Characteristics
PSR's usually have the following required characteristics:
- No operator required: The radar autonomously detects movement in a defined area, tracks those targets and raises an alarm if the targets cross into alarm areas.
- Export of target data: The radar not only has its own dedicated display and alarm system, but also outputs data to other systems that form the security network. A typical interface system today would include target data output over Extensible Markup Language (XML) at a useful target data rate (0.1 Hz to 1 Hz).
- Coverage: a radar that covers more area can be potentially more useful than a radar that covers a limited sector. Most PSRs cover a 360° area and some are limited to sectors of 80 to 180° by their design.
- Resolution: a radar that operates at higher frequencies and with narrower beams will determine target positions most accurately.
- Low false alarm rates: a radar that puts out false targets is at best an irritant and tactically can confuse the security team. A good PSR should have a designed false alarm rate of two or less false alarms per day. (A false alarm should not be confused with a nuisance alarm caused by, for example, an animal).
Characteristics of some perimeter surveillance radar systems:
- Carrier frequencies range from X-band (about 10 GHz) to W band (about 77 GHz).
- Modulation characteristics include CW, FMCW, and pulsed. FMCW based systems typically have very high range resolution, often better than 1 metre.
- Ranges from 300 meters to over 10 km.
- Detection methods include Doppler (requiring movement relative to the transmitter) and clutter mapping (movement in any direction).
- Area coverage rates: from 360° per second down to 30° per second. (Note: some Doppler based sensors tend to have lower scan rates.)
Read more about this topic: Perimeter Surveillance Radar