Abstract: An azimuth correlator architecture is defined wherein a number of serial range-line buffer memories are cascaded such that the output stages of all buffer memories together form a complete and unique range bin in the azimuthal dimension at any given time. A range bin is automatically read out of the last stages of the registers in parallel on a range line sample-by-sample basis for subsequent range migration correction and correlation. Range migration correction is performed on the range bins by effectively varying the length of a delay register at the output of each range-line buffer memory. The corrected range bin output from the delay registers is then correlated with a Doppler reference function to form an image element on a real-time basis.

Abstract: Processing of raw analog echo data from a side-looking synthetic aperture radar receiver into images on board an airborne radar platform is made feasible by utilizing charge-coupled device (CCD) semiconductor technology. CCD circuits are utilized to perform input sampling, presumming, range correlation and azimuth correlation in the analog domain. These radar data processing functions are implemented for "single-look" or "multiple-look" imaging radar systems.