Abstract: An improved performance receiver associated with a radar system for detecting targets over a specified range area whereby the receiver, which is responsive to a return signal corresponding to an actual target or a false target, includes: an attenuator for attenuating an amplitude associated with the return signal; sensitivity time control means coupled to the attenuator wherein the attenuation is coordinated to the sensitivity time control means and the attenuation of the return signal is selectively variable such that the amplitude of the return signal is attenuated to a first level at closer ranges of the specified range area and attenuated to a second level at farther ranges of the specified range area, the first level being greater than the second level; a mixer for downconverting the return signal to a signal exhibiting an intermediate frequency; a detector for extracting a target video signal from the downconverted return signal; detection threshold setting means for generating a detection threshold sig

Abstract: In accordance with the principles of the invention, a surveillance radar is provided with a rotating, frequency squinting, end-fed slotted array antenna, which is caused to transmit a plurality of different carrier frequency pulses for successively illuminating specific antenna beam positions during rotation of the antenna. Upon reception of each radar signal return, a signal processor responsive to the frequency of each transmitted pulse and the mechanical pointing angle of the antenna at the time of transmission of each pulse, will determine the frequency dependent squint angle for the transmitted pulse and combine that angle with the instantaneous mechanical pointing angle of the antenna at the time of the pulse transmission, to determine the actual beam pointing angle for each pulse at the time of its transmission. A video signal processor groups together the pulse signal returns from physically adjacent ones of the actual beam pointing angles for common processing, i.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for processing radar returned video signals in the vicinity of an airport including at least one runway and at least one vehicle roadway intersecting the runway, in order to assist air traffic controllers in detecting potential hazardous situations. Radar returns from each of plural geographic monitored locations are compared with a simulated return for each corresponding location to detect a moving object at any of said geographic monitored locations. The presence of a moving object at one of such locations may be indicative of a hazardous situation, and in that event, the air traffic control operator may be warned by an alarm or the like.

Abstract: A display indicia generator driven by compressed data is arranged to draw indicia on a display coordinated with signals from an external environment. For drawing a line, for example, the compressed data includes coordinates of a point on the line, a slope of the line and a length of the line. The display includes a deflection system for deflecting a writing beam, such as a cathode ray beam, over the display area in a predetermined pattern, i.e., a raster scan or PPI display. The signal source for the external signals to be displayed is coupled via a mixer to the unblanking control of the display. Another input to the mixer comes from the indicia generator which is arranged to enable the beam when it reaches a point, such as the start point on the line. On each succeeding coordinate scan, counters keep track of the portion of the sweep during which the beam should be unblanked so as to display the line. At the completion of the frame, the indicia has been generated concurrently with the signals.