This book presents a personal and applied approach to the subject based upon my
experience with radar at leading companies in the United States during a period of
rapid change and innovation. The physics and design of radar is not a new concept.
It was established and reduced to practice during World War II. Subsequent development was led and funded by government laboratories, at a diminished pace. With the invention of microelectronics and their application to consumer products, investment and innovation surged. Radar design and manufacturing advanced commensurately, today achieving near theoretical levels of performance at a ordable prices.
The genesis of this book is an ESA class which I have presented at a number of
radar conferences. I thank the many colleagues who contributed to my understanding of this subject and are responsible for the technical insight represented here. Errors and omissions are my responsibility.
The scope of this book is a class of antennas termed electronic scanned arrays
(ESAs), which construct a wavefront in their apertures by means of a multiplicity
of radiating elements. Element or groups of elements are controlled in amplitude
and/or phase. The elements may also incorporate amplifiers in transmit and receive.
Advances in hardware have enabled the implementation of this remarkable technology and broadened its applications.
The objective of this book is to provide a basic understanding of ESA design
principles and applications. The discussion focuses on antenna hardware, specifically radar antennas, although communications and receive antennas are broadly similar. The antenna itself does not know or care about the signal or modulation.