last chapter provides a self-contained treatment of digital signal processing, which can be explored independently. Ample teaching and self-study help is incorporated throughout, including:
* Numerous worked-out examples illustrating radar theory
* Many end-of-chapter problems
* Hundreds of illustrations, including system block diagrams, demonstrating how radar functions are achieved
* Appended review material and useful mathematical formulas
* An extensive bibliography and references.
*An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.
Radar Principles is destined to become the standard text on radar for graduate and senior-level courses in electrical engineering departments as well as industrial courses. It is also an excellent reference for engineers who are typically required to learn radar principles on the job, and for anyone working in radar-related industries as well as in aerospace and naval research.
Why Read This Book
You should read Radar Principles if you want a focused, mathematically rigorous introduction to how radar systems work and how to analyze their performance; you will learn both the physical propagation and system-level concepts and the statistical signal-processing methods that make modern radar possible. The book stands out for clear pedagogy and a self-contained digital signal processing chapter that links classic radar theory to practical algorithms (FFT, filtering, detection) used in implementation.
Who Will Benefit
Ideal for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and practicing radar or signal-processing engineers seeking a compact but thorough treatment of radar theory, detection, tracking, and DSP implementation.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Solid calculus and differential equations, basic electromagnetics and wave theory, fundamentals of signals and systems (Fourier transforms, linear systems), and undergraduate probability/statistics for detection theory.
Key Takeaways
- Explain the fundamental radar equation and quantify range, SNR, and resolution trade-offs
- Analyze wave propagation, scattering and radar cross section to predict target return
- Apply statistical detection and estimation theory to formulate false-alarm vs. detection performance
- Design and evaluate common radar waveforms (pulse, CW, chirp) and their matched-filter processing
- Implement core digital signal-processing techniques (FFT, digital filtering, spectral analysis) for radar applications
- Formulate and apply basic tracking algorithms (e.g., Kalman filtering, measurement association) and performance metrics
Topics Covered
- Introduction to Radar Concepts and History
- Electromagnetic Wave Propagation and Antenna Fundamentals
- The Radar Range Equation and System Performance
- Radar Cross Section and Target Scattering
- Radar Waveforms, Modulation, and Matched Filtering
- Detection Theory and Statistical Decision Methods
- Resolution, Ambiguity Functions, and Measurement Accuracy
- Doppler Processing, MTI and Pulse-Doppler Techniques
- Clutter, Noise, and Electronic Countermeasures
- Tracking, Data Association, and Estimation (Kalman Filters)
- Antenna Arrays, Scanning, and Phased-Array Techniques
- Special Topics: SAR, Moving-Target Signatures, and Applications
- Digital Signal Processing for Radar: FFTs, Filters, and Spectral Methods
- Appendices, Mathematical Tools, and References
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
Covers similar foundational ground to Skolnik's Introduction to Radar Systems but in a more compact, mathematically focused style; complements Richards' Fundamentals of Radar Signal Processing by offering broader system-level context alongside a concise DSP chapter.
