Course overview
Radars are used in numerous civilian and military applications underpinning our modern world. They are critical for safe navigation of transport systems, weather forecasting, remote sensing and national security. This course will provide students with a broad understanding of radar technologies. It is an elective course in the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic) program. Students will learn the scientific principles underpinning radars, spanning major functionalities such as target detection and imaging, as well as key engineering concepts and characteristics of real radar systems. The course is delivered on campus, with an in-person component centred around workshops, and supported by tutorials. Learning activities at the scheduled sessions include group discussions and Matlab exercises. Assessment activities include workshop and tutorial participation, individual assignments and tests. The set of assessments is designed to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in radar concepts and ability to make important design decisions. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to analyse radar performance, appropriately interpret signals from radars and design simple radars. These skills will allow students to pursue careers in radar engineering, or closely related areas such as telecommunications.
Course learning outcomes
- Describe the principle underlying radar systems and articulate the roles of different components of a radar system.
- Use analytical techniques to determine and evaluate the performance of radar systems.
- Describe how target and environmental characteristics affect the choice of system design parameters.
- Compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of different radars.