Programmable Real-Time Acousto-Optic/CCD SAR processor

The theory of operation of the Real-Time Acousto-Optic SAR Processor is reviewed and recent experimental results are presented. The results include a demonstration of the real-time imaging capability of the processor with simulated radar signals. An advanced version of this processor is then described in which a programmable reference function is entered via a second acousto-optic device to eliminate the need for a 2-D SLM. In this implementation the reference function is updated by electronic means to give the processor the flexibility to adapt rapidly to changes in the parameters of the radar/target geometry.