Metallic cylinder reflected power measurement for 93.1GHz frequency modulated continuous wave radar calibration.

Abstract

A metallic cylinder is one of the best materials and shapes to calibrating radar system performance. In addition to its reflective properties, metallic cylinders allow for accurate modeling for prediction of radar cross-section (RCS). This study presents the measurement of a metallic cylinder with a diameter of 4cm and a height of 3cm as a target, analyzed in the millimeter-wave (mm-wave) spectrum. The experiment was conducted in the real airport environment at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, under clear sky conditions. The measurement was carried out at 93.1 GHz utilizing a Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar to consistently detect the target. The RCS of the metallic cylinder was measured at different angles relative to the runway pavement. The results showed that the measurements exhibited smaller RCS value at longer ranges, with an average of –43.47 dBsm, compared to –30.16 dBsm at shorter ranges, indicating a total change of 13.31 dBsm. The reflectivity characteristics of the radar target, theoretical measurements of the metallic cylinder, incident angles from the radar target, and measurement evaluations are presented in this paper.