DAB Processing Chain for Passive Radar Applications

Passive Radar (PR) is a variant of radar technology in which no dedicated transmitter is required for operation. Instead, PR systems use so-called Illuminators of Opportunity (IOO)—such as existing radio-station broadcasts—for the detection of objects in a scene. In the past decade, there has been an increased interest in the use of digital broadcasting signals as IOOs, since these signals offer a variety of benefits in a PR context. One of the digital broadcasting standards that has garnered attention for use in PR is the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) format—an increasingly-popular mode of digital radio.

The aim of this project was to research, design, and implement a DAB processing chain, with the intention that it eventually be integrated into a PR system. Though prior work has been done on DAB-based PR implementations, the literature lacks a clear description of the DAB pipeline used for such scenarios. Moreover, the work that covers DAB signals more comprehensively focuses too much on the intricacies of the DAB standard, in a way that is unnecessarily complex for PR applications. Therefore, there is a need for a clear and thorough exposition of the design procedure for a DAB processing chain, specifically within the context of PR.

The final project report aimed to document the project’s design steps, and its associated results. After a brief surveillance of the available literature, a comprehensive consideration of the relevant aspects of the DAB standard is provided, including the key theoretical concepts that underpin it—namely, Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (COFDM) and Differential Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying (DQPSK). Thereafter, a detailed unpacking of the designed DAB processing chain is provided, starting from a high-level overview, and then zooming in to the individual functional blocks. The designed DAB chain is finally validated, illustrating that it functions correctly and is suitable for use in a PR system.

Report

The project report can be read here.

Presentation Video

Alternatively, below is a short presentation explaining the essence of the project: