SIGMET

The RVP8TM Digital Tx/Rx and Signal Processorfor Weather Radar

Elena Saltikoff

The Famous RVP7

• Most widely sold Doppler weather radar processor (over 200 units)

• All the algorithms of RVP7 are ported to the new RVP8 Architecture.

• RVP8: new capabilities, new hardware solutions and a digital transmitter.

Digital Transmitter and Receiver(digitally synthesized IF waveform)

More control of the signal• Real time signal correction for I/O samples:

- Amplitude correction- Phase stability of magnetrons to nearly as good as klystrons (better clutter cancellation)

• Linear dynamic range 98 dB for a 1 s pulse • Linearization

(saturation 3-5 dB later due to oversampling)

For Klystron Radars also

• Pulse Compression (less power, less interference)

• Frequency agility (dual frequency, more range resolution)

• Phase agility (2nd trip cancellation)

Long Expected Life Cycle

Easy to maintain, upgrade and expand • Open hardware: standard PCI bus

technology• Linux, Pentium, Standard I/O • SoftPlaneTM to control critical I/O• API (Application Program Interface)

for own innovations

Nexrad gets RVP8, too

• Prototype RVP8 July 2002• 10 sites during 2003• 150 sites more

2004 – 2005• RVP8, RCP8 and

IRIS/Radar

Examples of newish algorithms

• Adaptive FFT Doppler filter• Random Phase “Doppler Doubler”

(for Doppler dilemma)• SQI threshold for V and Z• 2D speckle filter (remove and fill)

Adaptive FFT Doppler filter:

Cancellation limits move dynamically within set limits

Random Phase “Doppler Doubler”

• Study the phase of two pulses (for magnetron random, for klystron controlled)

• Use SQI threshold for each• Recover the 2nd trip echo• Allows use of higher PRF

2D Speckle filter

• Study 8 neighbors in range and azimuth• Delete or fill

?

Want to know more ?

• 23-page technical description available• 3-page paper at ERAD (O’Hora et al.)

www.sigmet.com

I’ll add some slides for those who want technical details.

That’s Hannu, really, cheers !

I’ll add some slides for those who want technical details.

That’s Hannu, really, cheers !

RVP8 Example: Basic Magnetron System

DAFC

IFDRVP8/RXRVP8/RX

RVP8/IORVP8/IO

SBCSBC

PCI BUS

Digital STALO

Received IF

Magnetron IF

triggers

fiber downlink

antenna angles

10 /100 BASE-T LAN

K / V / M

Linearity