RF Propagation for Radar

Radio frequency (RF) propagation refers to the way signals travel from the transmitter through a free-space or atmospheric medium, interact with any target or surface interfaces, and return to the receiver.

Radar Toolbox provides propagation model and simulation capabilities that are applicable to short range and long range radars for applications at the power, measurement, and waveform-level, including performance analysis, system optimization, algorithm design, and end-to-end analysis.

RF Propagation Definitions

RF Propagation Definitions defines propagation mechanisms:

• How? — Propagation Geometry

• Why? — Propagation Mechanisms

• Where? — Surface / Target Interfaces

• What? — Propagation Phenomena

RF Propagation Concepts

RF Propagation Concepts introduces basic radar concepts:

• Line-of-Sight

• Radar Horizon

• Multipath Ghosts

• Multipath Fading

• Angle (Height) and Range Error From Refraction

RF Propagation Models

RF Propagation Models provides an overview of propagation models for applications at the power-level, measurement-level, and waveform-level.

• Propagation Geometry Functions

• Propagation Losses and Power-Level Models

• Detection and I/Q Simulators

Related Examples

Explore propagation-related examples below that demonstrate power, measurement, and waveform-level workflows.

Radar Link Budget Analysis	Modeling Target Position Errors Due to Refraction	Passive Bistatic Radar Performance Assessment	Radar Vertical Coverage over Terrain
Modeling the Propagation of Radar Signals	Measurement-Level Radar Data Generation Gallery	Airborne Target Height Estimation Using Multipath Over Sea and Land	Simulate Radar Ghosts Due to Multipath Return
Radar Performance Analysis over Terrain	Simulating Radar Systems with Atmospheric Refraction	Cooperative Bistatic Radar I/Q Simulation and Processing	Improving Weather Radar Moment Estimation with Convolutional Neural Networks