Implementing Software Radar Systems for ISR Data Processing

We have recently implemented a Software Radar System as the production data taking and control system for the Millstone Hill Incoherent Scatter Radar. In a Software Radar the traditional real-time hardware, control, and signal processing elements of a radar system are replaced by software running on general purpose computer systems and interconnected by a high speed and low latency data network. From our efforts to develop this system we have identitified a number of key architectural elements which are important for achieving performance, modularity, and scalability in distributed systems of experimental radar instrumentation. These elements include global coherence, reference signal digitization, multicast interconnection, persistence management, and a large number of generic software patterns (channels, signal chains, distributors, listeners, recorders, replayers, filterers, triggers, bridges, proxies, schedulers, and weavers). We will discuss the role of these elements in the larger context of ISR data system design using examples from different stages in the Millstone Hill data processing system.