Real-Time SAR Imaging Based on Reconfigurable Computing

Abstract

Real-time synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image-processing systems on airborne or spaceborne platforms have constraints in terms of their power consumption, volume, and weight. In order to meet the requirements of these platforms and increase the flexibility of system application, this paper presents a SAR real-time imaging technology based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) dynamic-reconfiguration technology. First, this technology is used to optimize the algorithm. The entire process flow is then classified into dynamic and static parts. The dynamic part implements numerical calculations, and the static part involves process control, data storage, and peripheral interface. Then, based on dynamic reconfiguration, the processing system is designed, including data interface, data storage, process control, and data operation. Finally, using flight data based on an unmanned aerial vehicle, the performance of the system is verified. The results indicate that the system needs to be run at a 200 MHz frequency for 85.9 s to process data with a size of 65536 ×65536. The system uses approximately 31.4% less resources and consumes 20% less power compared to the traditional method. These experimental results prove the effectiveness of the technology, laying the foundation for the design of high-performance real-time image-processing systems on airborne or spaceborne platforms.