Pulse Doppler (PD) systems are widely used for moving target detection, especially in scenarios with clutter. Range ambiguity, which arises from fixed parameters in waveforms, is an inherent drawback in conventional systems. By using a diverse pulse train such as a train of coherent diverse phase coded pulses, these ambiguous peaks can be suppressed effectively but at the cost of sidelobe dispersions. In this work, a novel efficient PD process is proposed to suppress range ambiguity and detect moving targets under strong clutter. Poly-phase coded pulses are employed along with optimal receiving filters, by which the dispersed sidelobes are mitigated to a great extent. Moreover, a novel clutter suppression procedure is included in the PD process, by which strong clutter can be greatly suppressed. Well-designed receiving and inverse filters are employed. Simulation examples are presented to verify the theories. Compared with conventional methods, much better detection results are obtained for both near and remote targets, especially in scenarios with strong clutter.
Keywords: PD process; ambiguity suppression; clutter suppression; inverse filter; optimal filter.