A Time Domain Return measurement system for measuring liquid level, linear movement or other measurements which includes a first and second electrode, the second electrode spaced from the first electrode to define a gap, and an electronics assembly connected to the first and second electrodes equipped with a generator for transmitting an electromagnetic signal for propagation along the electrodes. The signal generator has a first analog timing circuit for actuating a slow-rising function of voltage versus time, a second analog timing circuit associated with the first analog timing circuit for actuating a fast-rising function of voltage versus time, and a receive circuit electrically connected to the electrodes, the receive circuit being activated for receiving return echo data associated with the electromagnetic signal transmitted when the fast-rising function is equal or greater than the slow-rising function to determine the position of the second medium with respect to the electrodes.

The application discloses a method for verifying the accuracy of a guided-wave radar measuring device used in process automation. The method includes sending measuring radar waves to a built-in verification circuit of a known and verified length and performing time-of-flight analysis on the measuring radar wave reflected by the built-in verification circuit. The application also discloses a guided-wave radar device having a built-in verification circuit.

Systems, methods, architectures, mechanisms or apparatus for receiving and storing electromagnetic pulses using photonics includes a transmission unit transmitting electromagnetic pulses; an antenna receiving electromagnetic pulses reflected from a target; an optical recirculation loop for storing replica received electromagnetic pulses; and a processor for extracting target related phase information from the replica received electromagnetic pulses.

According to one aspect of the inventive concept there is provided a transmitter-receiver system comprising: a transmitter arranged to transmit a wavelet; a receiver arranged to receive a wavelet; a wavelet generator arranged to generate a reference wavelet; and timing circuitry arranged to receive a reference clock signal, output a first trigger signal for triggering transmission of a wavelet and output a second trigger signal for triggering generation of a reference wavelet. The timing circuitry further comprises a delay line including at least one delay element and being arranged to receive a signal at an input of the delay line and transmit a delayed signal at an output of the delay line, wherein a state of each delay element of at least a subset of said at least one delay elements is switchable between at least a first state and a second state. A delay element in said first state, i.e. switched to its first state, presents a first propagation delay. A delay element in said second state, i.e. switched to its second state, presents a second propagation delay which differs from the first propagation delay by a value which is smaller than a period of the reference clock signal. Thereby a total propagation delay of the delay line is configurable by controlling the state of each delay element of said subset. The system further comprises a controller arranged to control a delay between the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal by controlling the total propagation delay of the delay line. The system is arranged to correlate the reference wavelet with a received wavelet for at least one setting of the total propagation delay.

A transceiver for a detection and ranging apparatus comprising: a transmitter chain comprising a first sequence generator configured to generate a first signal based on a digital sequence; an interference cancellation block comprising a second sequence generator configured to generate a second signal based on the same digital sequence used to generate the first signal, the second signal having a predetermined time delay relative to the first signal; and the receiver chain configured to receive a received signal for detection and ranging, the received signal having components comprising at least none, one, or more reflections of the transmission signal and a component comprising an interference signal, the receiver chain comprising a first analog signal mixer configured to provide an output signal by mixing the received signal and the second signal thereby cancelling the interference signal in the received signal.

A radio altimeter includes a voltage controlled oscillator outputting a radio frequency signal through a forward path in a direction from the voltage controlled oscillator to a radio frequency antenna, a path extending unit positioned in the forward path to receive the radio frequency signal to delay the radio frequency signal to generate a delayed radio frequency signal. The radio frequency antenna transmits the delayed radio frequency signal to ground and receives the delayed radio frequency signal reflected from the ground. The radio altimeter also includes a mixer that receives the reflected delayed radio frequency signal through a signal reception path from the radio frequency antenna and the radio frequency signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and mixes the radio frequency signal and the reflected delayed radio frequency signal to output a beat frequency signal which is used to calculate altitude with respect to the ground.

A radar target simulation system for simulating at least one moving radar target is disclosed. The radar target simulation system includes an analog to digital converter and at least one digital processing channel. The digital processing channel includes a delay circuit or unit, a resampling circuit or unit and a frequency shifting circuit or unit. Moreover, a method for operating a radar target simulation system is disclosed.

Methods for monitoring of performance parameters of one or more receive channels and/or one or more transmit channels of a radar system-on-a-chip (SOC) are provided. The radar SOC may include a loopback path coupling at least one transmit channel to at least one receive channel to provide a test signal from the at least one transmit channel to the at least one receive channel when the radar SOC is operated in test mode. In some embodiments, the loopback path includes a combiner coupled to each of one or more transmit channels, a splitter coupled to each of one or more receive channels, and a single wire coupling an output of the combiner to an input of the splitter.

Methods for monitoring of performance parameters of one or more receive channels and/or one or more transmit channels of a radar system-on-a-chip (SOC) are provided. The radar SOC may include a loopback path coupling at least one transmit channel to at least one receive channel to provide a test signal from the at least one transmit channel to the at least one receive channel when the radar SOC is operated in test mode. In some embodiments, the loopback path includes a combiner coupled to each of one or more transmit channels, a splitter coupled to each of one or more receive channels, and a single wire coupling an output of the combiner to an input of the splitter.

A radar system includes a transmitter including a power amplifier (PA) for amplifying a local oscillator (LO) signal, to generate an amplified signal. The radar system also includes a receiver including an IQ generator for generating an I signal based on the LO signal and for generating a Q signal based on the LO signal and a low noise amplifier (LNA) for amplifying a looped back signal, to generate a receiver signal. The receiver also includes a first mixer for mixing the receiver signal and the I signal, to generate a baseband I signal and a second mixer for mixing the receiver signal and the Q signal, to generate a baseband Q signal. Additionally, the radar system includes a waveguide loopback for guiding the amplified signal from the transmitter to the receiver as the looped back signal.