Time-for-space microwave system architecture for multifunctional radar

Traditional RF front-end link typically arranges microwave devices with single functions sequentially in space dimension to process microwave signals, which becomes one of the bottlenecks hindering the softwarization of microwave systems and is particularly unfavorable for multi-scenario applications in radar. To solve the problem, here we propose a “time-for-space” microwave system architecture for multi-scene applications of radar. Dynamic definition of device functions through software enables the formation of sequential loops in the time domain for multiple functions, facilitating the processing of microwave signals. This architecture not only reduces the size of circuits but also, more importantly, allows for the software-defined configuration of the RF link according to application requirements, enabling the radar systems to have more flexible and diverse application scenarios. A redefinable 5-in-1 microwave device is designed and used for principle validation, theoretically capable of realizing over 55 = 3125 microwave links. By software-defining and pulse logic timing designing, we present three demonstration applications: microwave imaging, wireless communications, and radar detection, which show excellent measurement results: the detection positioning error is less than 5%, the imaging resolution is 0.5λ, and the communication bit error rate is less than 5%.