Do circuits need to be used in Radar related hardware?

AI Thread Summary
Circuits are essential in most radar applications, particularly in the transmitter, which emits RF energy, and the receiver, which is a low-noise, high-gain RF radio receiver. Electronic timing circuitry is crucial for measuring echo return times to determine distance, especially in Doppler radar systems that calculate the speed of objects. While some radar systems can be passive, using electromagnetic principles without traditional circuits, the majority of low-power radar components rely on circuit technology. Overall, circuits play a significant role in the functionality and efficiency of radar hardware. Understanding the balance between circuit use and electromagnetic principles is key in radar technology.
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Do circuits need to be used in Radar related hardware?
 
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I'm not sure I understand your question, but for regular radar applications, several circuit types are used. The transmitter uses a tube like your microwave oven to send out pulses of RF energy through the antenna structure, and the receiver is a low-noise, high-gain RF radio receiver. Then there is the electronic timing circuitry that times the echo return time to determine the distance. For Doppler-capable (speed sensing) radar, the receiver and timing circuitry work together more closely to calculate the speed of the reflecting object.

But some radar structures can be completely passive. Like the wind-driven hidden cube corner things that will blank out police doppler radar detectors... (but don't help against LIDAR obviously).
 
Since radar uses microwaves, from the output device until the antenna you have a system that uses electromagnetism and not circuits. Instead of the laws of Kirchoff you use the laws of Maxwell.
But most of the low power portion of the radar system uses circuits.
 
I think circuits are used in radar.
 
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