Adapting precision standard SAR processors to scanSAR

Processing ScanSAR or burst mode SAR data by standard high precision algorithms (e.g. range/Doppler, wavenumber domain, or chirp scaling) is shown to be an interesting alternative to the normally used SPECAN (or deramp) algorithm. Long burst trains with zeroes inserted into the inter-burst intervals can be processed coherently. This kind of processing preserves the phase information of the data. Due to the interference of the burst images the impulse response shows a periodic modulation that can be eliminated by a subsequent low-pass filtering of the detected image. This strategy allows an easy and safe adaptation of existing SAR processors to ScanSAR data if throughput is not an issue. The images are automatically consistent with regular SAR mode images both with respect to geometry and radiometry. The amount and diversity of the software for a multi-mode SAR processor are reduced.