Course syllabus
Course-PM
RRY080 Radar systems and applications lp4 VT20 (7.5 hp)
The course is offered by the Department of Space, Earth and Environment
Contact details
- Examiner: Lars Ulander, Room EDIT 4334; lars.ulander@chalmers.se
- Lecturers: Lars Ulander, Jan Torgrimsson; jan.torgrimsson@chalmers.se
- Teaching assistant: Anis Elyouncha; anis.elyouncha@chalmers.se
- Lab assistant: Albert Monteith; albert.monteith@chalmers.se
- Home assignments: Erik Blomberg; blombere@chalmers.se
- Cancelled: Guest lecturer (SMHI Norrköping): Günther Haase; gunther.haase@smhi.se
Course purpose
This course describes the main properties of radar systems, and how these are selected in designing and optimizing radar systems. System performance is analysed based on electromagnetic wave propagation, sub-system characteristics, digital signal processing, and statistical detection theory, where different radar systems are used to illustrate the practical applications of the theory.
Course literature
The course is based on parts of two books available as e-books at Chalmers Library, i.e.
1. Sullivan, Radar foundations for imaging and advanced concepts, 2004
2. Richards, Sheer and Holm (eds), Principles of modern radar, basic principles, 2010
You can also buy a paper copy of the Sullivan book at the STORE by Chalmers Studentkår.
An example book for further reading (non-mandatory) is: Richards, Fundamentals of Radar Signal Processing, 2014. It is also available as e-book at the Chalmers Library.
Course design
A detailed Study plan and schedule is available in the module General course information. Check also the Course Calender.
The course is based on lectures and example classes (problem solving classes), which this year will be conducted as home education mainly using Zoom online. The course also includes laboratory work, home assignments, a guest lecture and one or two visits to industry. The laboratory work and home assignments are compulsory, whereas the industry visits are recommended but not compulsory. There will be no industry visits this year and the guest lecture is cancelled due to the change to home education.
The laboratory work includes a 4-hour laboratory exercise on radar measurements, which this year will be conducted as home education based on video films and quizzes. The laboratory work will this year be implemented as three video films with quizzes to be answered by the students. There will be no lab report requirement this year. The bonus points (0, 0.5 or 1) will be based on the results from the quizzes.
The home assignments include Home exercise 1 Pulse compression and Home exercise 2 SAR processing.
Besides the two course books, there will be additional material provided by lecture handouts (Lecture handouts), example class list of problems (Example class (Problem solving class)), one laboratory exercise PM (Lab exercise) and two home exercise PMs (Home exercise 1 and Home exercise 2).
Extra problems with solutions are available for self-studies. See Example sets (Extra problems with solutions).
Two extra lectures (SP1 and SP2) are offered to provide extra material on digital signal processing to support the lectures and as preparation for the two home exercises. We have included them in particular for students who have not taken a course in digital signal processing. The purpose is to support the learning objectives on "Nyquist sampling theorem", "undersampling", "pulse compression", "matched filter", "SAR" and "pulse-Doppler radar".
Old exams and solutions are available in order to prepare for the written exam. See Old exams.
Changes made since the last occasion
The book by Richards (2014) is included as example book for further reading (non-mandatory).
Due to the requirement of home education, the laboratory work is not possible to conduct as previous years. The laboratory work will be substituted by three video films with quizzes.
Examination form (for more details on the remote exam, see Information about remote exam in Zoom and the file RRY080 Exam details in General course information)
The course examination consists of two reports and a written exam.
The two reports must be approved and the written exam grade must be 3, or higher, in order to pass the course and obtain the 7,5 hp credits. The course grade (3, 4 or 5) is equal to the grade obtained in the written exam. Based on the written exam, both grades 4 and 5 will be reported as grade 4. To obtain grade 5, an oral exam must also be passed in addition to obtaining grade 5 on the written exam. The additional oral exam for grade 5 will be offered during the re-exam period 17-29 August 2020. If the student in this case does not take the oral exam, or fails, the grade 4 is obtained,
Two reports: Home exercise 1 and 2 reports (individual reports including Matlab code). All reports are corrected and checked in URKUND before approval. A detailed schedule, including deadline and review dates, for the two reports is given in the Study plan and schedule available in the module General course information. Recommendations for writing reports are given in Writing a report, also available in the module General course information.
Written exam: 3 June 2020, 14:00-18:00
Written re-exam: 21 Aug 2020, 14:00-18:00
The written exam paper has a maximum of 50 points. Nominal thresholds for grades 3, 4 and 5 are 20, 30 and 40 points. The examiner can decide to lower the thresholds if the written exam is more difficult than normal. To obtain grade 5 on the course, you also need to pass an oral exam which is organised separately.
Bonus points are added to the written exam paper result and included in the course grade. Each of the two reports must be submitted before their deadline in order to be eligible for bonus points. A report submitted before the deadline, and approved at the first review, gives 1 bonus point. Non-approval at the first review, followed by revision and submitted at the latest the day before the exam, gives 0.5 points if approved at the second review. This year, the laboratory work will be substituted by three video films with quizzes to be answered. The results from the quizzes will give 0, 0.5 or 1 bonus point. The maximum number of bonus points on the written exam is thus 3. The bonus points can be used with written exam paper results within a one-year limit.
The formula sheet will be included as part of the written exam paper and does not have to brought by the student to the written exam. It is available in General course information.
The written exam on 3 June 2020 will be an open book home exam. Note that the written exam is individual and that no collaboration nor help from any other individual is allowed.
The written exam will be conducted as a remote exam using Zoom at the following link
Although the exam will be open book, it is recommended to have the following items available at the written exam:
- Mathematics Handbook for Science and Engineering (Beta) by Råde and Westergren (equivalent mathematical handbook can be allowed after approval by the examiner)
- Physics Handbook for Science and Engineering by Nordling and Österman (equivalent physics handbook can be allowed after approval by the examiner)
- Dictionary
- Electronic calculator (only calculators approved by Chalmers, i.e. Casio FX82..., Texas TI30... or Sharp ELW531…).
Learning objectives
The Learning objectives are available in the module General course information. They should be regularly checked by the student during the course and they will also be reviewed during the last lecture.
Study plan, schedule and TimeEdit
The detailed Study plan and schedule is available in the module General course information.
The preliminary course calendar, lab schedule and room bookings are shown in TimeEdit.
Course summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|