A multimode radar signal processor

A programmable signal processor (PSP) for an airborne multimode radar system is described. The rationale used to architect and interconnect the processing elements and the technology used to implement the designs are discussed. Also discussed are the software systems developed to aid in equipment test/integration and in operational software development. The ability to maintain high processing throughput and to easily develop test and operational software are two key attributes of the PSP. This is essential in the airborne, multimode radar system environment. The structural details that achieve this in the individual processors and in the overall architecture are presented. Also included are general considerations for structuring the next generation of programmable radar processing equipment. The software developed for the PSP includes software for equipment development and maintenance and software to aid in the development of the operational flight programs. Equipment development and maintenance software enables fault detection and isolation during hardware integration and acceptance testing, and for field maintenance.<>