Radar and microwave propagation

Photo of an air surveillance radar — © Noël Magis - Fotolia.com

Avalanche radar at Arlberg — © IHF/TU Graz

Image of weatherradar data — © IHF/TU Graz

General

The radar and microwave propagation research group of the Institute of Microwave and Photonic Engineering is mainly engaged in research and development of hard- and software for various radar systems.Furthermore, we do research regarding electromagnetic wave propagation at microwave frequencies.

To top

Radar development

Open box of an avalanche radar — © IHF/TU Graz

Our main focus is in radar systems for environmental monitoring. In particular the radar research group has developed radars for the measurement of snow avalanches, a weather radar for precipitation measurement and a wind profiler. Those are generally technology concept demonstrations and prototypes which could be built and put on the market by industrial partners. An ongoing development is a radar for the observation of birds and bats. Furthermore also test systems for radars are designed at the institute. An example is a target emulator for automotive radar systems.

To top

Software solutions

The main software development is WIIS a program for displaying weather radar images and other meteorological information. This led to other meeterological software and to display systems for hail suppression onboard the aircrafts. Besides that the radar systems developed at the institute (avalanche radar, weather radar & bird radar) need also software for control, signal processing and display. Especially the radar signal and data processing is an important field with different hardware platforms depending on the demands:

Standard-PCs
Dedicated digital signal processors (e.g. ADSP21020, TI C67xx-family)
FPGAs

Furthermore we develop software tools for our private use necessary in our consulting activities (e.g. evaluation of air-traffic control radars and electromagnetical interference studies).

To top

Further research topics

Radar target simulation (together with the Micro- and mm-Wave workgroup)
Hydrology and neuronal networks
Studies about wind farm impacts on radars
Precipitation scattering

More informations about these and other topics can be found in the info-box Links to main topics in the right column.

To top

Teaching

The subject area of this workgroup is also represented in teaching by the lecture Introduction to Radar Systems and a seminar Radartechnik focused on weatherradar systems.

Download additional Information about the lecture

Link to the courses of the institute ...

Furthermore we are participating in the Automated Driving Laboratory with an exercise about automotive radar sensors.

To top

Links to main topics

Air-traffic control systems
Avalanche radar
Hedi
Wave propagation
Weather radar

Contacts

Helmut Paulitsch
Dipl.-Ing.

Phone: +43 316 873 - 7439
Fax: +43 316 873 - 7941

helmut.paulitsch@tugraz.at

Business card

Helmut Schreiber
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.

Phone: +43 316 873 - 7930
Fax: +43 316 873 - 7941

helmut.schreiber@tugraz.at

Business card

Interested ?

Students interested in the topics presented in these web pages or in radar systems in general are invited to visit the institute and talk with the responsible people shown in the contact boxes.

Open bachelor projects and master thesis

(see also Open thesis)