Agilent debuts modeling, verification platform for radar, EW
May 20, 2014. Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced that the Agilent EEsof EDA W1905 radar model library has been enhanced to simulate moving 3-D radar scenarios as well as phased-array adaptive beamforming.
The new modeling capability saves design verification cost and accelerates deployment for radar system engineers. It also reduces dependence on expensive field testing and dedicated hardware emulators by realistically rendering radar and electronic warfare environments economically throughout the R&D process, using commercial design software and test equipment.
The W1905 radar model library is available as a simulation option to SystemVue, Agilent’s premier platform for electronic system-level design. The enhancements add inertial modeling layers above the baseband radar signal processing references. They account for the 3-D positions, velocities, rotations, and beamforming directions of each transmitter, receiver, and target, allowing modelers to create and script meaningful airborne, shipborne, and multi-static scenarios or environments. Together with models for dynamically steerable antenna arrays and adaptive digital beamforming, the effectiveness of radar architectures and counter-measures can be quickly assessed, while also accounting for clutter, jammers, interference, and RF analog limitations.
The choice of SystemVue as an integrated system-level cockpit connects radar architects to other critical R&D domains, including
- baseband algorithm design interfaces in floating-point math, C++, or HDL;
- accurate RF models from Agilent’s Advanced Design System (ADS) and EMPro 3-D EDA software;
- wideband test and measurement equipment, such as Agilent’s M8190A arbitrary waveform generator and M9703A 8-channel digitizer, to generate and capture simulated waveforms for hardware validation, and;
- optional links to external applications, such as the STK software from Analytical Graphics Inc.
By connecting the new realistic scenarios with other best-in-class technology references, SystemVue allows radar system architects to affordably validate radar and electronic warfare architectures using commercial tools, while also leveraging their own secure IP.
“Radar architects and verifiers are embracing the versatility of proven, system-level commercial approaches in order to reduce project overhead,” said Daren McClearnon, electronic system level segment lead for Agilent. “Reconfigurable, open tools like SystemVue streamline the R&D lifecycle and reduce dependence on specialized verification assets.”
SystemVue and its updated W1905 radar library are being demonstrated this week at IEEE RadarCon 2014, May 20-22 in Cincinnati, OH. SystemVue with its updated W1905 radar library will also be shown at IMS 2014, June 1-6 in Tampa, FL.
Agilent’s W1905 radar model library, part of SystemVue 2013.08 Service Pack 1, is available for download at www.agilent.com/find/eesof-systemvue-latest-downloads. A routine update to the W1905 library is expected in early June. Pricing for the SystemVue environment starts at approximately $17,687. A free, 30-day evaluation copy of SystemVue is available at www.agilent.com/find/eesof-systemvue-evaluation.